cuny essay requirements

General Admission Criteria

Freshman admission.

Hunter College encourages students to apply who have demonstrated academic success with the potential to grow and contribute to the Hunter community. In addition to your completed Admission Application, the admission review process includes consideration of the following:

High school/secondary school transcript/diploma or equivalent

Overall Grade Point Average (GPA) and success in individual subjects

Curriculum rigor

College essay

Letters of recommendation (optional)

Evidence of demonstrated leadership and intellectual curiosity

*Hunter College will not utilize the SAT or ACT for the purpose of admission review for the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters. 

Additional Requirements for Students Educated Outside of the U.S.

Official English translation of foreign records

TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or Duolingo Test Scores

Transfer Admission

All college, university, and/or postsecondary school transcripts

Supplemental application (for  Selective Programs , if applicable)

Official transcripts must be supplied for every college, university or proprietary school you attended, including institutions outside of the U.S. Applicants do not have the discretion of omitting any part of their educational history. Omission of any postsecondary institution you have attended may result in a five-year bar from Hunter College and the City University of New York (CUNY).

Additional Requirements for Students with Less than 24 College Credits

Applicants who have not obtained 24 or more college credits in an accredited U.S. college or university must submit their high school or secondary school transcript/diploma or statement of marks to be considered for admission.

Official English translations of foreign records

*Applicants who have not obtained 24 or more college credits in an accredited U.S. college or university, must submit secondary school records in addition to postsecondary/university academic records to be considered for admission.

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Freshman Admission

You are considered a freshman applicant if you are a senior in high school or a high school equivalency graduate who has not enrolled in another college/university, or if you are currently an Early College high school student.

This page includes:

Admission Deadlines & Notification

General admission criteria, the college essay, submitting ap and college credit, students educated outside the u.s., selective majors and programs, seek opportunity program, application status, application tutorials, questions and assistance, apply to hunter.

To be considered for freshman admission to Hunter, you must complete a CUNY Admission Application, pay the fee, and submit all supporting documents.

Fall Admission

*Hard deadline. Late applications to the Macaulay Honors College will not be considered.

Spring Admission

Hunter College will continue to accept and review completed General Freshman Admission Applications after the priority deadline on a space-availability basis.

A completed application includes your online Admission Application, all supporting documentation, and the online application fee or fee waiver (if applicable).

Hunter College encourages students to apply who have demonstrated academic success with the potential to grow and contribute to the Hunter community. In addition to your completed Admission Application, the admission review process includes consideration of the following:

• High school/secondary school transcript/diploma or equivalent
• Overall Grade Point Average (GPA) and success in individual subjects
• SAT/ACT Scores
• Curriculum rigor
• College essay
• Letters of recommendation (optional)
• Evidence of demonstrated leadership and intellectual curiosity
• Official TOEFL, EILTS, PTE, or Duolingo English Language Test scores (for students on an F1/J1 visa and were educated in a non-English speaking environment outside of the US)

Hunter College will be test optional until Spring 2027.

We strongly encourage students submit their SAT/ACT scores to help provide additional context to their application, especially students applying for merit scholarship programs (Freshman Honors, Macaulay etc.). However, students who do not submit scores will not be disadvantaged in the admissions process. Admission to Hunter is based on a comprehensive review of a student’s academic record including overall grade point average, strength of curriculum, and other factors such as co-curricular activities, community involvement, evidence of leadership, and special talents.

An essay of 500 words or less is required along with your CUNY Admission Application to Hunter College. Review the essay topics below.

Tell us something meaningful about yourself that is not reflected in your application. You may choose to speak about your interests, aspirations and/or background.

It is often said that the road to success is paved with setbacks. Tell us about a time you faced a challenge or obstacle. What did you learn from it, and how did it contribute to your success?

Share an essay on any topic. You may use an essay that you have previously written or one that discusses a topic of your choice.

