WCC to Partner with TUFSD to offer Automatic Admission

SUNY Westchester Community College (WCC) is in talks with Tarrytown Union Free School District (TUFSD) to begin an auto-admissions program for all eligible students. Sleepy Hollow High School (SHHS) graduates should be able to take advantage of this partnership as early as the Fall 2024 term.

SUNY Westchester’s Viking VIP (Valued, Informed, and on a Pathway to Success) program allows eligible students to be automatically admitted into WCC. The Viking VIP program provides priority appointments with academic and financial aid counselors, preferred access to new student orientation services, as well as other advantages. Students will also have the option to attend classes that fit their schedules at the main campus in Valhalla or at SUNY WCC Extension Centers.

Since SHHS will be able to electronically submit student data to WCC, students will not need to submit an admissions application. The goal of the auto-admissions program is to help alleviate much of the stress that high school students face when applying for colleges, such as the application process and the accompanying fee.

“Many of these students may be first-generation college attendees,” stated Gloria De La Paz, Director of Admissions at Westchester Community College. “For many of these students, even that $50 fee could be a barrier. This whole program is about removing barriers.”

TUFSD will join the list of school districts throughout Westchester County that are already benefiting from the program, such as Portchester Public Schools, Ossining Union Free School District, Peekskill City School District, and White Plains Public Schools.

TUFSD Superintendent Dr. Raymond Sanchez has already successfully brought the program to Ossining Union Free School District when he served as their superintendent. He has since joined the TUFSD district, as part of his initiative he has made it his mission to see SHHS students receive the same benefits.

“This initiative provides students a unique option in pursuing their college education. It’s a wonderful program that will aid in their future success,” said Dr. Raymond Sanchez, Superintendent of Tarrytown Union Free School District. “We are excited to partner with WCC to ensure SHHS students have access to this opportunity.”

The initiative also gives all hardworking SHHS students the chance to continue their educational career once they graduate. “If students know from the onset of their high school career that there is a college in their future, it could motivate them to pursue their studies more diligently and with purpose,” said Ms. De La Paz. On the average, 54 SHHS students chose to attend WCC per year, over the past five years.