UL Entrance flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Conditional offer

An admission decision that becomes firm only if the applicant meets stated final grades or subject requirements, usually verified through official transcripts before enrolment.

Unconditional offer

A firm offer with no remaining academic conditions; the applicant need only confirm identity, completion of schooling, and any administrative requirements.

Personal statement

A short applicant-written essay describing motivation, relevant experience, and fit for the programme; it is read alongside grades and typically length-capped.

Deferred entry

Postponement of an accepted place to a later intake, usually by one year, granted only on written request and subject to programme approval.

Academic reference

A confidential report from a teacher or counsellor describing the applicant's performance, potential, and suitability, submitted directly by the school.

Clearing or adjustment

A late admission phase where applicants without a confirmed place, or those exceeding their offer, match with programmes that still have vacancies.

Main idea question

A reading question asking for the central claim or overall purpose of a passage, distinguished from details that support but do not state it.

Inference question

A reading question requiring a conclusion that follows necessarily from stated evidence, not one that is merely plausible or drawn from outside knowledge.

Dangling modifier

An introductory phrase that fails to describe the sentence's grammatical subject, producing an unintended or illogical meaning, as in 'Walking home, the rain started.'

Semicolon use

A punctuation mark joining two independent clauses without a conjunction, or separating items in a list that already contain commas.

Subject-verb agreement

The rule that a verb matches its subject in number; intervening prepositional phrases and parenthetical clauses do not change the subject's number.

Register

The level of formality appropriate to an audience and purpose; academic writing favours formal vocabulary and avoids contractions, slang, and direct address.

Transition word

A connective signalling the logical relation between ideas, such as contrast (however), cause (therefore), addition (moreover), or concession (although).

Tone question

A question asking about the author's attitude, conveyed through word choice and emphasis, such as critical, neutral, cautious, or enthusiastic.

Percent change

The difference between new and old values divided by the old value, multiplied by 100; it expresses relative rather than absolute growth.

Quadratic formula

The solution x = [−b ± √(b² − 4ac)] / 2a for ax² + bx + c = 0, valid whenever a is not zero.

Discriminant

The expression b² − 4ac in a quadratic equation; it is positive for two real roots, zero for one repeated root, and negative for none.

Slope of a line

The vertical change divided by the horizontal change between two points; parallel lines share it and perpendicular slopes multiply to negative one.

Mean, median, mode

Three measures of centre: the arithmetic average, the middle value of an ordered set, and the most frequently occurring value respectively.

Compound interest

Interest calculated on both principal and accumulated interest, given by A = P(1 + r/n)^(nt) for n compounding periods per year over t years.

Probability of independent events

When events do not affect each other, the probability that both occur equals the product of their individual probabilities.

Sector area

The fraction θ/360 of a circle's area πr², where θ is the central angle in degrees; it measures the pie-slice region.

Newton's second law

The net force on an object equals its mass times acceleration (F = ma); weight is the gravitational case, w = mg.

Photosynthesis equation

The light-driven conversion of carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen in chloroplasts: 6CO₂ + 6H₂O + light → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂.

pH scale

A 0–14 measure of hydrogen-ion concentration; values below 7 are acidic, above 7 basic, and each unit is a tenfold change.

DNA base pairing

Complementary bonding in DNA where adenine pairs with thymine and guanine with cytosine; RNA replaces thymine with uracil.

Prokaryote versus eukaryote

Prokaryotes lack a membrane-bound nucleus and organelles; eukaryotes possess a nucleus and membrane-bound structures such as mitochondria.

Water cycle stages

The continuous movement of water through evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and collection or runoff back to stores.

Plate boundary types

Divergent boundaries create new crust, convergent boundaries cause subduction or uplift, and transform boundaries produce lateral sliding and earthquakes.

SI base units

The seven fundamental units: metre, kilogram, second, ampere, kelvin, mole, and candela, from which derived units are formed.

Osmosis

The net movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from lower to higher solute concentration, equalising water potential without energy input.

Speed versus velocity

Speed is the scalar magnitude of motion; velocity is a vector giving speed with direction, so a change of direction changes velocity.