Admissions Requirements
As one of the senior colleges of The City University of New York, York College participates in centralized application procedures for freshmen, transfer and international students. The application form can be accessed on the CUNY website.
The York College Office of Admissions is located in the Academic Core Building, AC-1B07, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, New York 11451. Prospective students and their families are strongly encouraged to visit the campus. Campus tours and information sessions are available by appointment throughout the year and originate in the Office of Admissions. Please call 718-262-2165 or register online. Admission counselors are available to answer questions and to discuss student's educational goals and opportunities at 718-262-2165. Admission information can also be obtained on the Admissions Website.
Freshman Admission
Students who have not attended a college, university, or post-secondary institution are considered freshmen. Freshman applications must be accompanied by the appropriate application fee and your official high school transcript(s).
If you received a High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma from NY (also known as TASC), send a copy of your diploma and scores. If you were eligible for HSE Regents exemptions, be sure to submit your high school transcript along with your HSE Diploma. If you received an equivalency diploma outside of NYS, contact the appropriate State Education Department for your record. Visit ged.com to learn more.
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.
Admission is based on a variety of factors, and each applicant is considered individually. Freshmen are strongly encouraged to take a college preparatory program in high school that includes courses in English, Mathematics, Laboratory Science, Social Science, Foreign Language and Fine Arts.
CUNY Proficiency Requirements
The City University of New York (CUNY) requires all students to demonstrate proficiency in English (reading and writing) and math in order to enroll in credit-bearing courses in the associated subject. Applicants may establish proficiency in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to, meeting benchmark scores on the SAT, ACT, and New York State Regents exams.
More information can be found in the FAQs.
An applicant who fails to meet all of the above criteria may still be considered for admission if she or he shows evidence of strong academic preparation, such as exceeding the minimum requirements in college preparatory classes, or strong performance on other assessments of academic skills, such as Regents examinations. More flexible admission is available through the Percy E. Sutton SEEK Program. For information on SEEK requirements consult this bulletin (under SEEK section) or contact 718-262-2300.
Transfer Admission
Applicants who have attended college, university and/or proprietary school after graduating from high school or having received a GED/ TASC, are considered transfer or advanced standing students. This applies whether or not you are seeking transfer credit and/or changing your program of study. An official transcript from each college,, university and/or proprietary school attended and proof of high school graduation is required of all applicants. Transfer admission is based on a student's overall grade point average (GPA), including courses taken at all institutions attended since graduating high school.
For students transferring with fewer than 12 credits, applicants must demonstrate a 2.0 grade point average , meet CUNY Proficiency Requirements and qualify based on the high school average, or GED/ TASC score in effect for freshmen at the time of admission.
Students transferring to York College must complete at least 40 credits at York College, with at least half of the credits in the major program taken at York College. For some programs, students must take additional credits to complete the requirements for the baccalaureate degree. For the Bachelor of Arts degree at least 90 credits must be in the liberal arts. For the Bachelor of Science degree at least 60 liberal arts credits are required. For Bachelor of Music degree at least 30 liberal arts credits are required. An overall minimum "C" average in all college work is required for graduation from York College. To apply, please visit CUNY's Website.
Evaluation of Prior College Credits (Transfer Credits)
The official evaluation of all courses taken previously at other accredited institutions is done by the Office of the Registrar in conjunction with the academic departments.
In general credit is granted for a course which is considered equivalent to a course at York College for which the student received the grade of "D" or better at a unit of the City University of New York, or "C" or better at any other accredited institution.
Blanket credit" is given for courses, within disciplines available at York, which have no precise equivalent. Although a student will not receive transfer credit for a "D" grade from a college outside of the City University of New York, the student may be exempt from repeating the course if it is prescribed at York College. Transfer students must seek academic advisement from their major department prior to enrolling at the college. Students cannot receive credit a second time for a course already completed at another institution. Credits will not be granted from school(s) not listed on the student's admissions application.
