Mar 19, 2024  
2021-2022 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
2021-2022 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Enrollment Management & Admissions


admissions.geneseo.edu

Enrollment

The Enrollment Management Division includes the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Graduate Admissions, Financial Aid, and International Student and Scholar Services. All four departments work in unison to support students throughout the admissions and enrollment process, from prospect through graduation. Our approach is collaborative, comprehensive, and most importantly, student-centered.

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. 

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 byFebruary 1 for fall semesters and November 1 for spring semesters. 

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.

The admissions application review process emphasizes a holistic review that considers environmental factors. The committee considers a number of factors when selecting students for the first year class, including the strength and rigor of each candidate’s academic program, performance on examinations, improvement in performance, rank in class, core GPA, unweighted grade point average, a written essay, letters of recommendation, extracurricular accomplishments, and perseverance scores from one of the national college testing programs described above. Candidates for admission to fall semesters are notified of admissions decisions on a rolling basis starting in January.

1. Decisions for spring semesters are released after November 1.

Early Decision Program

Early Decision admission reserves positions in the freshman class for candidates who have decided on Geneseo as their first-choice college. In return, students applying under the early decision program commit to enroll at Geneseo if admitted.

If you are not offered admission under Early Decision, your application is automatically deferred to regular admission review for re-evaluation. Transfer, EOP, and special talent students are not eligible for this program; application deadlines for Early Decision admission preclude these candidates from participating.

How to Apply for Early Decision I, II

1. File the Common Application or (SUNY Application with Geneseo SUNY Supplement).

2. A letter of recommendation from a teacher is required. You may also submit a letter from other sources (i.e. school counselor, coach, employer) if you wish to do so.

3. Statement of Commitment; submit, in long hand, an exact copy of the Statement of Commitment (see below) on the Statement of Commitment form. Include your signature and your parent or guardian’s signature. Please note that your application will not be complete without submission of this form.

Statement of Commitment

Geneseo is my first-choice college and I wish to have my application considered under the first choice Early Decision plan. I understand that I am committed to accepting an offer of admission if it is extended. I also agree to withdraw all previously filed college applications upon notification of an admission offer from Geneseo, and I will not initiate any new ones.

Early Decision Timeline

Application deadline:
     Early Decision I: Nov. 1
     Early Decision II: Dec. 1

Notification of decision:
     Early Decision I: Dec 1
     Early Decision II: Jan 1

Payment of tuition deposit:
     Early Decision I: Jan. 1
     Early Decision II: Feb.

 

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 equivalent examination proof of English Proficiency along with a complete record of their secondary school and any college coursework. International students must submit a completed application with all required supporting documents by the posted deadlines.

Transfer Admission

Candidates who have completed credit 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, appropriateness of content of previous college studies, the student’s level of success in that work and academic trends on a semester-by-semester basis.

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. Additional items that can be requested in the review process may include mid-semester grades, statement of activities, or an essay. Most successful transfer candidates will have a 2.5 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) or higher.

Transfer candidates are consider for admission on a rolling basis, and many therefore apply at any time. Although we will accept and review applications at any time, 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 Doty 200, 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 Permanent Residents should contact the Director of International Student and Scholar Services for appropriate application materials. Application information for international students is also available on the office’s website: www.geneseo.edu/international. 

In addition to the recruitment and admission of international students, the International Student and Scholar Services office acts as the primary liaison between the College and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of State.  The International Student and Scholar Services Office issues the required documentation (I-20 and DS-2019) for students seeking F1 and J1 visas to study at SUNY Geneseo.  The office is responsible for all visa-related advisement of international students and scholars including but not limited to visa applications, employment authorization, extension of study, reinstatement of status, change of status, etc.  Additionally, the ISSS Office assists visiting professors and research scholars. 

Furthermore, the ISSS Office offers programming such as the International Student Orientation, workshops, International Education Week, and more. 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 Admissions, Doty 200.

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. 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. Steps to complete an application for a medical leave can be found at: http://www.geneseo.edu/dean_students/steps-medical-leave-absence

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 ofAdmissions, Doty 200, 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.