Mentoring, School and Launch Glossary

This glossary gives plain, one-sentence definitions of 85 terms that come up when a student moves through high school, applies to and pays for college, starts a career and learns to live independently. Each term links to a full guide on the topic. It is general education, not legal, financial or admissions advice.

Terms are grouped by stage. Use your browser’s find feature to jump to a word, or skim a section before a meeting, a deadline or a conversation with your student or young adult.

High school

Advanced Placement (AP): College-level courses taught in high school, each ending in a standardized exam that some colleges accept for credit or placement. See AP classes explained.
AP score: The result of an AP exam on a scale of one to five, which colleges use to decide whether to award credit or placement. See AP scores explained.
International Baccalaureate (IB): A demanding two-year program for the last years of high school with a set curriculum, an extended essay and external exams. See the IB program explained.
Honors course: A more challenging version of a standard class, designed by the school rather than an outside program. See honors vs AP.
Weighted GPA: A grade point average that adds extra value for harder courses such as honors, AP or IB. See weighted vs unweighted GPA.
Unweighted GPA: A grade point average that counts every class the same, no matter how difficult it is. See the weighted GPA calculator.
Transcript: The official record of every course a student has taken, with grades, credits and GPA. See the high school transcript explained.
Graduation requirements: The courses, credits and sometimes tests a student must complete to earn a high school diploma, set by the state and district. See high school graduation requirements.
Credit recovery: A program that lets a student retake or make up a failed course to earn the credit needed to graduate. See credit recovery.
Dual enrollment: Taking college courses while still in high school, often earning both high school and college credit. See dual enrollment.
High school equivalency: A credential earned by passing a state-approved exam that shows high school level skills without a traditional diploma. See high school equivalency vs diploma.
Early college high school: A high school designed so students earn substantial college credit, sometimes a full associate degree, before graduating. See early college high schools.

Testing and admissions

PSAT/NMSQT: A practice version of the SAT that also serves as the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program for eligible juniors. See the PSAT explained.
SAT and ACT: The two national standardized tests used in college admissions, which colleges that consider scores accept interchangeably. See SAT vs ACT.
Superscore: A score that combines a student’s best section results across different test dates, used by some colleges. See SAT vs ACT.
Test optional: An admissions policy that lets applicants decide whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. See test optional explained.
Early decision: A binding application plan: if admitted, the student commits to enroll and withdraws other applications. See early decision vs early action.
Early action: A non-binding early application plan that gives a student an earlier decision without a commitment to enroll. See early decision vs early action.
Deferral: An early application that is neither accepted nor denied but moved to the regular decision pool for another review. See deferred or waitlisted.
Waitlist: A list of applicants a college may admit later if spaces open after admitted students reply. See deferred or waitlisted.
College list: The set of colleges a student applies to, usually balanced across reach, target and likely schools. See how to build a college list.
Personal statement: The main college application essay, in which a student tells admissions readers something about who they are. See beating college essay procrastination.
Summer melt: When a student who planned to start college in the fall never enrolls, often because of missed summer tasks. See summer melt.

Paying for college

FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the form used to apply for federal grants, loans and work-study. See the FAFSA timeline.
Financial aid: Money that helps pay for college, including grants, scholarships, work-study and loans. See financial aid basics.
Cost of attendance: A college’s estimate of the full yearly cost, including tuition, housing, food, books, travel and personal costs. See how to compare financial aid offers.
Net price: The cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships, which shows what a family would actually pay or borrow. See the financial aid offer comparison calculator.
Merit scholarship: An award based on achievement, such as grades or talent, rather than financial need. See state merit scholarships.
Scholarship renewal requirement: A condition, often a minimum GPA or credit load, that a student must meet to keep a scholarship. See losing a scholarship over GPA.
In-state tuition: The lower tuition rate public colleges charge students who meet the state’s residency rules. See in-state tuition and residency.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP): The grade and course completion standards a student must meet to keep receiving federal financial aid. See how to write a SAP appeal.
Workforce Pell Grant: Federal Pell Grant funding that can be used for qualifying short-term job training programs. See the Workforce Pell Grant.

