by Markella Giannakopoulos, Co-editor in chief

Macaulay Honors College at CUNY (City Universities of New York) hope to attract potential students for the fall 2015 semester through a diverting panel of eight current Macaulay students.

Prospective students had a chance to hear the stories of current students and their experiences with Macaulay during their open house November 2nd at the Gerald Lynch Theater at John Jay College. These students hailed from all eight campuses, Baruch College, Brooklyn College, City College, Hunter College, John Jay College, Lehman College, Queens College, and the College of Staten Island.

These students talked about academics, student life including club activity, study abroad programs, research opportunities, and internship possibilities. While being high achieving students in the classroom, they have the chance to explore NYC as their backyard and have fulfilling lives outside of school.

“I want to see if I can challenge myself in college. I’ve worked hard in high school and I want to keep this work ethic through college and this kind of rigorous course will ensure that I keep myself busy learning,” senior Arthur Wilson said.

Their open house had a second session where prospective students had the ability to chat with the colleges they are applying to. Each of the eight colleges had booths filled with pamphlets on current student profiles, etc. Due to the high attendance, there was a limited amount of time to talk with the admissions directors, so many students asked specific questions relating to their prospective fields.

“I love the program and I know students who are attending currently and love the program. A friends son attends Macaulay City College and I see that he really is involved both with Macaulay and City College.  He is challenged with I think is great for that awesome college experience,” parent Debbie Kiladitis said.

One thing that each student stressed throughout the panel was for potential students to submit their applications as early as possible. This will create less stress for the student by allowing them to focus on other assignments.There is also the possibility that the site will most likely crash on December 1st, the day that applications are due.

“Be open to look at many different types of schools. Every college and university is unique. Talk to students who attend the school and see how they like their experience. I liked that the students [from Macaulay] spoke about their experience,” Kiladitis said. “The sky’s the limit and don’t be afraid to try.”

While grades are a big consideration, the directors look at a holistic view of grades, extracurricular activities, essays, and test scores. To make sure one qualifies for Macaulay Honors College, click here for the admissions criteria.