Opening the Door for High School Students

New York Tech’s commitment to student success begins long before they enroll. In fact, many students begin building a supportive relationship with the admissions and financial aid teams before they even graduate from high school.

“Often in higher education, the dialogue around choosing a college is about ‘finding the right fit,’” says Marcelle Hicks, dean of admissions and financial aid. “We want to try to have that conversation with students as early as possible so that they not only get a sense of who New York Tech is but who they are and what they’re looking for as well. What makes our admissions approach different is that we look at each student within the context of trying to understand what would benefit them individually.”

For a lot of prospective college students, the process of deciding if, when, and where to go to college is a daunting prospect—especially if they’re the first in their families to do so. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 54 percent of undergraduate students in the United States identified as first-generation, meaning their parents did not have a bachelor’s degree. These students benefit from additional help and preparation early on in their college journey—something New York Tech is well-equipped to provide.

“At New York Tech, first-generation students accounted for more than 30 percent of our incoming class for the fall 2023 and 2024 semesters,” says Thomas Shea (M.S. ’21), director of undergraduate admissions. “A lot of these first-generation students are carrying goals not only for themselves but also their families and their communities, and we’re committed to providing that extra guidance for them to make sure they succeed.”