Today the chancellors of the City University of New York (CUNY) and New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) launched the “Welcome to CUNY” campaign by handing out welcome letters to high school seniors at Brooklyn Technical High School, the nation’s largest high school and a top feeder school to CUNY. The visit comes as CUNY is waiving the application fee for all New York City Public Schools students until Nov. 15.

CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez and NYC Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos announced that all NYCPS high school seniors who are on pace to graduate in 2025 will receive personalized welcome letters sent on behalf of both CUNY and NYC Public Schools. This is the second year in a row that the two systems are collaborating on the joint letter. More than 80% of CUNY freshmen come from the NYC Public Schools system.

These initiatives are part of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s statewide College Application Monthcampaign, a comprehensive effort to remove financial obstacles that hinder students from pursuing higher education and includes welcome letters, fee waivers and both virtual and in-person events.

The Adams Administration and New York City Public Schools have made preparing students for high demand jobs after graduation the focus of their work to transform high school education. NYCPS allocates funding to provide schools with an adequate number of in-person counselors as well as remote access to counselors during evenings and on weekends through Zoom and text message. Forward-thinking advising is available to students as early as grade 6. Students in grades 9 through 12 have the opportunity to obtain early college credit through College Now courses, and career aligned, credit bearing courses that are available to nearly 15,000 students through FutureReadyNYC pathways. Additionally, every NYCPS graduate has access to a College and Career Bridge coach who helps students navigate direct employment and key matriculation tasks at their school of choice.

“By sending these letters and waiving the application fees, we are reminding high school seniors that CUNY, with its incredible value proposition, is right on their doorstep offering an exceptional education for an affordable price,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “We are delighted to once again be working with the New York City Public Schools to increase the number of college-bound students and counter the inequity that is so prevalent within the admissions process, and I look forward to many more fruitful collaborations with Chancellor Aviles-Ramos in her new role.”

“Ensuring that every New York City Public School senior sees a path to higher education and a purpose-driven career is of the utmost importance to the Adams administration,” said NYC Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. “It is the duty and responsibility of our public school system to work to create equitable access to post-secondary opportunities, and it is an honor to stand with our partners at CUNY to dismantle historic barriers that have kept many students from realizing their potential.”

Brooklyn Tech is one of CUNY’s largest feeder high schools, sending nearly 400 students to CUNY last year. The school also sent CUNY the highest number of applicants, with 1,000 applying to CUNY in 2023-2024 school year. Brooklyn Tech is a nationally ranked high school because of its students’ consistently high scores on standardized tests, pathway-focused instruction, work-based learning experiences, early college credits and industry credentials, impressive graduation rate and ability to prepare graduates for college-level work and strong careers. U.S. News & World Report ranked Brooklyn Tech among the 100 best high schools in the country (at No. 67) and Niche ranked it the No. 14 high school in New York State.

Simplifying the process for students 

The welcome letters are part of a broader, ongoing initiative between the largest public school system in the United States and CUNY, the country’s largest public urban university, to help simplify the transition from high school to college. They offer information about CUNY’s 19 undergraduate college options, along with a QR code that leads to a comprehensive admissions page where they can start an application, research financial aid and scholarships and chat with a CUNY virtual enrollment counselor. They also inform students that all high school graduates have guaranteed admission to the University’s community colleges.

Last week, guidance counselors began handing out the CUNY welcome letters to approximately 65,000 high school students. Translated versions are available in nine different languages. The letters also include “The Top Five Reasons to Choose CUNY” — which include its diversity, affordability and quality — and offer an overview of student programs and financial aid resources.

For its seven two-year colleges, CUNY offers guaranteed admission for any student with a high school diploma or equivalent. Some majors, such as nursing, have specific academic prerequisites, and popular programs may have limited availability.

The welcome letters feature photos from CUNY’s second installment of its “A Degree for Every Dream” advertising enrollment campaign, which launched last week across the tri-state area. Print and digital ads are visible in the New York City Subway, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, as well as on city buses and bus shelters, Staten Island Ferry terminals, NJ Transit trains, PATH trains and digital highway billboards. Digital subway platform billboards at nearly 200 stations across the five boroughs also specifically promote that students can apply to CUNY for free through Nov. 15.

Statewide initiatives, national recognition

Gov. Hochul has made eliminating barriers to college enrollment a focus of her agenda. In addition to College Application Month, last spring she spearheaded the launch of a public awareness campaign encouraging FAFSA completion. In support of these efforts, CUNY launched the CUNY Financial Aid Support Team (FAST), which hires college students to help New York City high school students complete FAFSA and provide one-on-one support through texting and in-person events at high schools and libraries.

At last month’s National Partnership for Student Success Higher Ed Summit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten presented CUNY with the Higher Education Innovation Award, in recognition of the University’s creative approach in developing the CUNY FAST program.

New York City Public Schools is a testament to the history and impact of urban education in the United States. With over 1,600 schools spread across five boroughs, the system is made up of approximately 1.1 million students and staff, making it the largest public school system in the nation. These schools employ more than 75,000 teachers, who deliver a rich tapestry of educational experiences to a student body that reflects the city’s vibrant and diverse cultural heritage. This network of educational institutions represents not just the scale of New York City’s commitment to public education, but also its dedication to fostering a learning environment that is as dynamic and diverse as the city itself.

The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving more than 233,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awarding 50,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “genius grants.” The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background. To learn more about CUNY, visit https://www.cuny.edu.

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