matriculation

British  

/ məˌtrɪkjʊˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. the process of matriculating

2. (in Britain, except Scotland) a former school examination, which was replaced by the General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level), now superseded by the General Certificate of Secondary Education

---

Explanation

Matriculation is a noun meaning admission to a group, particularly a school. Matriculation is what hopefully follows after you send in your application. Though the dictionary sense of matriculation is admission, in practical use matriculation takes place when you enroll at a school. In other words, you can’t just be accepted to complete matriculation; you have to have to enroll, register, and matriculate. If you get a letter from a college or school with a list of what to do before your matriculation, those are the things you need to do before you arrive on campus — like send a big check!

Example Sentences

Here's David Tennant in his matriculation photograph for the Junior Academy, taken in 1982.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2026

CityU assigns advisers upon matriculation, academic support and contacts during education, flexibility with scheduling and self-service options, says Cook.

From Seattle Times • May 31, 2024

The Mannings watch the way we watch, perking up when something exciting happens and otherwise filling long stretches of matriculation by shooting the breeze, cracking wise or pantomiming gameplay in overwrought ways.

From New York Times • Oct. 6, 2021

Finally, it starred a dominant showing from the tallest of the Bulldogs’ starters, 6-foot-10 sophomore Drew Timme, who moves silkily like someone shorter and whose matriculation from Dallas-ish to Spokane, Wash., illustrates Gonzaga’s national reach.

From Washington Post • Mar. 22, 2021

I enrolled, hoping to complete my first year of matriculation.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane