CUNY Start is a college success program that helps students address their remedial needs while they prepare for college-level coursework. In one semester, CUNY Start offers academic instruction in reading/writing and/or math, as well as academic advisement to help incoming CUNY students get a strong start in college. Students can enroll in CUNY Start in either the fall or spring semester on a full-time (25 hours/week) or part-time (12 hours/week) basis.

WHO DOES THIS PROGRAM AIM TO SERVE? The program enrolls prospective CUNY students who have been accepted to college because they have a high school or high school equivalency diploma, but are not ready for college-level work based on their scores on the CUNY Assessment Tests (CAT). For more information, please see CUNY Assessment Test (CAT) Preparation Resources.

Students who have enrolled in CUNY Start re-take the required CUNY Assessment Tests. Past students have shown significant skill gains when they re-test; many have bypassed required remedial coursework entirely.

HAS THIS PROGRAM BEEN SUSPENDED DUE TO COVID-19? Due to COVID-19, in-person classes, meetings and appointments have been suspended or moved online. For updates on CUNY's response to COVID-19, please visit www.cuny.edu/coronavirus. For additional resources to support students impacted by COVID-19, CUNY has provided "CUNY Continuity for Students."

ABOUT CUNY: The City University of New York (CUNY) has 24 modern campuses spanning the five boroughs of New York, including; Senior Colleges, Community Colleges, and Graduate Schools. 

Providing a quality, accessible education, regardless of background or means, has been CUNY’s mission since 1847. Every year, hundreds of thousands of students – including a record 274,000 degree-credit students – choose The City University of New York for a multitude of reasons that can be summed up as one: opportunity.

The University’s seven community colleges provide a high-quality education through associate degree programs that prepare students for transfer to senior colleges or entry into professional careers. The CUNY Graduate Center offers more than 30 doctoral programs. CUNY School of Public Health and Health Policy, a collaboration of four CUNY institutions, offers master’s and doctoral degrees. The CUNY School of Law is recognized as the nation’s premier public-interest law school.