College and University: What’s the Difference?

• College: generally focused on undergraduate programs only (does not offer advanced degrees such as Master’s, Ph.D., etc.); frequently smaller than a university
• University: focused on both undergraduate and graduate programs, offering advanced degrees (Master’s, Ph.D.) in addition to undergrad degrees; may also house professional schools such as law and medical schools

What Degree Will You Get?

• Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree: 4-year degree; usually less specialized than a BS degree; normally awarded in such majors as the languages, literature, other humanities, and history
• Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree: 4-year degree; often involves technical fields; normally awarded in such majors as the physical and biological sciences, engineering, and agriculture
• Associate’s Degree: 2-year degree awarded for completing the equivalent of the first two years of a degree at a 4-year college; degrees include Associate of Arts, Associate of Sciences and Associate of Applied Sciences (for completing a vocational or technical program)
• Major: A group of classes in a related discipline, such as business, psychology, or engineering, that a student focuses on in college
• Minor: A smaller group of classes that a student may choose to take in a related discipline; a student might major in business and minor in psychology (the major and minor aren't always related to each other

School Size

• Small: fewer than 5,000 students, on average; small schools tend to be private liberal-arts schools but there are some smaller public colleges as well
• Mid-Sized: between 5,000-15,000 students; many colleges (including a number of the Ivies) fit this category
• Large: more than 15,000 students; the majority of colleges and universities fall into this category, which includes the smaller state universities and largest private schools
• Huge: more than 30,000 students (ex: Penn State, UT, Texas A&M, Ohio State, U of Florida)

Application Type

• Early Decision (Binding): Apply early (November ED l and January ED ll) to first-choice college, agreeing to attend the college if accepted. Students can only apply to only 1 college early decision. A few colleges have Restrictive Early Action programs, typically specific to their school.
• Early Action (Non Binding): Students apply early to receive an admission decision early in the admission cycle. Students can apply early action to an unlimited number of schools.
• Regular Decision: Students apply by the regular decision deadline and receive an admission decision in the spring--dates differ by school.