Enrollment
The planned enrollment for the next two academic years is approximately 5700 full-time undergraduate students. An estimated 100 part-time students are also expected to enroll.
Student Retention
The College monitors student retention rates for each entering class using a six-year cohort survival technique. The latest figures show that nearly 78% of the freshman class complete baccalaureate degrees on time. Specific details on retention rates are available from the Office of Institutional Research, 221 Erwin Hall, or online at www.geneseo.edu/ir/fact_book
Admissions
Admission to the College is based upon the academic and personal qualifications of applicants and is granted without regard to age, color, disability, marital status, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, race, or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran. The candidate selection process is highly competitive; the College attempts to identify those individuals who will most benefit from the curricular and co-curricular programs offered.
Application Procedures
Applications for admission to the College may be accessed online at either commonapp.org or suny.edu/applysuny. Electronic applications are preferred. Applications should be completed by January 1 for fall semesters and November 1 for spring semesters. Candidates are encouraged to apply early to assure full consideration.
Interviews
Personal interviews are not required for admission but are encouraged. However, for prospective students and their families who have questions and would like to speak to an admissions counselor, the Office of Admissions schedules appointments between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Campus tours and information sessions are conducted daily and on most Saturdays during the year. Prospective applicants are encouraged to make appointments for interviews and tours at least two days in advance of their visit to campus. Appointments may be scheduled by calling the Admissions Office at (585) 245-5571 or (866) 245-5211. Visitors may also schedule themselves for a tour on the Tour and Events Calendar on the Admissions website at geneseo.edu/admissions.
First Year Admission
Applicants for admission to the first year class must present official copies of their high school transcripts showing all courses completed and grades earned. High school graduation or completion of a high school equivalency diploma is a minimum requirement for admission consideration.
Candidates must also present the results of either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I) of the College Entrance Examination Board or the Assessment of the American College Testing Program (ACT). The Committee on Admissions will give preference to the strongest performance when multiple test scores are submitted.
The Committee on Admissions considers a number of factors when selecting students for the first year class, including the rigor of each candidate’s academic program, performance on examinations, improvement in performance, rank in class, unweighted grade point average, a written essay, letters of recommendation, extracurricular accomplishments, and scores from one of the national college testing programs described above. Candidates for admission to fall semesters are notified of admissions decisions on March 1. Decisions for spring semesters are released after November 1.
Early Decision Program
Geneseo participates in a first-choice, early decision plan. The purpose of this program is to secure positions in the first year class for superior candidates who have decided upon Geneseo as their first-choice college and who have academic credentials that would place them in the most preferred category. Candidates may apply to only one college through early decision, but may apply to more than one college through regular decision. However, if admitted under the early decision program, students agree to attend Geneseo and to withdraw all other applications. To apply for early decision at Geneseo, candidates must have the following information on file in the Admissions Office no later than November 15:
- An application. (The College accepts either the common application or the SUNY application);
- An official high school transcript and results of either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I) or American College Test (ACT);
- All required supplemental information;
- A letter of recommendation from a teacher;
- A signed early-decision contract with a handwritten Statement of Commitment. The contract must be signed by the student and the parent or guardian.
Early decision candidates are advised of the Admissions Committee’s decision by mid-December.
Special Talent Admission
Special consideration may be given to candidates who present evidence of a talent or proficiency in athletics, music, theatre, or another area that would enable them to make a special contribution to enriching the life of the campus. The Committee on Admissions will consider an individual’s special talent in conjunction with standard selection criteria. Additional information may be obtained from the Director of Admissions.
International Student Admissions
The College invites applications from students from other countries. Because the College offers limited instruction in English as a foreign language, candidates must demonstrate competence in both written and spoken English. In most cases, candidates must submit the scores from the TOEFL or the IELTS examination along with a complete record of their secondary school and college studies. International students must submit a completed application with all required supporting documents by June 1 for the Fall term and November 1 for Spring .
Transfer Admission
Candidates who will have completed a minimum of 12 semester credit hours (or the equivalent) from another accredited institution of higher education after high school graduation by the time of their initial enrollment at Geneseo are considered transfer applicants. Admission of transfer applicants is based on the academic rigor and appropriateness of content of previous college studies, as well as on the student’s level of success in that work.
All transfer applicants must provide copies of their high school transcripts and all college transcripts; the Committee on Admissions will consider all records when selecting candidates.
Transfer candidates are considered for admission on a rolling basis, and may therefore apply at any time. To avoid potential space issues, it is recommended that transfer students apply for the fall semester by March 1st; or the Spring semester by November 1st.
