Admission and Application Process

How do I apply?
The process of applying to MCC’s competitive health related programs depends on whether or not you are a currently enrolled, matriculated student. Students are only allowed to apply to one program at a time. All applications must be received by the application deadline date.

Students who are currently enrolled and matriculated into a degree program (i.e. HS03 or LA04) must submit a major change request online by the deadline date. This request can be found in your myMCC account under the “Academic Advising” box.
Students who are not currently attending MCC, have stopped out for a semester, or are attending as a non-matriculated student (NM01) will need to apply to the College through the Admissions Office.

What is the application deadline?
For all programs, the deadline is January 31st for the following Fall semester. Nursing (NU01 and NU02) also has a Spring start date; the deadline is September 30th.

How many students are admitted into each program?
Clinical Lab Technician (CL01): 10-12 students
Dental Assisting (DA01): 16-20 students
Dental Hygiene (DH01): 30-38 students
Nursing – 4 semester traditional program (NU01): 70 students each semester
Nursing – LPN to RN (NU02 or NU03): on a space available basis
Radiologic Technology (RA01): 30-33 students
Surgical Technology (SG01): 25 students

Please note that a few seats in some programs listed above are held for current high school students.

High school students admitted into NUE1 – Nursing Extended; the program is spaced over three years. During the first year, NUE1 students will take specific program requirements, including Anatomy & Physiology. It will be expected to pass these courses in order to continue with clinical coursework in the second and third years. NUE1 students will work with the Nursing Department to review these requirements.

How are students admitted into the program?
All applicants who meet the minimum prerequisite courses and requirements will be considered for admission to their desired program. Applicants are then ranked by the number of quality points earned by the application deadline – from greatest number of points to least number of points. Each program takes students starting at the top of this list until all the available seats in the program are filled. See the Admissions Requirements & Procedures for your desired program for a list of specific courses used in the quality point selection.

High school applicants (those in their senior year of high school at the January 31st deadline date) are not expected to have priority point courses. Rather, their admission is based on their exam grades in the listed on the admission information sheet.

Beginning Fall 2023, Dental Assisting (DA01) applicants who meet the minimum admission requirements will be selected based on a random number generator/lottery system.

What is the difference between prerequisite and quality point courses?
Prerequisite courses are requirements must be completed in order to be eligible to apply to the program (i.e. algebra, biology, and/or chemistry from high school or previous college coursework). Quality point courses (i.e. ENG 101/200 or PSY 101) do not need to be completed prior to applying, but the more quality point courses completed – and the higher the grades – the more overall points you will have. Applicants are ranked based on their total points; those with the highest points are admitted program, depending on the number of seats available in the program.

Why was I told I need more points?
Allied health programs are competitive with a limited number of spots. When the number of qualified applicants exceeds the available number of seats in the program, selection is based on the calculation of quality points earned in specific courses at MCC or equivalent transfer credits. Students are then ranked from highest to lowest number of quality points and admission is granted to the students with the most points. If your admissions letter says you do not have enough points, it means that for the semester and program which you applied, all of the students admitted into the program had more points than you. There is no set amount of points you need to have, since it varies each semester/year based on how many points each student in that applicant pool had. You will be admitted into HS03 (Health Studies – Clinical Track) or LA04 (Liberal Arts – General Studies) and can take additional quality point courses to apply at a later date. Students will be assigned to an academic advisor who will assist with appropriate course selection.

High school applicants (those in their senior year of high school at the January 31st deadline date) are not expected to have priority point courses. Rather, their admission is based on the prerequisite course exam grades listed on the admission information sheet. High school applicants who are not directly admitted into their program of choice will be admitted into HS03 (Health Studies – Clinical Track) or LA04 (Liberal Arts – General Studies. Students will be assigned to an academic advisor who will assist with appropriate course selection to reapply at a later date.

Why do you use Quality Points?
Specific courses, which are part of the program's curriculum, have been deemed to be indicators of success in the program by MCC’s Institutional Research Department and by national accreditation organizations.

How are points calculated?
You can utilize the information on the last page of the admission information sheets to calculate your points. (Point calculation is different for high school applicants - please see requirements).

For each quality point course, we multiply the grade earned in the course by the credit hours of the course. Example:

ENG 101, 3 credits, grade = B. (Grade of “B” is a 3.0)

3 credits x 3.0 = 9 quality points

Some programs weigh grades in Anatomy & Physiology courses. For example, a 4 credit course with a grade of “A,” would normally be 16 points. MCC will award 20 points.

