Prospective Students
Our six-year program progressively prepares students to succeed in their chosen academic and professional careers through summer Exploratory and Immersive stages along with year-round Practice Labs. Through each engagement, students receive introductory courses, mentorship, advising, and a specialized CCL curriculum to “try on” majors and careers, enhance soft skills, and be post-secondary ready.
Eligibility
Students of all backgrounds who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply to the Exploratory Stage:
Students attending home schools, parochial schools, or independent schools with unique circumstances or scholarships are welcome to apply and should note this in the additional information section on the application.
Economically disadvantaged students, first-generation college-going students, and students of color are encouraged to apply.
Important Dates
The Summer 2026 info session was held on February 3, 2026. View the recording here.
Opens: January 15, 2026
Closes: March 31, 2026 @ 11:59 pm
Admissions Notifications: Mid-May 2026
Date: June 30, 2026
Time: 5:00–6:30 pm
Location: NYU Washington Square
Students are required to attend orientation. Families are encouraged to join!
Dates: July 6–31, 2026 (Mon–Fri)
Time: 8:00 am – 2:30 pm
Location: NYU Washington Square
Date: July 31, 2026
Time: 5:00–6:45 pm
Location: NYU Washington Square
All stages and content areas will be celebrated on this date. Students and families are encouraged to join!
The College & Career Lab will run in-person at NYU’s Washington Square campus. The program does not have an online or hybrid option.
Application Information
To be considered for admission you must submit the online application.
Once you start the application, you must finish it in one session. There is no option to save your work and return to the application later. To submit the application seamlessly, prepare the application materials listed below in advance. We estimate it will take around 45 minutes to complete this with the help of an adult.
Applications must be submitted by March 31, 2025 @ 11:59 pm.
Your contact and biographical information
You should submit your application using an email address that you can easily access.
We suggest you use an email address that you are currently using for school-related work. However, most school email addresses block NYU communications, so we encourage you to check your spam folder frequently to avoid missing an important email from us.
If you only have a school email account, we suggest you use a parent or guardian’s email address, or create an additional Gmail account for yourself. Email communications you may receive from the College & Career Lab include:
Short-answer questions
We want to learn more about your current interests and future aspirations, and about how your experiences have shaped those interests. The required short-answer questions listed below are designed to help you communicate these topics.
We highly recommend preparing your responses to the short-answer questions before opening the application. You can do this by typing it out with word-processing software or in an email, then copying and pasting your typed responses into the application page.
If you are having difficulty with a short-answer question, we recommend reaching out to a counselor or teacher at your school. They can help you draft and revise your response before submission.
The short-answer questions are one of the most important parts of the CCL application. Please answer each question as fully as you can to help us have a better understanding of you as a student.
Citizenship information
Your citizenship status does not affect your admission to the College & Career Lab.
Need help?
If you are having problems filling out the application online, please email us so we can assist you.
It is free to apply to and attend the College & Career Lab.
Students must answer all three short-answer questions.
Short-answer question #1 (100–200 words)
CCL encourages students to explore different career paths and areas of study. Tell us about a topic, career, or field that excites your curiosity. Why does this area interest you, and how do you hope to explore it further through CCL’s workshops, courses, or mentoring opportunities? Answer the question fully.
Short-answer question #2 (100–200 words)
CCL students often learn by facing new challenges and stepping outside their comfort zones. Describe a time when you tried something new or faced a challenge that helped you learn more about yourself. What did you discover, and how might that experience help you make the most of your time with CCL? Answer the question fully.
Short-answer question #3 (100–200 words)
The CCL community supports students in exploring college life and preparing for their futures. Why do you believe CCL is the right program for you at this stage in your journey? What do you hope to gain from being part of this community, both now and over the next few years? Answer the question fully.
Additional information about yourself or your circumstances
You are not required to write anything in this section, but you may include additional information if something has particular significance to you. For example, you may use this space if:
If your school name does not appear in the auto-populated section, continue typing until you’ve typed the whole name, then move on to the next question. The school name will save.
