Lesson: CUNY Scavenger Hunt
1. Key points/goals of the lesson
 To familiarize the students with the CUNY (City University of New York) system, specifically:
 To be sure students understand that CUNY is a public college/university system
 To introduce them to the map of where various CUNY campuses are located
 To help students understand that CUNYs include 2- and 4- year options
 To help them realize that different campuses are more and less difficult to get in to, and specialize
in different majors/areas of study
 To familiarize them with the costs and financial aid available at CUNYs
2. Background or important vocabulary
 Community college
 Specialize
 SEEK
 Eligibility requirements
 Benefits, requirements
3. Materials
 Envelope of CUNY materials (guidance counselors have these in bulk). Ideally, you would have
enough so that pairs of students can share one, i.e. ½ as many booklets as you have students.
NOTE: The questions below correspond to the 2010-2011 CUNY booklet. You will need to check to
see if materials have changed in subsequent years.
 Copies of the scavenger hunt questions.
4. Instructions for implementing the activity
1) In pairs, have students look through the envelope of CUNY materials (this scavenger hunt is NOT
meant to be used with the CUNY website). As they do, they should search for answers to the
questions on the attached sheet. The first pair to find all of the correct answers wins! (you’ll need to
decide what they win).
2) Go over the answers to the questions (see attached answer sheet). As you do, answer any
questions that come up about the CUNY system (if you don’t know the answer, you can work as a
class to find the answer. It’s possible this will take two class sessions to really discuss all of the
answers.
5. Suggestions for debriefing the activity
 Ask students which of the CUNY campuses seems most interesting/appealing to them and why.
 Ask students if they know people who go or have gone to CUNY, and what they know about its
advantages and disadvantages.
CUNY scavenger hunt
1. What does CUNY stand for?
2. How many different CUNY colleges are there?
3. What is the difference between a four-year college and a community college?
4. How many 4-year colleges does CUNY have? How many community colleges?
5. Name three CUNY colleges in Brooklyn.
6. Name three CUNY colleges in Manhattan.
7. Which college specializes in criminal justice?
8. What are SEEK and College Discovery?
9. As of 2009, what is the tuition for in-state residents at CUNY 4-year colleges? At
community colleges?
10. Which two forms do you need to fill out in order to apply for financial aid at CUNY?
11. Which CUNY college do you think it is the most difficult to be accepted to? Which the
easiest?
12. At how many CUNY colleges can you study nursing? Which ones?
13. At how many CUNY colleges can you study some form of journalism? Which ones?
14. At how many CUNY colleges can you study marketing and management? Which ones?
15. At which CUNY colleges can you study to be a) a doctor or b) a lawyer?
16. What are the benefits of being in the Macauley Honors College?
CUNY scavenger hunt ANSWERS
1. What does CUNY stand for?
City
Univer
sity of
New
York
2. How many different CUNY colleges are there?
23
3. What is the difference between a four-year college and a community college?
The biggest difference is that 4-year colleges grant bachelor’s degrees, while community
colleges grant only Associates degrees.
4. How many 4-year colleges does CUNY have? How many community colleges?
11 four-year
6 community
6 Honors College and Graduate Programs
5. Name three CUNY colleges in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn College
Kingsborough Community College
New York City College of Technology (City Tech)
Medgar Evers
6. Name three CUNY colleges in Manhattan.
Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC)
Hunter College
Baruch College
City College
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
7. Which college specializes in criminal justice?
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
8. What are SEEK and College Discovery?
SEEK (Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge) and CD are “ NY state programs
designed to assist students who are both academically and financially disadvantaged”.
Basically, they recognize that not all students have had access to similar college-going
resources, and seek to help level the playing field for entrance to higher education by
offering help with paying for college, and academic resources to students once they’re
in college.
9. As of 2009, what is the tuition for in-state residents at CUNY 4-year colleges? At
community colleges?
4-year: $4,600
Community: $3,150
10. Which two forms do you need to fill out in order to apply for financial aid at CUNY?
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and TAP (Tuition Assistance Program)
11. Which CUNY college do you think it is the most difficult to be accepted to? Which the
easiest?
Most difficult: Honors Colleges
Easiest: community colleges
12. At how many CUNY colleges can you study nursing? Which ones?
12. All 6 community colleges; College of Staten Island, Hunter, Lehman, Medgar Evers,
City Tech, York.
13. At how many CUNY colleges can you study some form of journalism? Which ones?
5. Baruch, Brooklyn, Lehman, York, Kingsborough CC
14. At how many CUNY colleges can you study marketing and management? Which ones?
7. Baruch, City Tech, York, BMCC, BCC, LaGuardia, KCC
15. At which CUNY colleges can you study to be a) a doctor or b) a lawyer?
CUNY Law School, BA/MD program through SUNY and Brooklyn College; BS/MD
program at Sophie Davis Medical School
16. What are the benefits of being in the Macauley Honors College?
Full tuition paid, free laptop, challenging courses, study abroad and internship
opportunities.