To be accepted for admission and matriculation into a certificate, diploma, or degree program, the applicant must meet the following standards:
General Admissions Requirements
A.O.S. Degree Programs in Accounting, Business Management, Homeland Security and Security Management, and Office Technology with Medical Office; Medical Billing and Insurance, and Office Technology Diploma Programs
- Demonstrate an understanding and interest in a program of study through an admissions interview
- High School Diploma or GED (see Ability-to-Benefit requirements for students without a United States high school diploma or GED)
- United States high school graduates can be exempted from remedial coursework
Court Reporting Program
- Demonstrate an understanding and interest in a program of study through an admissions interview
- H.S. Diploma or GED (ATB students are not accepted into the Court Reporting Program)
- COMPASS Exam Reading Placement (Minimum 72), Writing Placement (Minimum 40) and Pre-algebra/numerical (Minimum 27).
- Students scoring between 35 and 39 on the COMPASS Exam Writing Placement will be placed in ENG001 Developmental English
- Students that graduated with a U.S. high school diploma can be exempted from the COMPASS Exam if they score 4 for the essay and 500 for the reading on the SAT
Commack Admissions Committee
The Commack Admissions Committee is comprised of court reporting Faculty members who are seasoned court reporters. The Committee will meet with select candidates for the program and assure that there are no obstacles preventing them from successfully completing the program. They will further explain the discipline needed to complete the academic courses as well as the amount of time that must be dedicated to the practice of machine shorthand. The committee is charged with identifying future academic course of actions, advisement, or retesting if necessary. The committee also handles appeals from students that have exceeded Maximum Time Frame and wish to continue in the program.
ATB/Foreign High School Graduates Requirements
- Students entering LIBI without a United States high school diploma must meet the minimum requirements of the COMPASS Exam and/or CELSA exam. Foreign language students must meet the minimum requirement of CELSA exam (97, scaled) and the Pre-algebra/Numerical section of the COMPASS exam (25). If a student meets the requirements of the COMPASS exam in the sections of Reading Placement (62), Writing Placement (32), and Pre-algebra/Numerical (25), the student will be exempted from non-credit remedial coursework.
- Non-high-school graduates are tested by an independent proctor inclusive of all LIBI programs.
- International applicants with a score of 450 (or equivalent) on the TOEFL Exam may be exempted from the COMPASS Exam.
- Students who do not have a United States high school diploma and apply to enroll in the Commack campus must take the COMPASS Exam at the Flushing campus in Queens.
- LIBI limits seats for students who have not completed high school but who demonstrate the "ability to benefit" from the education programs. Applicants competing for these enrollment openings and meeting all other “Ability to Benefit” (ATB) requirements, must submit an admissions essay for assessing motivation and interest. “Ability to Benefit" students are only admitted at the Flushing campus.
- ATB students must complete a special course distribution requirement to qualify for a college diploma. This distribution requirement enables the student to receive both a high school equivalency diploma (GED) and a college degree. Additional courses may be required in some programs. ATB students are responsible for the associated costs of these courses.
- GED special course distribution based on earned college credits:
- Mathematics (3 credits)
- Language arts (6 credits)
- Humanities (3 credits)
- Natural science (3 credits)
- Social science (3 credits)
- Business/technical (6 credits)
Please consult your Assigned Academic Advisor or Registrar’s Office to confirm the courses that meet these requirements and the expected date of graduation.
Placement Exams
COMPASS exam and/or CELSA exam are used for remedial coursework placement purpose. Applicants who have taken college level English and Mathematics and earned grades of B- or above may be exempted from placement exams. Official college transcript of prior coursework must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office for consideration of exemption.
Placement Guidelines for Foreign Language Speakers
A.O.S. Degree Programs in Accounting, Business Management, and Office Technology with Medical Office; and Office Technology Diploma Programs with ESL Intermediate or Advanced Admissions Requirements
- CELSA Exam
ESL Intermediate
Version 1 or 2 – Score within the range of 97-101 (scaled) score
ESL Advanced
Version 1 or 2 – Score 102 or above (scaled) score
- Essay – must score 12 or above to be admitted to the program
- Verbal Exam – must score 31 or above
Admission to the ESL Certificate Program
English as a Second Language is a continuing education program leading to a certificate. The program is intended for recent immigrants with employable skills and whose English language deficiency is the primary reason for not being able to be hired for work in the field. A graded series of courses takes the student from a basic beginner level to an advanced intermediate level, with an emphasis on survival skills and workplace language capabilities. The program is both intensive and extensive (covering all skill areas: speaking, listening, reading, and writing) taking advantage of integration of multiple modalities.
ESL Certificate Admissions Requirements
- H.S. Diploma or GED
Prior work experience or verifiable job skills
- CELSA Exam
ESL Certificate LEVEL 1
CELSA Exam
Version 1 or 2 – Score within the range of 90-95 (scaled) score
ESL Certificate LEVEL 2
CELSA Exam
Version 1 or 2 – Score within the range of 96-101 (scaled) score
Non-High School Graduates
- Prior work experience or verifiable job skills
- CELSA Exam
Version 1 or 2 – Score within the range of 96-101 (scaled) score