Tips for SMFA First-Years
To be honest, my first year at SMFA at Tufts was a bumpy road. I laughed a lot, cried a lot, but most importantly, I learned countless important life…
A Whole New Language: a Mini Glossary for International Students
A few years ago, when I first moved to the United States, there was a moment when I just didn’t understand a lot of the words people used even though we spoke the same language. "What is an EFC? What does 'meet full-need' mean?"
If this happens to you, try to search for a definition yourself - you can find out what a liberal arts education is quite easily with a search engine such as Google. But if you're unsure about a term or a policy, please contact the admissions office for an explanation. There’s no such thing as a silly question – I use these words every day, but I understand this may be the first time you have heard these words. By asking questions, it will get easier.
So I hope I can help by explaining some of our common phrases.
Application Phrases:
- First-Year Applicant – Someone who has not studied full-time at a college or university before who is applying to enter a university as a first-year student.
- Transfer Applicant – Someone who has enrolled and taken courses at a university or community college and would like to apply to continue their studies elsewhere for a bachelor’s degree.
- Common Application - This is one of the online application forms you can use to apply to Tufts. It is an online form and is used by many colleges.
- Holistic Admissions Process - This means that we look at all parts of your application and consider it as a whole when we read it. We don't just make a decision based on one element, we try to get to know you as a whole person. This is the reason why we don't have score cut-offs, and why we read in the context of your situation and your school. Every application is unique and we try to fully understand your story as we consider your application.
- International Student - When you look at guidance about financial aid, visa information, and numbers of students on campus, this usually means students who are neither US citizens nor US permanent-residents - i.e. students who would require a student visa to study in the US.
If you are at a high school overseas, please know that we read your application in the context of your school. You can find out more about this in my other FAQ blog. - Writing Supplement – A set of essay questions that some colleges ask to get to know students better. This is a place where you can show how much you love the college you're applying to! You can read our supplemental questions here.
- Standardized Tests - There are two options: the SAT or the ACT. Some universities and colleges, including Tufts, require students to take standardized tests and share the results of those tests with us. We don't have a preference, but check with each college to see what tests and options they require (note: Tufts does not require the SAT subject tests, SAT Essay component, or ACT writing section.)
- Superscore - If admissions says that they superscore, this means that if you take a standardized test more than once and send all your results, the admissions office will use the highest combination of section scores (from one or multiple test dates) when they read your application. They can only do this with the same type of test (SAT and SAT, or ACT and ACT). This is only for the SAT or ACT. We do not superscore TOEFL or IELTS scores. Not every institution will do this, so check carefully.
- English Language (Proficiency) Tests - These tests allow us to evaluate your level of English-language skills. If English is not your first language and you attend a school where English is not the language your teachers use to teach your classes, then you will need to submit English language testing. If you have studied in a secondary school where English is the primary language of instruction, then you do not have to submit English testing, though you may if you would like.
Financial Aid phrases:
- Financial Aid - Help from the university or college to pay for your studies - grants, loans and work-study make up a financial aid package. You will have to fill out an application form to apply for aid, and for Tufts, that's the CSS Profile. If you expect that you will need financial aid at Tufts, you must apply for it when you apply for admission. If you wait until you are notified about your admission to Tufts to apply for aid, you will not receive it.
- Cost of Attendance (COA) - This is how much it costs to attend an institution for a year including tuition and other costs like food, housing, and books.
- Need-Based Aid - For need-need based aid, a college uses tax returns and financial aid application forms to work out how much they think a family can afford to pay. The college uses this information to give out financial aid to help families afford the difference between what the family can pay and the cost of attendance (this difference is called need). Some need-based aid will meet the entire difference, some will just help with some of the difference.
- Academic/Merit/Athletic Scholarships- these are financial aid awards based on your academic or athletic ability. Tufts does not give out aid in this way.
- "Meets full-need" / "meets 100% of demonstrated need" - This is very important. If an institution meets full need, it means that they are trying to offer an affordable option to your family based on a calculation of what your family can afford. First, using the financial aid application and tax documents, financial aid officers work out how much they think your family can pay towards your education, which we call the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Next, they subtract that amount from the total cost of attendance (COA). Then, the college puts together a financial aid package that makes up all of the difference between the EFC and the COA. Tufts is part of a small group of institutions in the US that does this for all admitted students, even international students.
- Grants - Grants are financial aid awards that you do not have to pay back. These are given out on the basis of your financial need. Grants can form part of a Tufts financial aid package.
- Loans - Loans are a form of financial aid you have to pay back. International students do not receive loans as part of their financial aid package from Tufts.
- Work Study - Work Study is a form of financial aid that allows you to work on campus to earn money towards your living expenses on campus. There are some on-campus jobs that you can apply for even if you do not receive financial aid.
I know this doesn't cover everything, but I hope it helps break down some of these 'new to you' phrases and words! For anything else international, I recommend that you read our international FAQs or email us.
Featured photo credit: What ? by wonderferret via Flickr