College academics

Course load: The number of credits a student takes in a term, which decides whether they count as full time or part time. See college course load.
Drop deadline: The last day to leave a class without a grade on the transcript; after it, leaving usually means a W. See dropping a class.
Term withdrawal: Leaving all classes in a term after it has started, which can affect grades, financial aid and housing. See withdrawing from a semester.
Incomplete grade: A temporary grade that gives a student extra time to finish a course after the term ends, usually for a serious reason. See incomplete grades in college.
Grade replacement: A policy that lets a retaken course’s new grade replace the old one in the GPA, though both may stay on the transcript. See retaking a class and grade replacement.
Academic probation: A warning status for students whose GPA falls below the school’s minimum, with a set time to improve. See academic probation.
Academic suspension: A required break from enrollment, usually for a set number of terms, after grades stay below the standard. See returning after academic suspension.
Academic dismissal: A college ending a student’s enrollment for academic reasons, which can often be appealed. See the academic dismissal appeal.
Leave of absence: An approved break from college for personal, medical or family reasons, with a plan to return. See taking a leave of absence.
Office hours: Set times when professors and teaching assistants are available to answer questions outside class. See talking to professors in office hours.
Academic advisor: A college staff or faculty member who helps students choose courses and stay on track to graduate. See academic advisor vs mentor.
Competitive major: A major with limited space that requires a separate application or minimum grades to enter. See competitive majors.
Transfer credit: Credit a college accepts for courses a student completed at another school. See transfer credits explained.
Articulation agreement: A formal agreement between colleges that spells out which courses will transfer and how they count. See transfer agreements explained.

Learning differences and support

IEP: An Individualized Education Program: a written plan of goals, services and supports for an eligible public school student receiving special education. See the IEP and 504 plan guide.
504 plan: A plan that gives a student with a disability accommodations, such as extra test time, so they can access school on equal terms. See the IEP and 504 plan guide.
Disability services office: The college office where students register a disability and request accommodations, since IEPs and 504 plans do not carry over automatically. See disability services in college.
Executive function: The mental skills behind planning, organizing, starting tasks, managing time and keeping track of things. See executive function skills.
Time blindness: Difficulty sensing how much time has passed or how long tasks will take, often linked with ADHD. See time blindness strategies.
Body doubling: Working on a task while another person is present, in person or on video, to make it easier to start and stay on it. See body doubling.
Self-advocacy: The skill of understanding your own needs and asking for help or accommodations clearly and respectfully. See teen self-advocacy.
School refusal: Ongoing difficulty attending school, often driven by anxiety or distress rather than defiance. See school refusal.

Work and careers

Career and technical education (CTE): Courses and programs that teach hands-on skills for specific careers, in high school or after. See career and technical education.
Apprenticeship: A paid job that combines structured on-the-job training with classroom learning, leading to a recognized credential. See how to get an apprenticeship.
Trade school: A school that trains students for a specific skilled trade, usually in less time than a four-year degree. See trade school vs college.
Associate degree: A degree that usually takes about two years of full-time study, most often at a community college. See certificate vs associate degree.
Coding bootcamp: A short, intensive training program in programming or related tech skills, offered outside traditional colleges. See is a coding bootcamp worth it.
Internship: A short-term, often entry-level work experience that lets a student try a field and build skills. See college internships.
Informational interview: A short conversation with someone in a field you are curious about, to learn about their work rather than to ask for a job. See informational interviews.
Transferable skills: Skills such as communication, organization or problem solving that carry from one job or field to another. See transferable skills for a career change.
Offer negotiation: Asking an employer to improve parts of a job offer, such as pay, start date or title, before accepting. See how to negotiate a job offer.
Performance review: A scheduled conversation in which a manager assesses your work and sets goals for the next period. See performance review prep.
Imposter syndrome: The persistent feeling that you are not as capable as others think and will be found out, despite evidence otherwise. See imposter syndrome at work.

