Prospective Students

What Makes Macaulay Different?

Macaulay Honors College combines the supportive environment of a small liberal arts college with the programs and resources of a leading urban research university. Students are also exposed to cultural, scientific, business, and not-for-profit opportunities available in New York City.

All Honors College students receive a tuition scholarship* for up to four years of study towards an undergraduate degree, provided they are in good academic standing, are a New York State resident, and meet Macaulay requirements. The Macaulay scholarship is drawn from a combination of sources: CUNY, TAP, City, State and Federal scholarships/grants, and other scholarships you may receive. All scholars receive a new laptop as well. Macaualy scholars are also granted priority registration for all academic semesters. Scholars have the opportunity to apply for a grant from an exclusive Macaulay fund to pursue global study and other experiential learning activities. Students also recieve a Cultural Passport which provides free or reduced admission to most of New York City's cultural landmarks and institutions.

In their first four semesters, students explore aspects of the past, present, and future of New York City in small interdisciplinary seminars. These seminars allow for a deeper understanding of the arts, history, and people of New York.

Outside of the classroom, Director Lev Sviridov invites distinguished professionals from various fields to speak to the Macaulay Scholars about their paths to success.

Dedicated Macaulay advisors help each student customize their choices of curriculum, internships, and study abroad to make the most of students' undergraduate careers.

The Peer Mentoring program at Macaulay Hunter pairs incoming students with an academically distinguished sophmore, junior, or senior who will help ease the transition into college.

*Students must meet CUNY NYS residency requirements for in-state tuition to receive the Macaulay tuition scholarship. Benefits are subject to the continued availability of funds.

Why Macaulay at Hunter College?

As a part of a university-wide honors program for incoming freshmen, Macaulay students will be dually enrolled in both Hunter and the Macaulay Honors College. The program combines the close-knit community of a small college with the vast resources of a major research university.

Macaulay Honors College scholars receive the following benefits:

Individualized mentoring by distinguished faculty members and dedicated academic advisors.
Full gap-merit scholarship (for New York State residents only).
Priority access to campus housing.
Seminar classes which allow our students enriching opportunities to work and learn together while they develop a deeper understanding of New York’s rich cultural and intellectual history.
All students will complete either an internship and/or a study abroad program.

Eligibility

All first-time college students (incoming freshmen) are encouraged to apply.

Review Detailed Eligibility Requirements

Application Review

Macaulay Honors College chooses candidates for admission by evaluating a combination of academic and leadership factors. To learn about application process, competitive nature of the applicant pool, and to see if Macaulay at Hunter is the right fit for you, we encourage applicants to attend Honors Opportunities at Hunter Info Session.

How to Apply

To apply to the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter, you must submit the CUNY Macaulay application and select Hunter College as your Macaulay campus choice. You may apply through Early Decision or Regular Decision, please see details below.

Macaulay Early Decision Application Process and Deadlines

If you are certain that Macaulay at Hunter College is the right school for you, you may want to consider applying through early decision.

Early decision (ED) application process is binding. If you apply for and are admitted through the early decision admission process, you are expected to enroll at Hunter College. In addition, you are expected to withdraw applications from other schools and not submit any new applications after receiving an offer of admission.

ED Macaulay Deadlines	Required materials
November 3, 2025, at 6 pm	CUNY Macaulay Honors Application that lists Hunter as the Macaulay choice Select “Early Decision” on your application Application Fee High School Transcript(s) from all previous schools Two (2) out of three (3) required Macaulay Essays TOEFL (if educated in non-English environment) Resume (optional)
November 10, 2025, at 6 pm	Letters of Recommendation

Regular Macaulay Decision Application Process and Deadlines

Regular Macaulay application process is non-binding. If admitted, you will have until May 1st to decide if Macaulay at Hunter is the right choice for you.

Regular Macaulay Deadline	Required Materials
November 17, 2025, at 6 pm	CUNY Macaulay Honors Application that lists Hunter as the Macaulay choice Application Fee High School Transcript(s) from all previous schools Two (2) out of three (3) required Macaulay Essays TOEFL (if educated in non-English environment) Resume (optional)
November 28, 2025, at 6 pm	Letters of Recommendation

Macaulay Application Notifications Timeline

Early Decision Applicants – Decisions to all applicants who submitted all required materials by provided deadlines above will be notified of Macaulay decision on February 17, 2026, after 3 pm. Admitted Early Decision applicants are required to attend Hunter College.

Regular Decision Applicants – Decisions to all applicants who submitted all required materials by provided deadlines above will be notified of Macaulay decision on March 16, 2026, after 3 pm. Admitted Regular Decision applicants will have until May 1st to commit and deposit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply regular decision if I don’t get in ED?
No. However, your ED application will be considered for admission to Hunter College as a general freshman automatically.
Do I have to do anything special to apply ED?
You just need to make sure to select “Early Decision” on you application and submit all required materials by provided deadlines.
Do I need to apply to Hunter as a general freshman too?
Nope! All those who apply to Macaulay Honors College and submit all required materials will be considered for general admission to Hunter College automatically.