International Student and Scholar Services Office
The International Student and Scholar Services Office, located in Erwin 218, is responsible for the recruitment, credential evaluation and admission of students from other countries. Prospective students considering undergraduate admission who are not U.S. citizens or immigrants should contact the Director of International Student and Scholar Services for appropriate application materials.
In addition to its admissions responsibilities, the International Student and Scholar Services Office issues the federal documents required for prospective students to obtain student visas for entry to the United States and enrollment at the university. The office acts as the liaison for the university between students on F-1 and J-1 visas and the U.S. Government. In that capacity, the office also assists international and exchange students whenever they need information on securing visas, renewing passports, on-campus employment authorization procedures, applying for off-campus employment, traveling outside the United States and other legal matters pertaining to their particular legal status in the U.S.
Specialized programs, such as the International Student Orientation, are provided to assist international students with their adjustment to study in the U.S.A. and life in the United States and at Geneseo. Specialized English language courses are offered for non-native speakers every academic term. For more information, visit the office’s website at: geneseo.edu/international.
Leaves of Absence
General Leave of Absence
Students who have an overall grade point average of at least 2.00 and who have no outstanding obligations to the College are eligible to take a Leave of Absence from their studies for up to two semesters and retain the right to enroll at the College at the end of the Leave preserving their original catalog year and without applying for readmission.
If a student wishes to take a Leave during a semester in progress, an application must be filed before the published course withdrawal deadline to receive grades of “W”; if a student applies for a Leave after this deadline, grades of “E” will be recorded in all courses.
Application forms for Leave are available on-line at geneseo.edu/enrollment-management for download. Completed application forms should be submitted in the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment Management, Doty 312.
Students who leave campus to study abroad or at another college may have to take a Leave of Absence, depending on the type of program in which they enroll. (See “Studying at Other Colleges.”)
Students on Leave of Absence who fail to return or to fulfill their obligations to the College will have their status changed from Leave of Absence to Administrative Withdrawal. (See below.) If they are readmitted to the college after being placed on Administrative Withdrawal, they return under the catalog of the year of their readmission.
Medical Leave of Absence
Students who, for documented medical and psychological reasons, cannot complete a semester or need to take one or more full semesters’ leave from the college, may apply for a medical leave of absence if their GPA is below the requirements of a general leave of absence or the withdrawal deadline has passed. A medical leave of absence allows students to return to Geneseo after time away without needing to apply for readmission, with approval by the Dean of Students.
Students who are granted medical leaves of absence during a semester will receive grades of “W” for all of their courses, even if the start of their leave is past the withdrawal deadline.
To apply for a medical leave of absence, students must submit documentation from a licensed health care provider, such as a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or licensed counselor, to the Administrative Director of Health and Counseling. Health and Counseling staff will review all medical documentation and make a recommendation to the Dean of Students. Granting medical leaves of absence is the responsibility of the Dean of Students.
Return from a medical leave of absence must be approved by the Dean of Students. Requests to return are due no later than the Friday of the first week in August or the Friday of the first week in January prior to the first day of classes in a new semester. Students may not register for classes until their return is approved. To return to campus, the student must comply with any recommendations given for treatment at the time of medical leave.
Students on a medical leave of absence may study at other colleges during their leave as non-matriculated students. Students are responsible for having courses they wish to transfer to Geneseo approved by the Dean of Academic Planning and Advising.
Forms to request medical leaves of absence, and extended directions for requesting such leaves, are available at http://www.geneseo.edu/dean_students/medical-leave-absence-policy
Leaves and Financial Aid
There may be financial implications of taking any leave of absence. Contact the Office of Student Accounts about the College’s refund deadlines and schedules. Financial aid recipients should contact the Office of Financial Aid to discuss the impact on current and future aid eligibility.
Withdrawing from the College
Students who wish to leave the College permanently must formally withdraw. Students who are not eligible for a Leave of Absence or who wish to be absent for longer than two semesters must withdraw from the College and apply for subsequent readmission. To withdraw, students file an application in the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment Management, Doty 312, and demonstrate that all financial and other obligations to the College have been cleared.
Students who wish to withdraw from the College at the end of a semester must file the appropriate form prior to leaving campus. The deadline for withdrawal from the College during a semester in progress is the published deadline for course withdrawals to receive course grades of “W”; students in academic difficulty who process withdrawal requests after the deadline can still be academically dismissed; a dismissal takes precedence over a withdrawal.
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