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General Admission Criteria

Freshman Admission

Applications for matriculation as a first-time (freshman) student will be accepted from persons who have never attended any institution of higher education (with the exception of those students who have taken college courses while in high school) and have graduated from high school, or will graduate prior to enrollment at CSI.

Applicants are considered for admission on the basis of:

  • High School Academic Average

  • Enrollment, Levels and Performance in Math and English Courses

  • High School Equivalency Scores

  • Please note that SAT/ACT exams are not required, nor will they be considered through the Spring 2023 admissions cycle. CUNY will revise its testing policy to test optional effective Fall 2023 through Spring 2025. First-year applicants can choose whether to submit SAT or ACT exam scores as part of their application. For more information, visit the CUNY Temporary Suspension of Standardized Testing Requirements information page.

Baccalaureate Degree Programs

Admission into a baccalaureate program is based on an examination of an applicant’s entire high school/secondary school academic record, which includes: academic units, grades/grade trends and NY State Regents examination results (if available). To be admitted into a four-year program, you must demonstrate college-level readiness in English (reading and writing) and mathematics.

Applicants who are not admitted to a bachelor's degree program may be eligible for admission to an associate degree program at the College. In addition, applicants with good academic records (must demonstrate college-level readiness in English and mathematics) who do not meet regular baccalaureate admission requirements may request further consideration by submitting a Freshman Baccalaureate Admissions Appeal Form.

Admissions Profile – Baccalaureate Degree Programs

The following represents the average academic profile for admitted freshmen in our baccalaureate programs. The profile is an average, not a minimum standard for admission. Applicants may be eligible if their academic profile (high school average) falls within the range (both above and below) of the stated average.

Avg. High School Average: 88.3

Recommended Academic Preparation for Baccalaureate Study

It is recommended that preparation for baccalaureate study include the following high school academic units:

  • English: four units

  • Social studies: four units

  • Foreign language: three units of one foreign language: French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Russian, Spanish, or another acceptable foreign language.

  • Mathematics: three units consisting of one unit of elementary algebra (9th-year mathematics), one unit of plane geometry (10th-year mathematics), and one unit of intermediate algebra and trigonometry (11th-year mathematics); or Courses I, II, and III of the New York State Sequential (integrated) Mathematics Curriculum.

  • Science: three units consisting of one unit of any of the following: general biology, general science, chemistry, physics, or earth science, advanced biology, botany, or zoology.

Associate Degree Programs

You must have one of the following:

  • High school diploma

  • High School Equivalency Diploma with scores

Applications for matriculation as a first-time student will be accepted from persons who have never attended any institution of higher education (with the exception of those students who have taken college courses while in high school) and who have either:

  • graduated from an accredited high school, or

  • earned an earned a high school equivalency diploma, or

  • are currently attending high school and will receive a diploma prior to enrollment.

A diploma from an accredited high school is required for admission to the College. Scores on either the New York State Equivalency Diploma Examination or the General Education Development Examination are accepted as substitutes for the high school diploma.

Transfer Admission

Apply by submitting a CUNY Transfer Application.

 Students who have attended any college, university, and/or proprietary school since graduating from high school or secondary school must file a transfer application. Transfer students will be admitted to the College based on the following criteria:

  1. Transfer students with less than 30 credits completed at the time of application must also fulfill our freshman requirements and submit their high school documentation as part of the application process.  In addition, the student’s completed college work must have an overall GPA of 2.0*.

  2. Transfer students with 30 or more credits completed at the time of application must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0*.

*As a transfer applicant, your admission application will be evaluated based on an individual review of your academic record that includes all attempted and completed courses and grades earned.

 Your entire college/postsecondary school academic history, including grades earned from courses taken more than once, will be used to determine a grade point average (GPA).  If more than one college/postsecondary school was attended, your GPA will be determined through a combined calculation of all attempted coursework.  Your high school/secondary school record will be considered if you have completed fewer than 30 college credits.

 Please refer to the links below for the information regarding programs that require a supplemental application: 

 In addition to fulfilling the admissions requirements, students must satisfy the City University of New York (CUNY) proficiency requirements in English (reading and writing) and mathematics for entry into a baccalaureate program.

 Where there are extraordinary extenuating circumstances, students denied transfer admission because of a grade point average below 2.0 may submit a Transfer Admission Appeal  after their denial in writing to the Director of Admissions, who will refer the matter to the Admissions Committee.

 Admissions criteria are subject to change.