Apply for Admission
Enjoy the everyday comforts of a welcoming and beautiful campus, and grab hold of the numerous unexpected opportunities to learn, explore, serve, and build resiliency. These experiences will prepare you to meet, head on, both the predictable and unpredictable in life.
What ever your current status as a student, applying to MC is easy! Use this list to help you determine which of the sections below you need to expand for more information. Then follow the instructions to begin your application process.
- First-Year – an applicant currently in high school applying as a first-year college student
- Transfer – a college student applying to transfer to MC
- Scots Science Scholar – first-year college students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math
- Veteran – a student with military experience, or a spouse, or dependent with no previous college experience or anyone with VA benefits,
- International – an applicant who is not a citizen of the United States and is currently living in another country
- AP / IB – Advanced Placement and the International Baccalaureate programs
- Home Schooled – Your process for admission is the same as for public or private school students
- Dual Enrollment – enrolling in college courses while still in high school
- Re-Admit – Students who leave the College for any reason during the academic year or take a leave of absence by staying out for a semester or longer must apply and be accepted for readmission.
- Post Baccalaureate – interested in a post-degree teacher licensure
- Graduate (M.A.T.) – an applicant for the Master of Arts in Teaching Secondary STEM
- Non-Degree – out of high school, or college and would like to take a couple classes part-time
Application Deadlines
How Do I Apply to CUNY?
Find Your Match
We know you want a college experience that’s academically stimulating, financially affordable and personally rewarding. Before submitting an application, get to know our campuses and learn about how your application will be considered.
Track Deadlines
Thank you for your interest in The City University of New York. The following is a list of application postmark deadlines and admission notification dates. The deadline dates below do not apply to the CUNY School of Professional Studies.
*Two-step notification process:
1) Beginning in mid-February applicants will be notified of their admission decision as General Freshman by all college choices listed on their application.
2) March 16 – Macaulay applicants will be notified of their admission decision into Macaulay Honors College by the Macaulay college choice listed on their application.
**All other applicants to selective programs will be notified of their admission decision at a later date.
***The admissions review for the Queens College Aaron Copland School of Music (ACSM) is a two-step process: Admission to Queens College and admission to the ACSM after an Audition.
Please visit the ACSM website for more information.
Step 2
Submit Your Application
Start your Application
Start your Application
Select your Application
Fill out each section of the application
Application Fees
Submit a money order via mail
Fee Waivers
- Current CUNY students: if you’re currently enrolled at CUNY and intend to transfer without a gap in your enrollment, answer the CUNY Enrollment question on the application to waive your application fee.
- Current High School students: See your high school counselor to see if you are eligible for an application waiver. Click here for a video on adding a waiver code to your application.
- Veterans and spouses of veterans: Answer the US Military Status question on the application and upload proof of service in the supporting documents section of the application to receive a waiver. Acceptable forms of proof are DD-214, current Military ID Card, Deployment Orders or Pre-separation Orders. Spouses of veterans can provide Form 1173/1173-1 as proof of military affiliation.
Review and Submit
Make sure to review your application before clicking the Submit button. Upon submission, you’ll be able to access a copy of your Application Summary. We recommend you download a copy. We’ll also generate a CUNYfirst ID number shortly after you submit your application. This 8 digit unique number will help us identify your application quickly and match any documents you send to us.
Upload materials post-submission
Supporting Documents
All applicants are encouraged to provide supporting documents as part of their applications – such as essays and letters of recommendation. Be sure to review the admission requirements of your intended program to see if any supporting documents are required.
What about SAT/ACT test scores?
In light of the COVID-19 crisis, SAT and ACT test scores are not required nor considered in application review through the Spring 2023 admission cycle. For more information on the suspension of SAT/ACT test scores, click here.
4 Myths About What Looks Good on a College Application
Myth 1: Being Well Rounded Is Critical for Success
Many students assume they’ll need to have tons of extracurricular activities on their applications; this, they believe, will emphasize their array of interests as well as their knowledge of a variety of fields. But all this really tells admissions committees is that you’re stretching yourself too thin and (most likely) lack focus on a specific endeavor in your life.
What colleges actually want to see is a spike, that is, a single passion. This allows colleges to get a clearer feel for who you are, what you’re interested in, and what your goals are. Having a spike lets you stand out in a truly meaningful way, whereas being well rounded will make you forgettable and seem too similar to other applicants.
Spikes are especially important at highly selective colleges and universities, such as Harvard, Yale, and other Ivy League-level schools. You can read more about how to develop a spike in our guide to getting into the Ivy League. Alternatively, if you’re interested in pursuing education at a liberal arts school, check out our article on how to figure out what to go to college for.
Myth 2: Essays Aren’t That Important
But while some colleges don’t require personal essays, most colleges do require at least one or two essays—and will place a decent amount of emphasis on it, especially if it is being used as a deciding factor between two otherwise equally qualified applicants.
Even though you should approach the essay seriously, it’s still generally rare for an exceptionally well-written essay to make up for tons of low grades and poor test scores. On the flip side, if you have a great application but a badly written essay, that essay alone could get you rejected!
Myth 3: An A in an Easy Class Is Better Than a B in a Hard Class
In general, colleges prefer students who challenge themselves by taking an array of difficult classes, such as AP and honors classes. And you don’t have to get perfect grades in them. If you get a B in a tough AP class, for example, this will emphasize to the admissions committee that you are willing to take on new challenges and test your limits, traits that are necessary for succeeding in and after college.
On the other hand, getting As in all easy classes, though not totally unimpressive, is not nearly as interesting to colleges, as it suggests you’re unwilling to push yourself and further hone your higher-level critical thinking skills.
All of this being said, try to avoid getting very low grades in any classes you take (regular or honors/AP). C and D grades obviously won’t look great to an admissions committee, even if you got these grades while challenging yourself in AP classes.
Myth 4: Only Perfect Applicants Get Admitted
Many students assume that if they have one little flaw in their application, such as a below-average test score or slightly low grade in a class, their chances of getting admitted to college will be slim to none.
Yes, a very low test score or a very poor transcript may cause you to get rejected from a college, but many colleges use a holistic admission process, meaning they look at and consider each individual applicant as a whole. So even if your application has a not-so-stellar component on it, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be a reject.
In fact, at particularly selective colleges, such as the Ivy League, you’ll often hear of cases in which ostensibly "perfect" applicants got rejected. This is most likely because they didn’t have a spike in their applications (i.e., something that made them stand out).
Optimize Your College Applications
That said, you would be wise to apply only to colleges that make sense to you. So, how many colleges should you target with applications? If you care about doing a good job with your applications, eight is a good number. That list would include:
If you have the discipline to manage your list in this manner, you put yourself in a better position to achieve the outcomes you desire. Applying to more than eight colleges is certainly possible but it is not likely to be as productive as you think. And remember, admission officers are really good at discerning the difference between applications from “strangers”—applications that are whimsically submitted—and those that come from candidates who are thoughtfully intentional about their submissions. You don’t want to be regarded as a stranger!
Resources:
https://www.maryvillecollege.edu/admissions/apply/
https://www.cuny.edu/admissions/apply-to-cuny/
https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-looks-good-on-a-college-application
https://www.scoir.com/blog/guide-to-college-admissions-application-process