Maximum Credits Accepted
Although all transferable credits will be evaluated by the Office of the Registrar, a maximum of 68 credits will be accepted from a two-year college or degree program. A maximum of 80 credits will be accepted from senior colleges.
Registered Nurses Majoring in Community Health Education
An R.N. Certificate recipient with a high school diploma, who meets the admission criteria of York College, may be granted credit for equivalent courses with grades of "C" or better toward the liberal arts degree in Community Health Education at York College. These students should consult the Community Health Education Coordinator in the Department of Health and Human Performance.
Special Examinations
Credit(s) will be granted for the following examinations:
ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages)
AICE (Cambridge Advance International Certificate Education Program)
AP (Advanced Placement)
CLEP (College Level Examination Program)
CPEP (College Proficiency Examination Program)
DLPT (Defense Language Proficiency Test)
DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests)
ECE (Excelsior College Exams)
NYU Language Exam
USAFI (United States Armed Forces Institute)
Credit(s) will be given for the above examinations, which test knowledge in specific subjects rather than general knowledge. Upon a student's request and approval of the departments involved, a student may be granted credits or be exempt from courses by presenting evidence of C or better performance on any of the above college-level examinations. A maximum of 16 credits may be earned in this manner, except nursing majors, who may earn up to 20 credits.
International Student Admissions
All Transcripts and associated documents must be translated. Please review our Translation Guidelines for more information.
Secondary School Transcripts
International students will need to submit a copy of your complete academic record (all years), as well as any national or government certificates earned. Secondary School documents can be uploaded onto your CUNY application or in certain cases (ie. WAEC) where we require additional information they can be sent to admissions@cuny.edu. Please review the list of Required Secondary School Credentials for more information.
Official University Transcripts
If you’ve attended university, you’ll need to request an official transcript from each university in order to be considered for admission. Please review the Official transcript section before submitting documents. Please have them send transcripts directly to transcripts@cuny.edu.
Applicants educated outside of the United States may choose to have their records evaluated by one of the Approved Evaluation Services listed below or by the University Application Processing Center.
Approved Evaluation Services
Students may consider the following outside evaluation agencies:
Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc.
Educational Credential Evaluators
Foreign Credential Evaluations, Inc.
Foreign Credentials Service of America
International Education Evaluations (IEE)
International Education Research Foundation
Institute of Foreign Credential Evaluations (IFCS)
Josef Silny & Associates, Inc., International Education Consultants
SpanTran: The Evaluation Company
World Education Services, Inc.
Documents to request from the Evaluation Service:
Completed less than one year of University Work:
Secondary school record: an official course-by-course evaluation report which includes a grade point average (GPA) based on all secondary school course work and any external examination certificates earned.
University record: an official course-by-course evaluation report which includes a GPA based on all University course work.
2. Completed more than one year of University Work:
Secondary school record: proof of secondary school graduation and an official course-by-course evaluation report.
University record: an official course-by-course evaluation report which includes a GPA based on all University course work.
Additionally:
We will only accept evaluations that are sent directly from the evaluation service. Be sure to request that the evaluation service includes certified copies of all documentation used for the evaluation.
CUNY’s University Application Processing Center (UAPC)
CUNY’s University Application Processing Center can evaluate your transcripts free of charge. UAPC does not evaluate until all required documents have been submitted. Please follow these guidelines:
Freshman Applicants:
Required Documents: Submit a complete academic record (all years), as well as any national and/or external certificates earned to: admissions@cuny.edu.
Please observe the list of Required Secondary School Credentials for your country.
Document Guideline: If requested documents are not in English, applicants are required to submit documents in both the original language and the English Translation.
Observe the Translation Guidelines, to ensure a timely evaluation.
Transfer Applicants:
Required Documents: In addition to the documents listed above for Freshman applicants, Transfer students are required to submit the following:
Official transcripts from each school attended. You can fill out the Transcript Request Form
Please submit the form to the relevant office at your previous institutions for official transcripts.
