Requirements for Admission

The following is required of applicants who wish to become candidates for a degree at Finger Lakes Community College:

1. Submission of a complete Finger Lakes Community College Application for Admission. A Finger Lakes Community College Application Form is preferred; however, the State University of New York College Application Form is also accepted. There is no application fee for the FLCC application. Students are required to adhere to the College's Immunization Policy.
2. Students in selected programs and student athletes may be required to submit additional health and immunization documentation.
3. Applicants who have not earned a high school diploma or GED/TASC may be eligible for the 24-credit hour program and must complete testing in reading, writing, and arithmetic. Those who take these tests must be 18 years old or one year past their high school graduation year and must achieve minimum scores on each test as required by Federal guidelines in order to gain admission. A non-high school graduate under the age of 18 or whose class has not yet graduated may not apply for matriculation status. Students who wish to be considered as an exception to this policy should contact the Admissions Office. Additional requirements and information can be found in the catalog section addressing the 24-credit hour program.
4. Students lacking prerequisites for entry into their program of interest may be advised to take courses designed to prepare them for course work in their chosen major.
5. Admission to the Nursing Program is competitive. Students qualify for a review of their application upon completion of the following prerequisites:
   1. Submission of an official high school transcript showing graduation from an accredited high school or receipt of a high school equivalency diploma.
   2. One unit of high school biology (Regents recommended) or one semester of college biology.
   3. Students must have obtained a minimum overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.5.
   4. Transfer students are required to submit official college transcripts from all institutions previously attended. A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required. If multiple colleges have been attended, the GPA will be recalculated.
   5. Any student required to take Basic Skills tests for English placement must place into ENG-101 to finalize acceptance into the Nursing Program.
   6. Students may take high school algebra, college algebra, or FLCC's MAT-121, Introductory Statistics I, to fulfill the math prerequisite for Nursing. Students may be admitted to the Nursing Program provisionally without completing the math course; however, these students must successfully complete this requirement prior to beginning professional Nursing coursework. This requirement is not satisfied for students who have completed a high school equivalency program (GED or TASC).
   7. One unit of high school chemistry (lab not included) or the college equivalent to this course (Nursing applicants only). Students without chemistry may be admitted provisionally to the Nursing Program; however, they must successfully complete CHM-105 Introduction to Chemistry (or its equivalent) prior to their first semester of Nursing coursework.
   8. The Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) is required for candidates applying directly from high school. Official scores must be submitted to the Admissions Office by the stated application deadline. Candidates must achieve a minimum score of 65 on the TEAS to be considered for admission.
   9. While students may qualify for review upon completion of the above prerequisites, applicants with the strongest academic credentials will have the greatest chance of admission. Additional information about selection criteria can be obtained from the Admissions Office. For priority consideration, Nursing applicants are encouraged to have a complete application on file in the Admissions Office by February 1 for the fall semester and October 15 for the spring semester
   10. For FLCC Health Care Studies Students: 
       1. Current Health Care Studies (HCS) students who have completed 18 credit hours within the program requirements that includes BIO-171 and BIO-172 with a B or higher, GPA of 2.5, and meets the nursing program prerequisites will be a direct admit into Nursing.
6. The deadline for students to matriculate into the College for the fall semester is November 1. The deadline for the spring semester is March 1.
7. Home-Schooled Applicants: Finger Lakes Community College adheres to the State University of New York (SUNY) policy for the Admission of Home Schooled Students. Under New York State law, an institution of higher education may admit as matriculated students only persons who have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent. Because of this requirement, the State University of New York has established a specific policy regarding the requirements for degree conferral and enrollment of home-schooled students.

In order to complete their application for admission and be reviewed for acceptance into the College (SUNY and FLCC policy), home- schooled applicants must provide documentation of their home-schooled education in one of the following ways:

1. Submit certification of a high school equivalent home instruction program provided by the superintendent of the school district in which the student resides. A form for the collection of this required information from the superintendent will be mailed to the home-schooled applicant by the FLCC Admissions Office.
2. Submit a copy of GED or TASC test score results showing successful completion.
3. Submit a transcript demonstrating successful completion of five prescribed Regents Comprehensive Examinations.

The New York State Department of Education does not recognize a high school program of correspondence study completed by a New York resident. Therefore, based on this policy, Finger Lakes Community College cannot accept completion of correspondence school online study as the equivalent of a high school diploma for New York State residents. 

8. International Applicants:  Applicants applying to the College for in-person study as an international student must complete additional documentation. This includes the completion of the International Student Supplemental Application Form, Autobiographical Essay, and submission of financial support documentation. Candidates applying to the College for in-person study on an F-1 student visa must provide record of an unexpired passport issued to the applicant.

Applicants must have their application and supplemental documents completed and received by the Admissions Office no later than December 1 for the Spring Semester and June 1 for the Fall Semester.

Supplemental documentation is available for international applicants to complete though their online application checklist. Applicants may additionally request a .pdf copy by emailing the Admissions Office at admissions@flcc.edu. Applicants who have completed or will be completing secondary school outside of the United States are required to provide record of secondary school completion equivalent to a U.S.-based high school diploma. Documentation indicating completion of secondary school must be on file with the Admissions Office by the start of classes for the applicant’s application term. Documentation issued in a language other than English must be accompanied by an exactly worded and certified translation into English.

Applicants must demonstrate English proficiency at the B-2 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) for open-admissions programs. Separate English proficiency requirements may apply for applicants applying for competitive-entry Nursing programs. English proficiency may be evidenced through:

• Completion of a recognized English language proficiency exam. The College recognizes the TOEFL Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT), IELTS Academic Test and Duolingo English Test. Specific minimum bandwidths are subject to change, and will be posted online at https://www.flcc.edu/international-students/apply/.
• Requesting an appeal for an exemption based on academic background. Exemptions are determined by the Admissions Office on a case-by-case basis. Applicants must demonstrate academic success in English-medium coursework, aside from English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction, across multiple subject areas and multiple semesters. Applicants must additionally demonstrate sufficient text production through completion of an Autobiographical Essay.
• Completion of secondary schooling in one of the following countries or regions, with evidence of completion of a curriculum taught in the English language.