Hunter College accepts Advanced Placement (AP) for transfer credit. Students who completed Advanced Placement (AP) courses in secondary school and who passed the AP Tests of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) with a grade of 4 and above will receive credit for the equivalent requirement at Hunter. Students with grades of 3 may also receive credit for corresponding courses or elective credit.

• Review Exact AP Exam Equivalencies Chart
• More information on CollegeBoard AP score reporting

How to submit your scores  To have your test scores sent directly to Hunter College, enter the Hunter College code number, 2301, when prompted for your “Score Report Recipient” at the time of your examination.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Hunter College participates in the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), which provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate college-level achievement through a program of exams in undergraduate college courses. Registered degree-seeking Hunter students may receive college credit by completing certain CLEP Subject Examinations and earning specified scores.

• Learn about Exact CLEP Exam Equivalencies
• Get information on scheduling the CLEP exam at Hunter
• For more information on CLEP, visit the CollegeBoard CLEP

How to submit your scores To have your test scores sent directly to Hunter College, enter the Hunter College code number, 2301, when prompted for your “Score Report Recipient” at the time of your examination.

Hunter College will conduct an evaluation of college courses to ensure appropriate transfer credit can be awarded. Students who took college courses while in high school should request for their official college transcripts to be sent directly from the institution to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Hunter College.

How to Submit Your Scores

To have your test scores sent directly to Hunter College, please have them mailed to Transfer Course Evaluation, 695 Park Avenue, Room 203N New York, NY 10065 or sent to [email protected] electronically. View the Accepted IB Credits chart below.

Students educated outside of the United States are required to submit official transcripts from all previous secondary and post-secondary schools. All non-English transcripts and associated documents must also be translated .

Applicants have the following two options for submission:

SpanTran is Hunter College’s recommended international transcript evaluation service. They have created a custom application for Hunter College that helps ensure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate! Students that submit their documents to SpanTran should expect to see an update on their CUNY Application about 3-4 weeks after submission.

Fill out the SpanTran Application

Students may submit official transcript(s) and a certified translation of all official documents   directly to CUNY. Students submitting documents directly to CUNY should expect to see an update on their CUNY Application about 10-12 weeks after submission.

Additional resources for submitting required documentation:

• Transcripts
• Translations
• English Language Test Scores
• Other Evaluation Services

As a freshman applicant, we encourage you to select your intended major on your Admission Application; however, incoming freshmen are admitted to Hunter College and not directly to specific academic majors and/or programs.

Please note that the following selective programs will require an additional application process after you have been admitted and completed the required prerequisite coursework as a Hunter student.

For more information on what to expect later, visit the  Selective Programs Overview  page.

• Public Health
• Medical Laboratory Science
• Nutrition and Food Science
• BSN Nursing Program
• BSW Social Work Program  (Fall only)
• School of Education

Once you have submitted your Admission Application, please contact the music department to schedule your audition.

Students interested in the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College must submit a Macaulay Honors College Application before the deadline. Additional information on the program can be found on the Macaulay Honors College  website.

Students interested in one of the Freshman Scholar Programs at Hunter must apply to the programs of interest after submitting the CUNY application. For more information, please visit the  Freshman Scholar Program website .

The Percy Ellis Sutton Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge (SEEK) program is a higher education opportunity program that provides academic and financial support to students who qualify based on specific income and academic criteria.

• SEEK at CUNY
• SEEK at Hunter

If you feel like SEEK at Hunter is right for you, please indicate your interest on your Admission Application. Review the financial criteria  before applying.

To learn how to check the status of your Admission Application and/or to report an error with your application, click the link below.

For help completing your online Admission Application, contact an Admissions Counselor .

Check out the video tutorials below about how to submit an application, submitting an application fee, and how to add documents.

A great way to learn more about us is to sign-up for an Admissions Information Session. Our information sessions are offered both in person and virtually, and allow ample time to ask questions live with a member of our admissions team.

Topics covered include:

• the admissions process
• what is required with your application
• how to apply for available scholarships
• student life
• student resources and more

Click below to view upcoming Admissions Information Sessions.