ASAP Requirements
How often does an ASAP student have to meet with their advisor?
Every month! You can choose in person, over zoom, or telephone appointments.
For how many semesters can a student remain in ASAP?
Six semesters (three years) if you are still pursuing your Associate degree.
You will graduate from ASAP as soon as you complete the Associate, whether that takes 4 or 5 or 6 semesters. You must be full-time (12 or more credits) every semester except your last.
You are confused about your schedule during the first week and you miss a class. Who should you contact and how?
First, you should email your professor from your City Tech email account. You can find all faculty/staff email addresses in the directory on the City Tech website. Make sure to include your EMPLID in all emails!
Second, you should email your ASAP advisor from your City Tech email account to let them know, or to ask for help if you can't find the professor's info or have other questions related to the class time/location.
Which two financial aid applications are you expected to complete?
FAFSA and TAP
Some students are unable to complete the FAFSA due to citizenship status, but they are still able to complete the TAP application through the NY State DREAM Act portal.
If you choose not to apply for any financial aid, you will be required to pay tuition and fees out of pocket and you will not be eligible for an ASAP tuition waiver or book stipend.
When will your OMNYcard start working?
The first day of the semester (1/26).
Your card can be deactivated if you aren't attending advising appointments or seminars or any required tutoring. All cards are deactivated during winter and summer breaks and then reactivated at the start of the next semester.
In the first semester, every ASAP student has to attend something other than advising appointments. What's the one other thing they have to attend?
ASAP 101 Seminar (on your CUNYfirst schedule, it's called "Workshop").
The seminar will meet eight times this semester and you are required to attend all eight. Your advisor will give you a list of the eight dates during your first session.
What's the name of the program for ASAP graduates who are remaining at City Tech for their Bachelors degrees?
ACE. You will have the opportunity to apply to ACE during your last semester in ASAP. (Unless something changes in how the programs are run!)
When should you start looking at your courses in Brightspace?
BEFORE the first day of school, you should check Brightspace and email for any announcements from professors. If there's nothing posted, and it's an in person class, just show up to the classroom at the class time.
Read the syllabus for each class once it's posted. Make sure you know the professor's contact info and office hours.
Once the semester starts, you should look at Brightspace every day (you can get rid of email notifications as long as you're doing this).
How much money will you receive from ASAP to put toward books and supplies?
$250 will come to you either by direct deposit (if you signed up in CUNYfirst) or by check in the mail.
You won't receive your book stipend until your FAFSA has been submitted. (Or TAP if you are only able to apply for TAP).
Other than your advisor, you have access to an ASAP staff member who can support you specifically around career readiness. What is her title?
ASAP Career Specialist, Peri Sharpe
Peri hosts workshops on topics like resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and internship searches. You aren't required to attend career workshops or meet with her this semester. But in future ASAP semesters, you will be required to see her.
When is your first seminar session?
The second week of the semester (2/2-2/5)
Where is the ASAP office located on campus?
Pearl 505
Pearl building is connected to the Namm, General, and Library buildings- enter Namm and walk through the Library building to get to Pearl.
The office is open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, except on holidays. Please don't expect anyone to respond to emails or calls outside of those hours.
You only have a smart phone and no other device. What should you do?
You should NOT ATTEND COLLEGE ON A PHONE. You will absolutely need to use a computer or tablet of some kind if you are going to successfully complete assignments and study.
The college has first-come-first-served device loans at the beginning of every semester for laptops and tablets and hotspots. The college also has multiple computer labs. Every public library has computers and wifi. You can also use any CUNY library in the entire university system.
If an ASAP student is having a question about financial aid, who should they contact?
The ASAP Financial Aid Specialist, Claribel Martinez-Sullivan.
You can go to the general financial aid office, but having Claribel is like having access to a VIP service. It makes sense to use her!
Which students benefit from tutoring?
ALL students! Unless you literally get a 100 on every test and assignment, you can benefit from tutoring and should try it out.
You have access to 24/7 free online tutoring inside Brightspace, through tutor.com.
This campus also has Atrium Learning Center tutoring, department tutoring, and ASAP/ACE tutoring.
Why would an ASAP student be required to attend tutoring?
We require math tutoring for any student who is retaking math, whether they failed or withdrew. Those students must attend at least two tutoring sessions per month.
What's something an ASAP student MUST discuss with their advisor?
Whether to withdraw from a class, making any schedule changes, changing majors
We hope you'll talk to us about lots of other things, too!
You need a textbook for an assignment but you don't have money for it right now. Name something you can do.
1. You can go to the library and see if they have the textbook "on reserve."
2. You can ask a classmate if you can borrow/share theirs.
3. You can ask your advisor if they know of any resources to help you.
4. You can ask your professor for an extension (before the deadline!).
A high school student might just give up and not do the assignment. A successful college student would try every single one of these things until they find a solution.
Who is eligible for an ASAP tuition waiver?
Students who receive Pell or TAP grants, but still have a balance. If you receive any grant money, but it doesn't fully cover the cost of tuition, ASAP pays the rest!
If your Pell/TAP grants cover the full cost of tuition and fees, you won't get a tuition waiver. If you don't receive any grant money, you also won't get a tuition waiver.
ASAP sometimes offers waivers for summer and winter classes, but those would need to be approved by your advisor.
How could you meet other ASAP students?
Through ASAP special events! We host at least two student engagement events every semester, with food and fun activities.
We also have lots of optional workshops and activities, ASAP tutoring, and of course your required seminar where you will meet other new ASAP students.
What is something an ASAP student must do every day?
Check their City Tech email!
We will not email you at any personal email addresses. We primarily communicate via email and it's extremely important that you read and respond to our emails.
What is an ASAP hold?
You all have a hold in CUNYfirst that prevents you from dropping or adding any classes independently- your advisor can remove that hold once you speak to them about making a change.
Keep in mind that classes can't be swapped or added after the first week of the semester.
What's the most important skill for a college freshman to build?
The professional skill of asking for help.
Asking for help is a PROFESSIONAL SKILL. All successful adults are able to ask for help and do so frequently. The idea that you must do something "on your own" comes from a misguided sense of pride and will become a barrier to your success.
Where can you check to see whether you have any financial aid tasks?
In your CUNYfirst student center, you have a Tasks and Holds box. When you click on this, you can see if you still need to submit any applications, or whether you have outstanding verification items or TAP questions.
Many students have to submit additional information and documents after they apply. That process is called "verification."
What's the most valuable ASAP benefit, more valuable than the OMNYcard or the book stipend?
Early registration!
ASAP students get to make their schedules before most other City Tech students, which means they can pick the best times and they don't get locked out of required courses. This is the most valuable because getting locked out of a course could cause you to spend an extra semester in school (which is the equivalent of $3,665).