Frequently Asked Questions

Over 45% of Macaulay graduates continue their education, going on to earn master’s degrees, professional degrees (medicine, law, engineering) and doctoral degrees at highly regarded schools like Harvard Medical School, Georgetown Law, MIT, Yale, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, the University of Edinburgh, and Oxford.

Others launch careers immediately across a wide spectrum of market sectors, the arts, entrepreneurship, public service, or work overseas. 80% join the workforce in New York City at influential organizations including American Express, Bank of America, Bloomberg LP, Columbia University Medical Center, CUNY, Deloitte, Duane Morris, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and NYU Langone Medical Center.

Whatever path you choose, Macaulay prepares you to begin your contribution to the world.​

Macaulay Honors College is now accepting transfer students through our new Friedman Transfer Scholars Program! The Friedman Transfer Scholars Program provides a pathway for CUNY associate students to enter a Macaulay Honors bachelor’s program at one of our partner colleges. Learn more.

We are unable to provide additional information of your place on the waitlist. Please rest assured that if an opening becomes available, you will be contacted directly by the campus selection team. We encourage you to explore the range of other academic and honors programs available across CUNY’s senior colleges.

Applicants cannot change their admitted campus. Only after completing their first year at the admitted campus can a student request to transfer to a different campus. Please note that transfers are strongly discouraged and require approvals from both Honors Directors and the Dean.

Admission decisions are final; there is no appeals process. However, we encourage you to explore the range of other academic and honors programs available to you across CUNY’s senior colleges.

• Baruch College enrolls up to 100 Macaulay students each year.
• Brooklyn College enrolls up to 80 Macaulay students each year.
• City College enrolls up to 80 Macaulay students each year.
• Hunter College enrolls up to 120 Macaulay students each year.
• John Jay College enrolls up to 20 Macaulay students each year.
• Lehman College enrolls up to 20 Macaulay students each year.
• Queens College enrolls up to 60 Macaulay students each year.
• College of Staten Island enrolls up to 40 Macaulay students each year.

Last year, Macaulay received over 7,000 applications for only 520 places in our entering class.

Macaulay accepts college credits acquired through AP exams, IB exams, College Now, and dual enrollment credits.

Only a small number of application fee waivers are sent to high school guidance offices. You should check with your guidance counselor to see if they received any waivers from CUNY.

If you attend a NYC DOE school, you will enter your OSIS number in the Macaulay application and we will get your transcript electronically. If you do not attend a NYC DOE school, transcripts  can be sent by email to: transcripts@cuny.edu or via Naviance.

All applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. After you complete and submit your application, your recommenders will receive via email the electronic recommendation form along with instructions on how and when to submit them.  Note that recommenders will only receive the form AFTER you have submitted your application. Once you have done this, it is a good idea to confirm with your recommenders that they have received the form.

https://macaulay.cuny.edu/admissions/applying-to-macaulay/ 

Only Hunter, John Jay, Lehman, and the College of Staten Island conduct interviews. Candidates for interviews are identified directly by the individual campuses; applicants are not able to request an interview.

Students applying to Macaulay should have a recommended average of 90 and above.

For the class of 2028, CUNY standardized tests (SAT & ACT) will be optional. Here is the link to the CUNY’s website for additional information: https://www.cuny.edu/academics/testing/testing-faqs/

We require that you submit two pieces of writing: Each should be around 500 words long

The essay prompts are posted on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/admissions/applying-to-macaulay/essay-questions/

Macaulay reviews applications using a combination of academic and personal factors, including: transcripts, extracurricular activities, community service, personal initiative and leadership qualities, recommendation letters, essays, and in some cases Interviews. You can find more information on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/admissions/applying-to-macaulay/

No, Macaulay Honors does not participate in the Common App. All applicants must complete and submit the Macaulay application, which will open on September 1st. You can find more information on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/admissions/applying-to-macaulay/

The Macaulay tuition scholarship is provided to all New York State residents who have completed the required FAFSA forms. Note that the FAFSA and TAP forms must be completed by April 15 for all incoming freshman students. You can find more information about the tuition scholarship on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/admissions/tuition-and-merit-scholarship/tuition-information/

When you apply to Macaulay Honors, you first choose up to 6 campuses for general admission, and then you select the ONE campus you are interested in attending for Macaulay. You can find more information on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/admissions/applying-to-macaulay/