An official transcript is a copy of your academic record sent directly from your University to CUNY at transcripts@cuny.edu.
To ensure appropriate documentation is submitted, observe the requirements of an Official Transcript.
Document Guideline: If requested documents are not in English, applicants are required to submit documents in both the original language and the English Translation.
Observe the Translation Guidelines, to ensure a timely evaluation.
The Percy E. Sutton SEEK Program
The SEEK (Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge) Program is a higher education opportunity program offered at each of the senior colleges of CUNY. SEEK was created in 1966 when the New York State Legislature enacted a law that mandated the creation of programs providing access and support for New York City residents and that advanced the cause of equality and educational opportunity at CUNY. Today, the university maintains a commitment to admit students under the provisions of this law.
SEEK is an opportunity program for students who are:
entering college for the first time
in need of financial assistance
resident of New York State for at least twelve consecutive months
Students are eligible for ten (10) semesters, plus two (2) summer sessions of financial assistance. Transfer students from College Discovery (CD), Higher Education Opportunity Programs (HEOP) or Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP) are admitted in both the fall and spring. Veterans with up to 18 credits earned during or before their military enlistment are also eligible for this program.
The mission of the SEEK Program is to serve students who are educationally under-prepared and poor by providing them with academic, counseling, and financial services.
Academic services include Selected Pathways courses designated for SEEK students only; SEEK counseling courses; learning skills workshops; one-on-one topic-specific tutoring; and small group tutoring sessions. Counseling services provide academic, career, and personal counseling services through individual or group workshops. All students are assigned a counselor upon entry into the program. Financial Aid services provide students with vital information concerning the timely completion of all necessary financial aid documentation.
These services help students achieve academic success by utilizing dynamic and innovative student-centered approaches to teaching and learning and providing supportive services. The SEEK Program is staffed by dedicated faculty and staff committed to ensuring that students acquire the skills and economic resources needed to graduate from York College. Students in the SEEK Program have successfully met the many challenges of academic rigor with distinction. They have added a positive dimension to York College through their involvement in student organizations and college governance committees and have distinguished themselves with service awards and academic honors. College
Students may apply for the SEEK Program by filling out the "SEEK/College Discovery" section of the CUNY Freshmen Application, and by putting York College as their first choice. Incoming students must attend and successfully complete the mandatory Pre-Freshmen Summer Program. Furthermore, all students must be deemed economically eligible for SEEK by the SEEK Financial Coordinator before they are officially accepted into the program. The coordinator is in the Student Financial Services Office in AC-1M08. The telephone number is (718) 262-2230.
To be certified and to receive any financial assistance from the program, students must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and a TAP application. These forms are used to apply for the following types of financial aid:
PELL
SEEK stipends, books, and fees
College Work Study
Perkins Loans
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
Non-Degree Admission
An applicant not wishing to earn a degree may seek admission as a non-degree student and enroll in credit-bearing course(s) on a space-available basis.
And application for Non-degree Admissions the link can be found on the Admissions webpage.
Applicants who have completed post-secondary work should submit the non-degree Admissions application and an "unofficial" (Registrar issued) transcript from all post-secondary institutions attended. Under no circumstances will grade reports be accepted.
If an applicant has been academically dismissed from a CUNY college, they must remain out of school for at least one semester. Students should review the Standards for Academic Probation and Retention discussed later in this Bulletin. These standards apply to both degree and non-degree students. First-year students may apply for non-degree admission by submitting a copy of their high school transcript and proof of graduation or GED diploma.
Non-degree students are not eligible for Financial Aid or student loans and are billed at the non-degree tuition rate.
In addition to satisfying the requirements above, applicants educated abroad must submit educational documents with certified English translations and/or official copy of the evaluation done by one of the evaluation services listed below:
Approved Evaluation Services
Readmission
York College undergraduate students not participating for two or more semesters and with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above can apply for readmission through the Office of the Registrar. The student must fill out a Readmission Application (Undergraduate) application found on the Office of the Registrar homepage under the forms section. The application must be completed and list any college(s) attended while away from York College. Only students who attended a Non-CUNY institution must have an official transcript sent, directly from the other institution to York College, when they apply for readmission. PDF it directly to transfereval@york.cuny.edu or have it mailed to York College, 9420 Guy R. Brewer, Jamaica, NY 11451, Attention: Office of the Registrar- Transfer unit.
