All Port Chester Grads Will Be Accepted To College Under New Plan

PORT CHESTER, NY —SUNY Westchester and Port Chester Schools announced a first-of-its-kind college admissions program in Westchester County.

Beginning with this year's graduating class, Port Chester High School seniors will be able to bypass the traditional application process and be automatically admitted to SUNY Westchester Community College.

After student and parental consent, Port Chester High School will securely transmit personal and academic information to SUNY Westchester, which will automatically admit eligible students who are completing high school diploma requirements. The new approach was designed to streamline college entry by eliminating two critical barriers: the college application and the application fee.

“Our collaboration with Superintendent Dr. Aurelia Henriquez and High School Principal Luke Sotherden is re-inventing college admissions, streamlining processes, and promoting access and equity,” SUNY WCC President Belinda Miles said. “We are putting students first by making it even simpler, faster, and more affordable to access high quality academic and career pathways that lead to high-wage, high-demand jobs and transfer to universities. Especially during these challenging and uncertain times, we are intensifying our efforts to strengthen student support systems that address academic, economic, and other needs in fulfillment of our mission as an inclusive community college providing open access to opportunity.”

Over the past three years, around 60 Port Chester High School seniors chose to attend SUNY Westchester each year, making the program a game changer for both schools. Port Chester seniors who opt to share information with SUNY Westchester will skip the whole admissions application process and will receive an application fee waiver. The innovative program is intended to reduce anxiety around college admissions by transitioning students directly into SUNY Westchester’s Viking VIP program, which provides priority appointments with academic and financial aid counselors, and preferred access to new student orientation services.

"Being able to partner with WCC on this has been super exciting and all of our juniors and other underclassmen should look at what automatic admission means," Port Chester High School Principal Luke Sotherden explained. "This means that if you work hard in your studies, you too can automatically gain admission to WCC free of any barriers and take college courses that can better your life after high school. All of our Rams are capable of great things."

Port Chester seniors will only be offered automatic general admission to SUNY Westchester. Students seeking entry into special programs such as nursing or veterinary technology will still have to meet corresponding program admission requirements.

"Reinventing the college admissions process has removed barriers to success for all Port Chester students," Port Chester Superintendent Aurelia Henriquez said. "Inclusive excellence means that despite adversity, we are ensuring that all students have access and opportunities to all that life has to offer. We are so grateful to WCC for this new relationship. We look forward to building on this incredible opportunity to so that not only are all students accepted to college, but we also want to see them graduate from SUNY Westchester."

The community college’s automatic admissions program is expected to be expanded to include additional school districts in the future. More information can be found by contacting the SUNY Westchester Community College Admissions Office at Admissions@sunywcc.edu or 914-606-6735.