Course Placement
Students who begin their college careers at New Paltz are placed into composition, critical thinking, mathematics and foreign language based on their preparation in high school and tests taken during orientation.
Composition/Critical Thinking
First year students complete a writing assessment during orientation. The assessment determines which section of composition is appropriate for them (Honors English, Composition, Composition for English as a Second Language Students (ESL), Composition with a Supplemental Writing Workshop (SWW), or Composition SWW-ESL). Students who still need to develop the ability to analyze arguments made in academic texts, or to make their own arguments, will also be placed into a Critical Thinking course which will help them develop these skills. All students, unless they are bringing in college credit for Composition, whether through Advanced Placement or transfer credit, must take this assessment.
Mathematics
Entering students are given a Math Placement Level (MPL) based on their high school record (if freshmen) or college record (if transfers). All courses in the GEIII Math category require a minimum MPL of 3. Students who are assigned an MPL lower than 3 have several options: consult with the Math Placement Specialist at orientation to see if the level can be raised based on work completed after acceptance; take a course at New Paltz to raise the level; take a Math placement exam. Math placement exams are given by the Math department at the beginning of each semester. Sample exam questions may be obtained from the Math department web site, www.newpaltz.edu/math. The dates and times of the placement exams can also be found on the web site.
- Students with three years of a language in high school, who scored more than 80% for a final grade in the final course and/or more than 80 on the NYS Regents exam, and did so within the last three years MUST continue with Intermediate 1 (201) in that language if they are going to use that language to meet the Foreign Language Requirement at New Paltz. One course at the Intermediate or Advanced level meets the general education requirement.
- Students who scored less than 80% for a final grade in the final course and/or less than 80 on the NYS Regents exam, and did so within the last three years, MAY step down one level to Elementary 2 (102) in that language if they are going to use that language to meet the Foreign Language Requirement at New Paltz; students must complete both Elementary 2 and Intermediate 1 to complete the requirement, because students beginning in the elementary level of a language are required to take two courses.
- Students who completed their last foreign language course within the last four years MAY step down one level to Elementary 2 (102) in that language if they are going to use that language to meet the Foreign Language Requirement at New Paltz; students must complete both Elementary 2 and Intermediate 1 to complete the requirement, because students beginning in the elementary level of a language are required to take two courses.
- Students who scored less than 80% for a final grade in the final course and/or less than 80 on the NYS Regents exam, and did so over four years ago MAY step down two levels to Elementary 1 (101) in that language if they are going to use that language to meet the Foreign Language Requirement at New Paltz; students must complete both Elementary 1 and Elementary 2 to complete the requirement, because students beginning in the elementary level of a language are required to take two courses.
- Students who have college credit for Elementary 1 and Elementary 2, Elementary 2 and Intermediate 1, or Intermediate 1 or higher in a language will have the Foreign Language Requirement met at New Paltz, if they have their official college transcripts or AP or IB exam scores sent to the Office of Admissions by the mid-point of their first semester at New Paltz.
- Students who have college credit for Elementary 1 must continue on to Elementary 2 to complete the Foreign Language Requirement at New Paltz; students who have college credit for Elementary 2 must continue on to Intermediate 1 to complete the Foreign Language Requirement. Students must have their official college transcripts or AP or IB exam scores sent to the Office of Admissions by the mid-point of their first semester at New Paltz to receive credit for the previous college work and have that work contribute to meeting their Foreign Language Requirement at New Paltz.
- Transfer students who have waivers may apply them to the second course required to meet the Foreign Language Requirement. That is, all transfers students must complete at least one course in a foreign language to meet the Foreign Language Requirement at New Paltz, but they may apply a waiver if they have one to the second course that is required to meet the requirement.
- Students may begin a new language to meet the Foreign Language Requirement at New Paltz. Students without prior experience in a language begin in the Elementary 1 (101) level of that language; students must complete both Elementary 1 and Elementary 2 to complete the requirement, because students beginning in the elementary level of a language are required to take two courses.
- Foreign Language exams in Spanish, French and German will be offered during Freshmen Orientation for students who wish to place higher than the placement guidelines described here.
