Term
Admissions tour
A trip where admissions leaders from U.S. boarding schools, sometimes heads of school, travel to a country to meet students and families before anyone applies.
GESP Resources
Glossary
The words that come up in U.S. boarding school admissions, explained in plain language. Each term links to the articles, guides and news that mention it.
Term
Athletic visibility
Being seen by coaches: showcases, ID clinics, highlight videos, recruiting profiles and coach outreach. Useful, and only one part of the pathway.
Term
Duolingo English Test
An online English test taken at home, accepted by most U.S. boarding schools as proof of English ability. Results arrive within a few days.
Term
ESL support
The English-language support a school gives students who are still building their English: dedicated classes, extra help with writing, or a bridge program in the first year.
Term
F-1 visa
The U.S. student visa for full-time study at a certified school. Every international boarding student needs one, including students from countries that normally travel visa-free.
Term
I-20
A form the school issues once it has admitted your child and confirmed you can pay. Your child needs it to apply for the student visa.
Term
Merit aid
A reduction in tuition a school offers for what a student brings: academic record, talent, athletics, or the profile the school is looking to add.
Term
Need-based aid
Financial aid a school awards because a family cannot pay the full cost, based on the financial information the family submits. Most boarding-school aid is this kind.
Term
Placement planning
Looking at the student, the family and the possible schools together before building a school list: academics, English, maturity, athletics where relevant, money, and what comes after.
Term
Postgraduate (PG) year
A postgraduate year: one extra year at a U.S. boarding school after finishing secondary school, before college. Common for student-athletes.
Term
SAO (Standard Application Online)
The Standard Application Online, a shared application used by many U.S. boarding schools. One profile, one set of essays and recommendations, sent to several schools.
Term
Showcase
An event where student-athletes play in front of school coaches and admissions staff, followed by sessions where families ask each school about academics, costs and daily life.
Term
Tuition arrangement
The full set of terms behind what a family actually pays: the published tuition, any reduction, what it covers, the conditions attached, and whether it continues in later years.
A word you did not find here?
Ask a GESP consultant. Terms are added as families ask about them.
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