First Year
We’re interested in knowing about you—your academic interests, your favorite books or movies, what makes you laugh, and how you’d like to change the world.
Selection Process
When reading applications, we evaluate your academic history and demonstrated readiness for college level work.
Most incoming first year students at Purchase have earned at least a B+ average and have pursued a typical college prep curriculum in high school:
- Four years of English
- Foreign language
- Mathematics
- Social science
- Three to four years of laboratory sciences
But it’s not just your transcript that we consider…
Holistic Review
We consider you as a whole individual. Of course, we evaluate who is best poised to succeed in our programs and who will contribute to our academic community in meaningful ways.
But we also consider rigor of high school coursework, academic and extracurricular interests, unique talents, writing/video submissions, character and personality, letters of recommendation, and community service/involvement.
First Year Class Profile (Fall 2023)
774
Total number of students
1262
Average SAT
89.5%
Average High School GPA
83%
First-year students who live on campus
Application Details
Deadlines
Program | Application Deadline for Fall 2024 | Portfolio or Pre-Screening Deadline | Application Deadline for Spring 2025 |
Acting, BFA* | Closed | Closed | Not Offered |
Art+Design* | Closed | Closed | Transfers Only Open to all majors except Graphic Design Coming Soon |
Creative Writing, BA* | Closed | Closed | Coming Soon |
Dance, BFA* | Open ONLY to University of Arts students. Submit all materials by June 21, 2024 | Open ONLY to University of Arts students. Submit all materials by June 21, 2024 | Not Offered |
Film, BFA* | Closed | Closed | Not Offered |
Rolling
| N/A | January 3, 2025 | |
Music, MusB* | Closed
| Closed
| Closed for Studio Composition and Studio Production |
Theatre Design/Technology, BFA* | Closed | Closed | Not Offered |
*Please visit the linked program information page to view additional deadlines and requirements. Deadlines and portfolio submission requirements may be updated at anytime.
**We review applications on a rolling basis, and will review applications until our incoming class is full. Students are encouraged to apply and complete their application early in the application cycle.