College Vocabulary: 10 Words You Need To Know

The ACT or SAT tests aren't the only reasons to brush up on your vocabulary. Between financial aid paperwork, college applications and course registration, college life is chock-full of words you might have never encountered in high school. Here's a rundown of some of the big ones you'll need to know so you can move more confidently into your college career.

FAFSA: Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is a requirement if you want to be eligible for any federal financial aid, including Pell grants, work study and certain loans. Make this a priority on your to-do list! You should have your FAFSA completed as soon as you can in January of your senior year in high school. Find out more on our guide to the different kinds of financial aid.
Bachelor’s versus associate degree: An associate degree typically takes two years to get, while a bachelor’s degree takes four years. Two-year community colleges usually only offer associate degrees, but a four-year institution allows you to get both at the same time. You can also get your associate at a two-year and then finish up your last two years at a four-year.
ACT and SAT: Both are college entrance exams that you have to take before you apply for college, although you only have to choose one. Whichever you decide on, your score affects what schools and scholarships you’re eligible for, so it’s important to do your best. Check out our breakdown of the differences between the two on our ACT vs. SAT page.
CLEP: The College Level Examination Program is a way to gain college credit by passing an exam on a topic you’re knowledgeable about, such as a foreign language or history. There is a fee for the tests but it’s substantially less what you might pay to take that same course in college.
AP or Advanced Placement courses are high school courses you can take for both high school and college credit. AP English may be a little more rigorous than its non-AP counterpart, but if you pass the free AP exam at the end of the year, you can totally skip out of that class in college — and without paying a dime. Pretty cool, huh? Ask your guidance counselor about what courses are available to you.
Concurrent enrollment allows a current high school student to take college classes alongside a regular high school course load. Some colleges offer discounts or waive tuition for high school students, so this is a great option to get a jumpstart on higher education and to help cut down on the cost.
Gen ed or general education courses are the core classes everyone must take at a four-year institution regardless of major. Gen ed courses include things like Composition I, College Algebra and Intro Biology. Together, they make up the associate degree component of your bachelor’s degree.
Major and minor: Majors are specific areas of study like nursing, chemistry or graphic design, whereas minors are secondary areas in subjects like English, Spanish or political science. Like you might guess, you'll take more classes for your major than your minor.
The Arkansas Smart Core is a set of classes that Arkansas high school students have to take to qualify for certain state financial aid, including the Academic Challenge Scholarship. Taking the Smart Core is a smart move! Talk to your guidance counselor to make sure you're on track to complete the Smart Core for not only a solid academic foundation but also more financial aid opportunities.
A transcript is a record of all the high school or college classes you’ve taken and your grades in them. A transcript is usually required to apply for schools and some scholarships. Ask your guidance counselor on how to get yours.