ADMISSIONS VOCABULARY QUIZ

Terms every parent should know. Choose the right answer and you can immediately join a class-action lawsuit!

1. HOLISTIC ADMISSIONS PROCESS

A. Process that evaluates “whole applicant,” not just scores/schools. B. “Discriminatory and unfair,” say opponents.

C. Upcoming Supreme Court nail-biter involving Harvard and the future of affirmative action. Enroll: “Intro to Constitutional

Law”

2. TEST OPTIONAL

A. SAT/ACT scores not required with application.

B. Good news for students who don’t test well or can’t afford pricey tutors/college advisers.

C. “We tell our clients to submit scores anyway,” say pricey tutors/ college advisers.

Enroll: “Advanced Hedging of Bets”

3. MERIT-BASED

A. Student with the highest grades/scores gets the spot/ financial aid.

B. A persistent fallacy that ignores obvious inequity in our education system.

C. Dinner-party fireworks fuse. Enroll: “Advanced Culture Wars”

4 . COLLEGE RANKING

A. Unbiased, fact- and numberbased rating of schools.

B. “Highly misleading,” argued a Columbia math professor recently, adding that his school is ranked too high.

C. Big $$$ annual biz!

Enroll: “Honors Math”

5. EARLY DECISION AGREEMENT

A. Binding agreement made by applicant with his/her top choice school.

B. “Not binding!” if financial aid package not tenable, point out college cost experts.

C. High-stakes bingo.

Enroll: “Contracts for Dummies”

6. LEGACY PREFERENCE

A. Consideration given applicant who has a close connection (usually a family member) who graduated from the college.

B. Generational deckstacking, say critics.

C. Nepo, baby!

Enroll: “Habsburg Dynasty”