How many quality points do I need?
This can vary from year to year. Generally, the initial quality point cut off has been:

Clinical Lab Technician: approximately 45
Dental Assisting: beginning Fall 2023, students who meet the minimum admission requirements will be selected based on a random number generator/lottery system
Dental Hygiene: approximately 65-68
Nursing (4 semester traditional program): approximately 70-79
Nursing (LPN to RN): on a space available basis
Radiologic Technology: approximately 41
Surgical Technology: approximately 15

Do I need all A's in the courses?
Not necessarily. Some programs are more competitive than others. Having all "A’s" in the quality point courses will definitely help with admission into the program. However, each semester depends upon the applicant pool in regards. For example, a student applying to Nursing who has five quality point classes completed by the application deadline date with all “A’s” may have similar points as an applicant who has six quality points completed with “A-’s,” and “B+’s.” We rank students and take those with the most number of points to fill the available seats.

What is the GPA requirement?
Dental Hygiene, Nursing, and Radiologic Technology require a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75. However, Dental Hygiene and Nursing applicants who do not meet the 2.75 GPA requirement will be considered if they have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 AND minimum 3.0 GPA in quality point classes completed prior to the application deadline (e.g. ENG 101, PSY 101).

Clinical Lab Technician, Dental Assisting, and Surgical Technology require a minimum cumulative GPA of of 2.0.

GPA’s are calculated using all previous college coursework, including high school, AP, IB, dual credit, or other institutions. Transcripts from all other institutions are required and must be submitted to the Admissions Office by the application deadline date.

I was accepted into Health Studies – Clinical Track (HS03) or Liberal Arts (LA04). What does this mean?
A student who is not admitted directly into their desired program will be admitted into HS03 (Health Studies – Clinical Track) or LA04 (Liberal Arts – General Studies). This allows students to be enrolled in a degree program at MCC so they can work toward completing prerequisites and/or quality point courses. Students will be assigned to an academic advisor who will assist with appropriate course selection.

My admissions letter or major change email says that I am lacking prerequisites and/or need to build my math or science skills. What does this mean?
If your letter says you are lacking prerequisites, it means you do not have one or more of the listed prerequisite courses for your desired program. For example, you may be missing the math, biology, and/or chemistry prerequisite requirement from high school or previous college coursework. You will be admitted into HS03 (Health Studies – Clinical Track) or LA04 (Liberal Arts – General Studies) and can work on prerequisite courses to apply at a later date. Students will be assigned to an academic advisor who will assist with appropriate course selection.

If I didn't get in this semester, do I need to reapply?
Yes. Applications do not roll over. You must reapply by the next application deadline date.

The process of applying to the program depends on whether or not you are a currently enrolled, matriculated student.

Students who are currently enrolled and matriculated into a degree program (i.e. HS03 or LA04) must submit a major change request online by the deadline date. This request can be found in your myMCC account under the “Academic Advising” box.
Students who are not currently attending MCC, have stopped out for a semester, or are attending as a non-matriculated student (NM01) will need to reapply to the College through the Admissions Office.

High school students who are not admitted immediately after their senior year will be in the regular applicant pool when they apply again in the future.

I have all of the quality point courses, but I didn't get in. What do I do now?
There are a few options, but it can depend on a variety of factors. Students may consider retaking quality point courses to earn a higher grade and reapply again. However, students who do not have the GPA requirement or have repeated Anatomy & Physiology too many times may have to consider alternate programs that do not have competitive admission. In addition, there are financial aid restrictions when students repeat courses too many times. We encourage students to have a “Plan B” and to speak to their academic advisor to discuss these options.

I was in a Nursing (or other high demand health related) program at another institution. Am I eligible to apply to the same competitive program at MCC?
Generally, students who left a high demand program at another institution are not eligible for the same program at MCC. Time and other factors may determine this, but please refer to the department’s repeat policy for more information (typically found in the department's "Student Policy Manual").

Can I earn points for experience/other qualifications? Will references or essays factor into determining who is admitted?
We use only the courses listed under the Quality Point section of the admission information sheet. Volunteer experience, references, interviews, and essays are not considered during the application process. Most work experience (i.e. CNA, PCT, EMT) is not considered, with two exceptions: 1.) LPN's who are applying to the traditional four semester RN program (NU01) and 2.) NYS Licensed Registered Dental Assistants applying to Dental Hygiene (DH01).

With some programs, applicants will receive additional points for a Bachelor's and Master's degree. And, honorably discharged military veterans or current service members will receive one additional point.

For high school students (those in their senior year of high school at the January 31st deadline date), we use only the criteria listed on the admission information sheet.

I attended another college many years ago and I don’t think any of my credits will apply. Do I have to send that transcript?
Yes, all transcripts from previous institutions are required to be on file with the Admissions Office by the application deadline. Students who took dual credit, AP, or IB courses in high school need to send those records as well.

How do I know if my transcript from another college has been evaluated?
The Admissions Office will review each transcript that we receive from the colleges you attended. You will be sent an email letting you know what transferred to MCC and which course at MCC it was equivalent to. These courses will also appear on your MCC transcript.

