International students: Your search for the best U.S. university for you starts here

What's the difference between a college and a university? Who are undergraduate students versus graduate students? What's the FAFSA? Studying in the United States can be confusing if you don't fully understand the words used in U.S. higher education. With that in mind, U.S. News has compiled a glossary of important terms specifically for international students and parents. While this list is not exhaustive, it offers a key starting point as you explore the best U.S. universities for you.

A

Academic adviser: A member of a school's faculty who provides advice and guidance to students on academic matters, such as course selections.

Academic year: Annual period during which a student attends and receives formal instruction at a college or university, typically from August or September to May or June. The academic year may be divided into semesters, trimesters, quarters, or other calendars.

Accredited: Official recognition that a college or university meets the standards of a regional or national association. Although international students are not required to attend an accredited college or university in the United States, employers, other schools, and governments worldwide often only recognize degrees from accredited schools.

ACT (American College Test): A standardized college entrance exam administered by the American College Testing Program. Four separate, multiple-choice tests measure knowledge of English, math, reading, and science, and one optional writing test measures essay planning and writing skills. Most students take the ACT during their junior or senior year of high school, and most colleges and universities accept scores from either the ACT or SAT. Some schools may recommend, but not require, international students to take the ACT or SAT. (See the U.S. News college test prep guide for more information.)

Affidavit of Support: An official document proving adequate funding from an individual or organization to cover an international student's educational and living expenses while enrolled at a U.S. college or university.

AP (Advanced Placement program): A program offered by the College Board, a U.S.-based nonprofit educational organization, that allows students to take college-level courses while in high school. Students can then take standardized AP exams; those with qualifying scores can earn credit at certain colleges and universities.

Assistantship: A financial aid award granted to a graduate student to help pay for tuition that is offered in return for certain services, such as serving as a teaching assistant or research assistant.

Associate's: An undergraduate degree awarded by a college or university upon successful completion of a program of study, usually requiring two years of full-time study. An associate's is typically awarded by community colleges; it may be a career or technical degree, or it may be a transfer degree, allowing students to transfer those credits to a four-year bachelor's degree-granting school.

Audit: To take a class to gain knowledge about a subject, but without receiving credit toward a degree.

Source:  http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2011/08/15/us-higher-education-glossary