Topical Vocabulary

1. Admission/entrance requirements:

to go on for higher education; to go to University; a potential student/applicant/prospective student; to apply to several universities; UCAS ( University and College Admission Service - Britain ); redbrick universities ( Br.); personal interview; to have an entrance exam ( Oxford and Cambridge); application including personal information; high school records( Am. ); recommendations from school teachers; scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SATs ); scores on the American College Testing program (ACT);

Achievement Tests.

SAT can be taken two or three times (in the 11th and 12th grades), generally proceeded by PSAT (preliminary), a test to give students a warm-up exercise for the SAT and indicate their probable SAT scoring range.

ACT (the American College Testing program) is similar to SAT but scores social studies and natural studies. The ACT is taken when required by certain colleges or universities.

Both tests are widely used in the admission process of US colleges and universities. Their results are sent to the colleges or universities to which the students have applied. ACT is meant to be taken only once.

Achievement tests are special tests in a discipline required by some colleges for admission.

2. Administration and organization:

Chancellor (or President of the University - Am E); Vice-Chancellor; dean, assistant dean; department chairman; faculty (Br.E - a group of departments in a college specializing in a particular subject or group of subjects, arts, science, engineering, etc.); Am.E. - the people who teach in a department in a college; campus, on a campus; hostel, hall of residence( a student hostel); residence hall( or dormitory -Am.E); college ( college of Arts and Sciences); school ( school of Education); college of continuing education ( in-service training, updating one's qualification ); tuition (tuition fees); grant; scholarship; to apply for financial aid; academic fees; housing fees; quality of research facilities.

Cultural Note.

Chancellor - the official head of various universities. The Chancellor is not an academic, but a public figure who attends university functions such as the degree ceremony but has nothing to do with the running of the university.

Vice-Chancellor - (in Britain) the officer who actually controls the affairs of a university; the real head of a university since Chancellor is appointed only as an honour.

3.Academic calendar and programs:

fall, spring term/semester; school/academic year; exam period; break/recess; deadline (the last date for a retake); winter holidays, summer vocation; to take a course; to select classes/ courses; to drop a course; to add a course; a library card; elective, a major ( Am.E - a chief or special subject at a university ), to major in; a minor ( second in importance);discussion session; seminars ( a more academic class, usually with grad students); a student-teacher; to give a lecture; to attend lectures; to take finals; pass-fail course (зачет).