Can I take credits at another school to try to get into my intended program again?
Yes, we will accept transfer credit from regionally accredited colleges. We do not regard transfer credit any differently than credits taken at MCC. You can view our equivalency chart for quality point classes for many colleges in the area to determine if the courses you took or would like to take at another institution are equivalent to the courses you need at MCC. If you are considering taking a course or have taken a course that isn't listed, we would advise that you make sure to check with the Admissions Office so that you know the course will transfer in as what you are intending it to transfer in as. Courses grades need to be a "C" or higher to transfer in. For those interested in Radiologic Technology, there are several math courses that meet the requirement, please contact the Admissions Office if you have any questions about math transfer credit.

Please note that unsuccessful attempts in Anatomy & Physiology coursework at other institutions are considered in the application review process. See the admission information sheet for the repeat policy. All programs have a GPA requirement; GPA’s earned at prior institutions are included during our review and students must meet the minimum cumulative GPA requirement to be eligible to apply.

All official college transcripts are required to be on file with the Admissions Office by the application deadline.

Do I have to be enrolled at MCC to be considered?
No. Priority is not given to students currently attending. We understand that some students may take a break between semesters or may have completed all quality point classes and take a semester “off.”

What options do I have as an LPN who is interested in the RN program?
LPNs may be eligible to apply for advanced standing. There is a three semester (NU02) and a two semester (NU03) option that have additional requirements in order to be eligible to apply. Please see the Admissions Requirements & Procedures for these requirements. We do not take a set number of applicants to the advanced standing option programs, as those are filled on a space available basis. (We wait until after the semester is over to see how many spots are available for new LPNs in semester 2 and 3 of the traditional four semester program.)

LPNs will have to choose which option they want to apply for, as they can only be considered for one program. LPNs may decide to apply to the traditional four semester option (NU01). Two additional quality points will be awarded to LPNs who apply to NU01; LPN license must be on file by the application deadline date.

Is there a waitlist?
Yes, there is a waitlist. But it does not carry over from semester to semester. The waitlist only consists of those students who were close to the initial cut off points needed. For example, if the top 38 Dental Hygiene applicants have 60 quality points, we will generally put the next 15 students on a waitlist. These students are notified of their waitlist number when admission decisions are sent out. If some students who have been accepted into the program decline admission, we go to the waitlist. Those not pulled off the waitlist will need to reapply and are ranked accordingly with the next applicant group.

Students not admitted or placed on the official waitlist are admitted into HS03 (Health Studies – Clinical Track) or LA04 (Liberal Arts – General Studies). This allows students to be enrolled in a degree program at MCC so they can work toward completing prerequisites and/or quality point courses. Students will be assigned to an academic advisor who will assist with appropriate course selection.

How do I know if I got off of the waitlist?
Please note that this question only applies to students who have received a specific waitlist number for the upcoming semester.

The program director/secretary will contact you directly to offer you a spot. In addition, you will receive an admissions notification (letter or email) if you are taken off of the waitlist and are accepted into the program.

What are my next steps toward admission into a competitive health related program?
We highly encourage all students that are particularly interested in our high-demand health related programs to register as soon as possible, as many quality point courses fill quickly. Students are assigned to an academic advisor who will assist with appropriate course selection. Information about registration dates and advisor assignments are sent to students.

If you have decided to take courses at another school and plan to apply to MCC in the future, please contact the Admissions Office at MCC to make sure credits from another school will transfer into your intended program. Please first check the equivalency chart for quality point classes to see if the course you are interested in is listed.

Are there other health related programs at MCC?
MCC offers a variety of health related programs. In addition, advisors and transfer counselors can assist with appropriate course selection in preparation to transfer to health related programs. Please refer to MCC's programs of study, the Transfer Advising Guides for programs beyond MCC, and 2+2 Transfer Pathways for additional information. Resources such as Career Coach and the Occupational Outlook Handbook are good places to start your research.

I’ve changed my mind about a particular program and/or found out that I don’t really like sciences. What do I do now?
Sometimes a student tells an advisor that they are interested in working with patients, but aren’t aware of all the options or haven’t really researched “what it really means to be a nurse/hygienist/rad tech.” During your first semester, you’ll take a typically take classes that can apply to various majors (i.e. ENG 101, PSY 101/SOC 101, MTH 104). Maybe a student came in thinking they want to be a nurse and didn’t know MCC offers a Surgical Technology or Wellness Coaching program? Or, maybe an individual wants to work as a team in a health related capacity, but without the rigor of science and/or clinical coursework? Social work or counseling (which require transfer to a Bachelor’s and Master’s) may be a good fit. Take time to explore! Volunteer, talk to friends and family in the field, talk to students and faculty in the program. Resources such as Career Coach and the Occupational Outlook Handbook are good places to start.