Money and independence

Budget: A plan for how money coming in each month will be split among bills, spending, saving and goals. See budgeting for young adults.
Emergency fund: Savings set aside only for unexpected costs, such as a car repair or a gap between jobs. See emergency fund basics.
Credit score: A number based on your borrowing and payment history that lenders, landlords and others use to judge risk. See credit score basics.
Gross pay and net pay: Gross pay is what you earn before deductions; net pay is what reaches your account after taxes and other deductions. See how to read a pay stub.
Lease: A contract between a tenant and a landlord that sets the rent, length of stay and rules for a rental. See understanding your first lease.
Security deposit: Money paid to a landlord at move-in that can cover unpaid rent or damage and is otherwise returned when you move out. See understanding your first lease.
Renters insurance: A policy that covers a tenant’s belongings and personal liability, which the landlord’s insurance does not. See renters insurance basics.
Dependent health coverage: The rule under federal law that generally lets young adults stay on a parent’s health plan until age 26. See health insurance after 26.
Living-at-home agreement: A written plan between parents and an adult child living at home that covers rent, chores and expectations. See living at home agreements.
Age of majority: The age, eighteen in most states, at which a person is legally an adult and parents lose automatic access to many records. See the turning 18 checklist.

Mentoring and coaching

Mentor: An experienced guide who meets with someone regularly to help them set goals, make decisions and follow through. See the benefits of mentoring.
Accountability: Regular check-ins with another person about commitments, which makes it more likely you will follow through. See accountability coaching.
Tutor: A teacher who helps a student learn a specific subject or prepare for specific tests, which is different from a mentor. See mentor vs tutor.
Coach: Someone who helps a person work toward defined goals through structured conversations, distinct from a therapist, who provides clinical care. See mentor vs coach vs therapist.
Educational consultant: A paid advisor who helps families choose schools, colleges or programs and navigate applications. See mentor vs educational consultant.
Executive function coach: A coach who focuses specifically on planning, organization and time management skills. See executive function coach vs mentor.
Gap year: A planned break, often a year, between high school and college or between stages of school, used for work, travel, service or skill building. See gap year ideas.
Failure to launch: An informal term for a young adult who is struggling to move toward independence in work, school or living on their own. See signs of failure to launch.
Transitional living program: A residential program where young adults live on site while building independent living skills. See mentoring vs transitional living.
SMART goal: A goal that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. See goal setting.

Where a mentor helps

Knowing a word is the easy part. The harder part is acting on it: filing the appeal before the deadline, registering on time, asking for accommodations, building the budget and sticking to it. That is where a mentor helps. A Blackburn mentor works one on one with a student or young adult, turns goals into weekly steps and checks in between sessions by text and phone.

High school students and their parents: mentoring for high school students.
College students and new freshmen: mentoring for college students and college transition mentoring.
Young adults building independence: young adult mentoring.
Anyone who wants steady follow-through: accountability coaching.

Mentors are not tutors, admissions counselors or therapists, and they do not give financial or legal advice. They help people use the right professionals and follow through on the plan. For anxiety, school refusal or other mental health concerns, a licensed professional is the right step. In a crisis, call or text 988. See how mentoring works.

Common questions

Who is this glossary for?

Parents, students and young adults who keep running into school, financial aid, work or independence terms they want explained in plain language.

Are these definitions official?

No. They are short, general explanations. Rules differ by state, school and employer, so check the specific policy that applies to you.

Does a mentor help with these topics?

Yes, with the planning and follow-through. A mentor helps a student or young adult understand what a deadline or policy means for them and break the next steps into a weekly plan.

Get started

Want help turning these terms into a plan? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.

Mentoring, School and Launch Glossary: Plain Definitions