College Admissions Glossary: G-I
Need help better understanding all the complicated terms related to college admissions? Be sure to check out our full admissions glossary after you review G-I.
GPA: Grade point average, an average of the grades a student earned during their course of study.
Gap Year: A gap year is a break taken by a student after finishing high school and before starting college.
Grade: A grade is an indication of how well a student performed on a test, assignment or class.
Graduate Student: A graduate student is pursuing an advanced degree, such as a master's degree or doctoral degree (Ph.D.).
Graduation Rate: A graduation rate is the percentage of students who complete their education within a certain timeframe.
Grant: A grant is money for college that does not need to be earned or repaid. Grants are often awarded based on financial need.
Greek Life: The interlinked network of sororities and fraternities on a campus.
High School: High school, also known as secondary school, typically involves grades 9-12 in the U.S.
Higher Education: Higher education, also known as post-secondary education, involves earning a certificate, associate degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree or professional schooling.
Home-Schooled: Students are home-schooled when they are taught by their parents, rather than a public or private K-12 school.
Honors Program: An honors program is a course of study for high-achieving students.
Humanities: Humanities are fields of study related to human culture, such as languages, literature, philosophy, geography, history, religion, music and art.
HYPSM: Acronym for Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford and MIT.
IB: The international baccalaureate program is available in various elementary, middle and high schools, and is an intensive course of study.
In-State Student: An in-state student is from the same state as the public college they attend. In-state students usually qualify for cheaper tuition than out-of-state students.
Independent Study: Independent study is a type of class that does not require the student to attend class, but rather lets the student work alone while receiving minimal supervision from a teacher or professor.
International Baccalaureate: See IB.
Internship: An internship is a temporary job designed to provide the intern with experience in a certain field, sometimes for college credit. Internships may be paid or unpaid.
Ivy League: The Ivy League is a group of eight prestigious colleges and universities with selective admissions standards. The Ivy League colleges include: Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University and Yale University.
