Welcome! Here are some things to know:
Meeting with your Macaulay advisor:
Every semester there will be multiple opportunities to meet with your advisor.
- Once a semester we will hold mandatory pre-registration advising meetings, and we will let you know when these are and how to prepare. Everyone must meet with their advisor in order to have their Honors Academy hold lifted for priority registration. Some meetings will take place in small groups, so that students can learn from each other’s experiences and questions.
- Once a semester, the whole class will meet together to learn about important information and opportunities.
- You might also want to speak with your advisor at other times.
You can sign up for an appointment, here.
You can email your advisor if you can’t find a time that works.
You can stop into the Honors Academy (2231 Boylan Hall) to ask a quick question or see if your advisor is free.
Tuition and Fees: You will notice when you log onto CUNYfirst and look at your financial screen, that you have a balance on your account. This is because your Macaulay Scholarship will not be deducted from your balance until some time in the Fall term. However, the Bursar’s office can see your authorized scholarship in your account and will know that you do not owe that money. You are only responsible for student fees, which will equal your balance less the tuition (Undergraduate Resident Fee) charge of $3465. More details about student fees can be found here: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/about/offices/bursar/tuition/undergraduate.php.
***All Macaulay scholarship recipients are required to file FAFSA and TAP, even if they are sure they are not eligible.
CUNYfirst is the system you will use to check your BC registration and account. You can view your schedule in the Student Center under Course Planning and Enrollment > View My Class Schedule, or view it on Schedule Builder. Make note of your EMPLID, because you will need it for many transactions at BC
Schedule Changes: All Brooklyn Honors students have an HON hold on their accounts to ensure that schedule changes are made through an advisor. If you have a question about your schedule, email your advisor.
CUNYfirst To Do List: You should check your CUNYfirst Student Center for any outstanding items. Immunization forms, FAFSA or TAP verifications, etc., are all important to follow up on.
Please do not declare a major before speaking to your advisor. Declaring your major too early can lead to complications with financial aid. If you get an email asking you to do this, forward it to your advisor so you can discuss your particular situation.
AP and College Credits: You can have your AP scores sent by College Board to Brooklyn College, code 2046. You can also email a copy of your scores to tcevaluation@brooklyn.cuny.edu.
All other transcripts can be sent to the Transfer Evaluations Office address below or by sending an official copy by email to tcevaluation@brooklyn.cuny.edu.
Brooklyn College
Transfer Evaluations Office
306 West Quad
2900 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11210
***If you receive AP credits or other college credit for a class you are already enrolled in, please email your advisor so we can change your schedule. Remember, only a 5 on AP English can exempt you from ENGL 1010, and we still recommend denying the AP credit and taking the course in an honors section for all MHC students. You can find the form for denying AP credits here.
Please speak to your advisor if you are unsure about your AP credits.
Change of Email Address: Please let your Macaulay advisor know if you would like to receive these emails at a different address. We recommend that you do not use your high school email address for college correspondence. You should also change your address on CUNYfirst and at https://macaulay.cuny.edu/policies-forms-index/update-your-contact-information/
Changing your preferred name: click here.
Getting Your Cultural Passport: To make an appointment to get your Passport, scroll to the bottom of this link page.
College lingo (Compiled by former MHC Brooklyn students)
- Add: “Adding a class” means that you are putting this class on your schedule.
- Drop: “Dropping a class” means that you are removing this class from your schedule. You can drop courses until the third week of the semester, and it will not appear on your transcript.
- Withdrawal: After the drop period is over, if you no longer wish to take a class you must withdraw from it. Withdrawals will show as a “W” on your transcript.
- Pathways: refers to the required classes that every student must take at Brooklyn College.
- Overtally: After a section of a class has closed (meaning it has no more available seats), you may reach out to the professor for an “overtally.” Professors occasionally grant overtallies if they assume some of the seats taken will become available within the first weeks of the semester as students choose to drop or remain in the course. In most cases you can approach the professor, but for MCHC 1001, 1002, 2001, 2002, the MHC advisors keep track of registration totals so please email your advisor.
- Bursar: The Bursars Office oversees all financial matters, including tuition, fees, payments, and aid. You can find the Bursar in the Enrollment Services Center in the West Quad Building.
