Admission Criteria and Application
Freshman Admission Criteria
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.
Freshman must apply online at www.cuny.edu. CSI has continuous admissions; however, applications should be filed early. Priority deadline for the Fall semester is February 1. Priority deadline for the Spring semester is September 15th.
Freshman Applicants
Freshman (first time) applicants are students who have not previously attended any college, university, and/or proprietary school within or outside the United States since graduating from high school or secondary school.
Applicants are required to submit the following to be considered for admission to the College of Staten Island:
Completed freshman application
$65 application fee
Official high school transcript
Copy of high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma and scores
SAT or ACT scores (required for entrance to baccalaureate programs)
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:
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*.
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.
Proficency in English and Mathematics
All new students entering CSI must demonstrate proficiency in English and mathematics by meeting the benchmark scores on the Regents, ACT, or SAT exams, or with college-level English and math courses.
In the past, applicants who did not meet those benchmarks were required to take assessment and placement tests at a CUNY college to determine whether they were eligible for credit-bearing courses or required to complete developmental interventions.
Rather than using assessment tests for applicants who do not meet the benchmark scores, CUNY now uses a proficiency index that combines overall high school grade point average with SAT and/or Regents exam scores. Applicants with High School Equivalency (HSE) credentials will be assessed for English and math proficiency using the subtest scores on HSE exams. The proficiency index will allow the college to determine whether the applicant has a good chance of earning a C or better in a credit-bearing math or English course without any additional support. Scores on the proficiency index, rather than scores on assessment tests, will be used to make the final determination of whether students are proficient or not and guide them to appropriate levels of developmental interventions. This includes Immersion Programs.
The Bridge Programs are intensive workshops which provide an opportunity for students who need to demonstrate proficiency to receive tuition-free instruction in English and mathematics during the Summer and/or Winter intersession. Students can satisfy the proficiency requirement in the discipline in which they receive instruction during the program.
English as a Second Language (ESL) students will be required to take Accuplacer ESL to determine reading and writing proficiency and appropriate course placement.
Unless exempt, international students in an F-1 status will be required to take the Accuplacer ESL during the International Student Orientation or remotely prior to arriving to CSI.
Conditional Admission | Remediation Policy for Non-Exempt/Proficient Students
The outcomes of the proficiency index score may impact your ability to select the major of your choice at the college. A proficiency index greater than or equal to 60 in math, and greater than or equal to 65 in English will allow you to continue into credit-bearing courses. If the index is lower you will be guided to the appropriate level of developmental intervention. Please be aware of the following requirements:
All students who are:
Deep Developmental need of support in mathematics (proficiency index score of 49 or below) are strongly encouraged to complete CSI's free Math Immersion (in the summer or January) or the summer Math Start program prior to enrolling at the College. Students who choose not to enroll in or do not complete these programs will ONLY be enrolled into the Liberal Arts Associate in Arts program until math proficiency is achieved. At that time, they will be able to change to another associate degree program of their choice. To declare a Baccalaureate major, students will need to acquire CUNY’s proficiency in math and English and completed at least 12 credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.00. Depending on the major chosen, students might be required to take additional Math courses.
Alternatively, these students can enroll in the semester-long CUNY Start* or Math Start program to acquire proficiency without paying college tuition; however, they will not be able to take college credit classes at the same time.
Deep Developmental need of support in mathematics (proficiency index score of 49 or below) and English (proficiency index score of 47 or below) must enroll in and complete at least one semester of the CUNY Start* program and acquire proficiency in either English or math in order to enroll at the College.
Light Developmental need of support in mathematics (proficiency index score between 50 and 59) and English (proficiency index score of 64 or below) should enroll in mathematics or English in CSI’s free summer or winter immersion programs and take a co-requisite developmental course during the semester following immersion. It is recommended that students do NOT enroll in two co-requisite developmental courses during the same semester.
*CUNY Start is a program of rigorous, intensive instruction in academic English and mathematics which prepares college-bound students to meet CUNY basic skills proficiency in English and mathematics. CUNY Start is designed to help incoming college students minimize time in remedial course work and save financial aid for credit courses. At a low cost of $75 for the semester, the cost includes books and college success advisement in planning, choosing a career path and paying for college. Full-time CUNY Start students take both English and mathematics courses, as well as College Success Advisement. Part-time CUNY Start students take Pre-College Math plus College Success Advisement.
English as a Second Language (ESL) Students
If you qualify as an ESL student (including qualifying international students) you are exempt from the policies listed above. ESL students will be required to complete special English courses for non-native speakers of English. When possible, ESL students are encouraged to enroll in the CUNY Language Immersion Program (CLIP). Students with F1 student visa status (international students) cannot enroll in CLIP.
Admissions criteria are subject to change.