Glossary

Phi Beta Kappa America’s most prestigious honors society for the arts and sciences. Students are accepted based on their academic record and membership is invitation only.

Placement Tests Some students may need to take placement tests in subjects including English, math, science, and foreign language after they have been accepted into a particular institution before registering for classes in order to know what level of class to sign up for.

PLAN Test A preliminary ACT test that was generally administered in students’ sophomore year, however, it was discontinued in 2014.

Portfolio A collection of work in an area of talent/interest students have pursued including art, music, fashion, or literature. Students applying to programs in art, music, design, fashion, architecture, or drama may be required to submit a portfolio as part of their application. Other students may have the also option to even if they aren’t applying to one of these areas although guidelines differ by school.

Pre-professional A specialized track in an undergraduate program that prepares students for a professional degree after their bachelor’s such as pre-med and pre-law.

Prerequisites A course (or courses) that must be successfully completed before enrolling in subsequent, higher-level course.

Priority Date or Deadline Applications that are submitted before this deadline will receive priority by the admissions team. Depending on the school, students will either have a higher chance of being accepted or will hear back about their status sooner. Priority deadlines for colleges are usually in the fall.

Private College/University A college or university that operates as an educational nonprofit organization and does not receive its primary funding from a state government.

Probable School see “Safety School” A school that a student is very likely to be accepted into based on their standardized test scores, academic background, and other application materials.

Prospective Student A student who is considering attending a particular institution.

PSAT Test A standardized test that 11th graders and some 10th graders take in October that measures knowledge and skills in reading, writing, and math. It is designed to give students a taste of what the SAT is like and can be used to predict a student’s anticipated SAT score.

Public College/University A university or college that is in state ownership or receives significant public funds. Public colleges and universities are generally larger than private schools and have larger class sizes.