- Registrar: The Registrar handles all registration procedures including Course Schedules, Bulletins, graduation status, transcripts, and transfer credits. You can access the Registrar in the Enrollment Services Center in the West Quad Building, and on the third floor of the West Quad.
- Honors Holds: Advisors lift your hold prior to registration, after your advising meeting. If you need to change your schedule, you will need to discuss your plan with your advisor who will then lift your hold.
Joining clubs
Twice a year, Student Affairs hosts Club Fair, and opportunity for clubs to recruit new members, and for you to learn more about the clubs that are active on campus. Club Fair is usually held at the end of September and at the end of February. You can view a full list of clubs at Brooklyn College here. (Not all the clubs listed are currently active; clicking on the club will tell you if they are. Active clubs will have an executive board, mission statement, and a contact link posted.)You may also be interested in becoming involved with Macaulay student groups, like the Triplets, Book Club, or Scholars Council. You can find information about Macaulay groups and activities here,.
Viewing your degree progress
Viewing your degree progress is a helpful way to see the classes that you’ve completed and the classes that you still need to take. Your DegreeWorks Progress Report will show you what requirements you have completed and what you still need to fulfill. Click on this link for more information about degreeworks.
Department vs. Academic Advisors
In college, you will have at least two advisors: your academic advisor, and your departmental (or program) advisor. Since you’re a Macaulay student, you will work with the team of Macaulay advisors at Brooklyn College, in the Honors Academy. They will help you plan out your schedule during the next four years and help with selecting your major(s) and minor(s) to make sure that you’re meeting all academic and co-curricular requirements for graduation on time. They will also assist with your Opportunities Fund Application as well as other program applications in addition to providing referrals and resources.
Your departmental advisor is the one associated with your major. If you have more than one major, you may have multiple advisors. It is a good idea to meet with the departmental advisor at least once each semester, to make sure that you are taking all the necessary classes and completing pre- or corequisites as needed. They will also be able to tell you what courses are going to be offered in the coming semesters, which will help with long-term planning. You can find a list of program advisors , as well as departmental major information, here: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/programs/index.jsp?div=U.
Writing professional emails
Email is one of the primary means of communication between students and professors, and its important to know how to write an appropriate, effective, and professional email. Here are some tips for good email etiquette.
- Use a “professional” (i.e., name-based) email address. You can use your Macaulay or BC email accounts, or sign up for one for free using a service like Gmail.
- Use an appropriate subject title that states what your email is about. If you are writing to one of your professors, include the course number in the subject.
- Use an appropriate greeting. “Dear/Hello Professor [Blank]” is always acceptable.
- Use proper grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. (And proof-read your message before hitting “Send” – especially if you’re writing from a mobile device!)
- End your email appropriately. A “Thanks” or “Thank you” goes a long way.
- Sign your full name. You may also want to include the course name and meeting time below, too.
- For interviewing a professor, you could write:
Dear Professor X,
My Macaulay Honors College advisor has asked that I interview a professor. I would like to speak with you since I am interested in the field of Creative Writing. I called the English Department which informed me your office hours are Tuesday and Thursday, 1-3pm. Might it be possible to meet you on Tuesday, Sept. 9, from 2-3pm?
Thank you,
Sam Doe
Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College
Class of 20xx.
BC Campus resources
- Enrollment Services Center – ID services, tuition and fee payment, recreational passes, etc.
- Health Clinic – free health services for all students
- Honors Academy – 2231 Boylan Hall
- Learning Center – academic and writing tutoring
- Library – research, studying, printing, computer access, etc.
- Magner Center – internships, employment, professional workshops, resume-writing, networking opportunities
- Personal Counseling – free mental health services and workshops
- Office of Scholarships – application for BC scholarships, national scholarships and fellowships, writing personal statements
- Student Activities Central – joining and starting clubs, executive board trainings, student government
- Women’s Center – crisis intervention, advocacy services, resources and referrals relating to women’s issue
- A list of more offices and services at Brooklyn College
Macaulay Campus resources
Student services and resources can be found here.
Macaulay Student Handbook
Students are expected to read and follow the guidelines in the student handbook.
http://macaulay.cuny.edu/community/handbook/
Taking a Gap Year
If you have been granted permission by the MHC director to take a gap year, here is some useful information: MHC Gap Year Info