The completed Readmission Application (Undergraduate) must be signed, dated and uploaded along with a valid photo ID to the Office of the Registrar secure portal. The student’s CUNY first account will be billed a readmission fee in the amount of twenty dollars ($20.00). This fee is Non-refundable.
Undergraduate students, who have been separated from York College for two (2) or more semesters must follow Pathways General Education requirements, as stipulated in the Bulletin in effect at the time of their readmission.
Undergraduate students, who have been separated from York College for three (3) or more semesters, must follow major requirements as stipulated in the Bulletin in effect at the time of their readmission.
Undergraduate students who have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above are eligible to apply for readmission. Undergraduate students who were dismissed at the end of their last semester of participation at York College or returning students whose York College GPA is below 2.0 must first file a petition for readmission with the (CAPS) Committee on Academic Policy and Standards. Petitions for Readmission with the CAPS department must be filed at least two months prior to the term and/or session for which the student wishes to be readmitted (petitions are only valid for the term and/or session it is issued for).
If the petition is approved, the student must then submit a Readmission Application (Undergraduate) with the Office of the Registrar, at least one month before the beginning of the semester and/or session for which they wish to be readmitted, follow direction on the top of this section.
Submission of Fraudulent Documents
The submission of documents in support of applications for admission, such as transcripts, diplomas, test scores, references, or the applications themselves, that are forged, fraudulent, altered from the original, obtained under false pretenses, or otherwise deceptive is prohibited and is punishable by a five-year ban on applying for admission or five-year suspension from CUNY. A second violation is punishable by a lifetime ban on applying for admission or expulsion from York College/CUNY.
Admission of Students Who May Pose a Risk to the College
Please note: The college reserves the right to deny admission to any student if, in its judgment, the presence of that student on campus poses an undue risk to the safety or security of the college or the college community. That judgment will be based on an individualized determination, considering any information the college has about the crime committed by the student and the particular circumstances of the college, including the presence of a childcare center, summer camp, public school or public-school students on the campus. Additionally, the college may consider factors such as the amount of time since the crime was committed, the amount of jail time served by the student, the number of years the student was on probation or parole, whether the student has satisfied probation or parole requirements at the time of the student's application, whether the student has completed drug, alcohol, sex offender, or other treatment, and what work or educational experience the student has had after the conviction. Finally, if the student is known to have been assisted by a CUNY-sponsored or other re-entry program or initiative, the college will consult with a counselor or representative from said program.
Health Requirements
Prior to registration, the following health requirements must be met:
Immunizations for Measles, Mumps and Rubella Public Health Law 2165 requires college students to present a complete record of two live immunizations against measles and a single immunization against mumps and rubella. Students born on/or after January 1, 1957 must submit a complete immunization record signed by a health practitioner. Further information regarding health standards may be found in the Student Rights and Regulations section of this catalog.
Meningococcal Disease Public Health Law 2167 requires institutions, including colleges and universities, to distribute information about meningococcal disease and vaccination to all students meeting the enrollment criteria, whether they live on or off campus. Hunter College of the City University of New York is required to maintain a record of the following for each student: a) response to receipt of meningococcal disease and vaccine information signed by the student; b) record of meningococcal meningitis immunization within the past 10 years; or c) acknowledgement of meningococcal disease risks and refusal of meningococcal meningitis immunization signed by the student. Please note that students will not be allowed to continue at Hunter if they are not compliant (have not handed in their Response Form) within 30 days from the first scheduled day of classes. To learn more about meningitis and the vaccine, please consult your physician. You can also find information about the disease at http://www.cdc.gov.