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The Glossary That Will Save Your Sanity (and Maybe Thousands of Dollars)

Let’s play a quick game: What do these terms mean?

  • COA

  • NPC

  • EA vs. ED

  • Superscore

  • Yield

If you knew even 3 out of 5, you're already ahead of the game. If you stared blankly at your screen or felt a tiny jolt of panic—congratulations, you're a normal parent navigating a deliberately confusing system.


College Admissions Has a Language Problem

The college process isn’t just overwhelming—it’s coded in jargon that keeps families feeling stuck, stressed, and second-guessing.

I talk to parents every week who are smart, capable, and committed—but still say things like:

“I thought EFC was how much we had to pay...?” “Wait, what’s the difference between need-blind and need-aware?” “Do I need to file the FAFSA and the CSS Profile?”

This confusion doesn’t just cause stress. It causes real damage:


  • Missed financial aid

  • Poor admissions strategies

  • Bad college list decisions

  • And a lot of wasted time


So I Made You a Glossary—But Not the Boring Kind

Meet the Future Finders College Admissions Glossary: a sharp, 3-page resource that cuts through the noise.

It covers the real-world terms you’ll encounter—financial aid, admissions policies, testing lingo, timeline language, and more—with clear, non-bureaucratic definitions that make sense even if you haven’t touched this process in 20 years.

Here’s what you’ll find:

  • Over 40 terms demystified

  • Simple, straight-to-the-point explanations

  • Zero fluff or filler

  • Designed for parents, not policy wonks


AI Can Help You Use This Even More Powerfully

This glossary isn't just a cheat sheet—it’s a launchpad.

Because once you understand the terms, you can use AI tools like ChatGPT to get way more out of the process:

  • Ask follow-up questions: “Explain ‘need-based aid’ like I’m 10 years old.”

  • Draft emails using terms correctly: “Write to a regional rep asking about merit aid.”

  • Customize planning tools: “Create a college comparison chart using COA and EFC.”

In other words, you’re not just getting smarter—you’re getting faster. You’re becoming dangerous. In the best possible way.


Download the Free College Admissions Glossary

This isn’t a “sign up for our newsletter and maybe you’ll get something helpful” situation.

It’s a ready-to-use, no-fluff, 3-page guide you’ll wish you’d had months ago.



Tape it to your fridge. Bring it to college night. Use it as your secret weapon—and share it with other parents who are feeling the same stress you are.


What’s Next?

Next week, we’ll dive into the summer strategy that sets rising seniors apart—including how to use AI to write a college list, build a resume, and even start that dreaded essay before school lets out.


Stick around. You’ve got this—and Future Finders is here to make sure of it.

 
 
 

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