hunter college college essay

General Admission Criteria

Freshman admission.

Hunter College encourages students to apply who have demonstrated academic success with the potential to grow and contribute to the Hunter community. In addition to your completed Admission Application, the admission review process includes consideration of the following:

High school/secondary school transcript/diploma or equivalent

Overall Grade Point Average (GPA) and success in individual subjects

Curriculum rigor

College essay

Letters of recommendation (optional)

Evidence of demonstrated leadership and intellectual curiosity

*Hunter College will not utilize the SAT or ACT for the purpose of admission review for the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters. 

Additional Requirements for Students Educated Outside of the U.S.

Official English translation of foreign records

TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or Duolingo Test Scores

Transfer Admission

All college, university, and/or postsecondary school transcripts

Supplemental application (for  Selective Programs , if applicable)

Official transcripts must be supplied for every college, university or proprietary school you attended, including institutions outside of the U.S. Applicants do not have the discretion of omitting any part of their educational history. Omission of any postsecondary institution you have attended may result in a five-year bar from Hunter College and the City University of New York (CUNY).

Additional Requirements for Students with Less than 24 College Credits

Applicants who have not obtained 24 or more college credits in an accredited U.S. college or university must submit their high school or secondary school transcript/diploma or statement of marks to be considered for admission.

Official English translations of foreign records

*Applicants who have not obtained 24 or more college credits in an accredited U.S. college or university, must submit secondary school records in addition to postsecondary/university academic records to be considered for admission.

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Hunter college | cuny hunter.

• Cost & scholarships
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• Essay prompts

Want to see your chances of admission at Hunter College | CUNY Hunter?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

Hunter College | CUNY Hunter’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Select-a-prompt essay.

An essay of 500 words or less is required along with your CUNY Admission Application to Hunter College. Review the essay topics below.

Tell us something meaningful about yourself that is not reflected in your application. You may choose to speak about your interests, aspirations and/or background.

It is often said that the road to success is paved with setbacks. Tell us about a time you faced a challenge or obstacle. What did you learn from it, and how did it contribute to your success?

Share an essay on any topic. You may use an essay that you have previously written or one that discusses a topic of your choice.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Motivated Parent - Successful Child

• Oral - Motor

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Essay to get to hunter college high school.

• Who is your favorite book character and why?
• Describe your favorite character in a book or novel.
• What is the best thing you have ever written?
• Describe your best friend.
• Which friend has had the best influence on you? Describe the friend and cite examples.
• Who do you admire or respect and why?
• If you could do one thing to make the world into a better place, what would it be?
• Describe your favorite school teacher.
• Describe the greatest thing you learned in school.
• What is your favorite school subject and why.
• What motivates you to learn?
• Describe what you like the most about New York City.
• If you could live in another state or country, where would it be and why?
• Who do you want to be (professionally) when you grow up and why?
• What mistake did you make that you learned a valuable lesson from?
• What is the most favorite object you own? Describe its sentimental value to you.
• What is your favorite color? Describe why.
• Describe your ideal day.
• Describe a typical Sunday.
• Describe the most recent thing you did during your spare time.
• Describe your favorite animal at the zoo.
• What is your favorite activity at the park?
• Where have you traveled  recently? What was the trip like?
• Have you ever built anything from scratch? Describe it.
• What do you wish to get as a birthday gift this year?
• What do you think is the best invention ever?
• What was the best movie you ever saw?
• If you could discover a cure to a life-threatening disease, which one would it be and why?
• Tell us about a peer who has made a difference in your life.
• What do you hope will change about the place where you live?
• What is one thing that we don’t know about you that you want for us to know?
• What is one thing you will definitely bring to school with you?
• What is your proudest accomplishment for which you did not receive recognition?
• Have you ever owned a pet? If not, which pet do you wish you owned?
• Describe your favorite piece of clothing.
• Why do you want to go to this school?
• If you could choose any profession (such as becoming a lawyer, doctor, pharmacist, accountant), which one would it be and why?
• If you could give money to any charity, which one would it be any why?
• Describe the best vacation you ever went on.
• Describe a cell phone.
• Describe a treasured belonging you carry with you every day.
• Describe your favorite meal.
• Describe your dream house.
• Describe a memory of a place you visited as a child.
• Describe your ideal college roommate.
• Describe the streets or path that leads from your home to your school.
• Describe your favorite fruit.
• Describe a recent gift you received and its importance to you.
• Describe a person you will never forget.
• Describe a sport you play/ Describe your favorite sport.
• How did you spend your last two summers?
• What’s your favorite word and why?
• What is your least favorite aspect of traveling? Describe a place you visited.
• Describe a phobia (fear) you had and how you overcame it.
• Describe what it would be like to meet a famous celebrity. If you have met one already, describe what the experience was like.
• If you could add a subject or class at your school, what would it be? Please describe how this subject or class would benefit not only you, but also all your classmates.
• Describe an obstacle you have overcome.
• Describe your most memorable moment.
• Describe a specific interest or talent and how you have pursued it to date or wish to pursue it in the future.
• Tell us about a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and how it impacted you personally.
• You are required to spend the next year in either the past or the future. To what year would you travel and why?
• We are a community with quirks, both in language and in traditions. Describe one of your quirks and why it is part of who you are.
• Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Tell us about the place, or places, you call home. These can be physical places where you have lived, or a community or group that is important to you.
• Reflect on your unique background and tell us about a time when you had to relate to someone whose life experience was very different from your own. How did you approach the difference? If put in a similar situation again today, would you respond differently? If so, how?

• Must generalize the topic to a universal audience
• Must answer the essay prompt question
• Must NOT let the reader realize that they are reading an essay
• Must address the supporting paragraph topics without listing them
• Must stay on one SUPPORTING topic; if you start another topic then create a new paragraph
• Must refer back to the essay prompt question
• Must use the SHOW DON’T TELL method
• Use figurative language
• Have a clear flow of ideas; Transitions should be smooth from one paragraph to another.  Should have topic sentences and a concluding sentence, summing up the paragraph while relating back to the essay topic.  DO NOT use traditional transitions too much, i.e. for example, in conclusion, one reason is, another reason…
• DO NOT be repetitive
• Must summarize the introduction WITHOUT repeating the same sentences/phrases used in the introduction
• Must answer the essay prompt question again
• Must NOT let the reader realize that this is an essay and that this is the end of it without saying it outright, i.e. DO NOT use the phrase: in conclusion
• Concluding sentence must clearly indicate that this is the end of the essay without saying it outright, i.e. All in all Christmas is my favorite holiday and I cannot wait for next Christmas to come quickly enough.  

• Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
• Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
• Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
• Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution.
• Has there been a time when you’ve had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs?
• What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What’s the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)?
• Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.
• Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.
• Your moment has arrived. Share with us the moments or experiences that have led you to take a test to Hunter High School.
• Great art evokes a sense of wonder. It nourishes the mind and spirit. Is there a particular song, poem, speech, or novel from which you have drawn insight or inspiration?
• When you choose Hunter High School, you will join a new community of people who have different backgrounds, experiences, and stories. What is it about your background, your experiences, or your story, that will enrich Hunter’s community?
• Jesuit education considers the liberal arts a pathway to intellectual growth and character formation. What beliefs and values inform your decisions and actions today, and how will Hunter High School assist you in becoming a person who thinks and acts for the common good?
• Creativity is found in many forms including artistic avenues, intellectual pursuits, social interactions, innovative solutions, et cetera. Tell us how you express your creativity.
• Describe a problem, possibly related to your area of study, which you would like to solve. Explain its importance to you and what actions you would take to solve this issue.

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