The online application opens in early September 1^st, with applications due on November 16^th. You can find more information on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/admissions/applying-to-macaulay/

The Macaulay Honors scholarship does not cover the cost of dorm rooms. To learn more, you can find links to each campus on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/about-macaulay/macaulay-at-cuny/

There are no dedicated dorms specifically for Macaulay Honors students, but most of the campuses have some housing options. To learn more, you can find links to each campus on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/about-macaulay/macaulay-at-cuny/

Each of the eight Macaulay Honors campuses have unique qualities and their own special features. To learn more, you can find links to each campus on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/about-macaulay/macaulay-at-cuny/

Yes, if you are interested in applying for the BA/MD program at Brooklyn College, you will have to complete a supplemental application and submit additional supporting materials that are needed. Please reach out directly to BA/MD program for more information on their application process and deadlines.

BA/MD Website: https://www.brooklyn.edu/honors-academy/ba-md/

No. If you apply to and are accepted at both you must choose either Macaulay Honors or Sophie Davis.

Hunter, Lehman and the College of Staten Island all have nursing programs. You can find more information about specific majors available at each campus on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/academics/macaulay-majors/

All eight Macaulay campuses have computer science programs. You can find more information about specific majors available at each campus on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/academics/macaulay-majors/

All eight Macaulay campuses have pre-med programs. You can find more information about specific majors available at each campus on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/academics/macaulay-majors/

John Jay and City College both have law and legal studies programs. You can find more information about specific majors available at each campus on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/academics/macaulay-majors/

City College and the College of Staten Island both have engineering programs. You can find more information about specific majors available at each campus on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/academics/macaulay-majors/

Baruch, Brooklyn, Lehman, Queens and the College of Staten Island all have business programs. You can find more information about specific majors available at each campus on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/academics/macaulay-majors/

Yes! One of the benefits of being a Macaulay Honors student is priority registration, including access to courses across CUNY’s many campuses. However, you cannot enroll in one campus and declare a major at another campus.

On the Macaulay Honors College application, the major you select is just an intended major. At the end of your sophomore year, all students are required to officially declare a major.

Majors are declared at the end of your second year. Many Macaulay students choose double majors. You can find a list of the 475 majors available at CUNY here: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/academics/macaulay-majors/

Absolutely! Many Macaulay Honors students enter college with a strong focus on career. Over 40% of our graduating seniors enroll in graduate school within two years of finishing college. Macaulay’s Career Development Office helps find targeted internships, matches students with career coaches and alumni mentors, and provides robust programming to meet employers. You can learn more about our career focused activities on the website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/after-macaulay/career-development/

Every student is partnered with a Macaulay advisor based on their home campus who provides guidance & support throughout their undergraduate education. The advisor meets individually with each assigned student—and those meetings start before they even begin their first semester. You can learn more about advisement on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/opportunities/advising-support/

To receive a Macaulay Honors degree, all students must fulfill an experiential learning requirement with an internship, research, or study abroad/away. Students are eligible for study abroad beginning the summer after their sophomore year. You can find more information on our website here: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/opportunities/study-abroad/

Every Macaulay Honors student must take a sequence of four core honors seminars over their first four semesters of college. These seminars are taught in small sections typically capped at 20 Macaulay Honors students. They include: Arts in New York City, People of New York City, Science Forward, and Shaping the Future of New York City. You can learn more about them on our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/academics/nyc-seminars

There are many benefits for Macaulay Honors students. Macaulay Honors students are assigned Honors advisors who are your ​advocates and primary resources regarding academic issues, opportunities, programs, and supports the unique needs of high achieving students with academic issues, campus life, and professional goals. Macaulay students also take high-level and honors courses, this includes a set of four required seminar courses created just for them.

The Macaulay curriculum includes 4 core honors seminars exclusively for Macaulay Honors students. In addition, every semester Macaulay offers a range of upper-level honors courses on a wide range of topics that are specially designed for Macaulay Honors students. But in many instances, you will take classes that may include students from other campus-based honors programs, and also with the general student population.

In addition to receiving a full-tuition, merit scholarship, Macaulay students benefit from: a rigorous academic program that includes the Macaulay seminars; support from dedicated Macaulay advisors to help students navigate their college experience; exclusive access to Opportunities Funds for internships, research and study abroad/away. To learn more about the special Opportunities available for Macaulay students visit our website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/opportunities/