Incomplete applications cannot be reviewed. Please click SUBMIT when you’ve finished filling out your application. We don’t know you’ve created an application if you don’t submit!
If you’re having difficulty with any part of the application, please email us for assistance.
Admission to the College & Career Lab does not guarantee admission to New York University or any other university. For more information on how to apply for an undergraduate degree at NYU, visit Undergraduate Admissions.
Thinking about applying?
Learn more about the Exploratory Stage …
Ready to start your application?
Once you start the application, you must finish it in one session.
THERE IS NO OPTION TO SAVE YOUR WORK AND RETURN TO THE APPLICATION LATER.
FAQ for
Prospective Students
No! CCL is a summer and yearlong program, and students who want to maintain their spot in CCL are expected to attend both the summer program and the Saturday Practice Lab sessions, which occur once a month in the Fall (September, October, November) and Spring (January, February, March) semesters.
Students are expected to attend two Practice Labs per semester to maintain their spot in the program. Practice Labs run from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm, and lunch is provided. Learn more about Practice Labs
No, CCL participation does not guarantee admission to NYU. Our goal is to set students up for success no matter where they choose to go after high school, whether a four-year university, a community college, the workforce, or anything else.
Students are admitted to CCL through the Exploratory Stage only. You must be current 7th or 8th graders at the time of application.
The three-week Immersive Stage is open only to rising 10th-grade students through recent high school graduates who have previously participated in the Exploratory Stage.
No, CCL is tailored to students from New York City who attend public school in one of the five boroughs.
Although the program is targeted at students who attend NYC public schools, all applications will be reviewed. If you attend a charter, home, independent or parochial school, but there are extenuating circumstances around your access to college, please describe these in the “additional information” section of the application.
No. CCL will operate in-person this summer and students are required to participate in all days of CCL.
No, students who have an IEP or disability are not reviewed differently from any of the other students. However, we cannot guarantee all accommodations can be made for students. If you are accepted to the program and are in need of accommodations, please inform us, and we will do all we can to support you.
No, CCL does not do rolling admissions. Please take the time you need to complete the application and be mindful of the March 31, 2026 deadline.
Log into the applicant portal with your NetID and password and complete the form linked in the Application Withdrawal Form section. If you have not yet activated your NetID, refer to the instructions in the email you received with the subject line Your NYU ID Numbers and Status Page.
Notifications will be sent out in mid-May 2026.
The daily and weekly schedules and program syllabi will be sent upon your acceptance to CCL.
The College & Career Lab is free for all six years of participation.
The program will be hosted at NYU’s Washington Square or Tandon campus.
Housing is not available for this program.
Yes, CCL works with the NYCDOE to provide all students with MetroCards or OMNY cards. During the program day, we will use chartered buses if necessary to transport students to and from locations away from the main Washington Square campus. All check-ins and dismissals will happen at the main NYU campus in Manhattan, at Washington Square.
Yes. Daily breakfast and lunch are provided in the NYU dining halls or as catered meals (pending public health and NYU guidelines).
Devices are not provided and we strongly advise you not to bring devices to campus for the CCL program.
In the Immersive Stage, some content areas may require the use of a device. If lack of access to a device is a barrier to participating in CCL, please email us for assistance.
Students are expected to be in attendance for the entirety of the program. More than two absences may result in dismissal from the program. If you expect you will be absent for a significant portion of the summer, this program may not be a good fit.
The dress code for the program is “appropriately casual.” Students will meet with faculty and industry professionals throughout the program.
The College & Career Lab is a non-credit program. Students will gain valuable college classroom experience, meet with industry professionals in various fields, and attend field trips around the city, using NYU’s location to the fullest extent and New York City as their campus.
At the conclusion of the program, you will receive a completion certificate and an NYU transcript listing the non-credit offering you took.