FAQs

• Background
  • What is the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program (CAAP)?
    Answer:

    The Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program (CAAP) offers eligible students automatic admission to participating Connecticut Colleges and Universities based on high school grade point average (CAAP GPA) and/or percentile class ranking, both calculated using the College Board’s formula for calculating GPA.

  • When was CAAP established?
    Answer:

    In a June 2021 special session, the Connecticut legislature passed Public Act 21-2, An Act Concerning Provisions Related to Revenue and Other Items to Implement the State Budget for the Biennium Ending June 30, 2023. Sections 257 and 258 set requirements for The Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR) to establish the Connecticut Automatic Admission Program (CAAP) for eligible Connecticut high school students to be automatically admitted to Connecticut’s State Universities: Central Connecticut State University, Eastern Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University, and Western Connecticut State University. The program is also open to other Connecticut post-secondary institutions. The class of 2023 is the first class of students eligible for CAAP

  • What does PA 21-2, which established CAAP, require?
    Answer:

    The law requires the BOR to set a percentile ranking threshold for automatic admission and to provide high schools a formula for calculating grade point average to identify the students who meet the percentile ranking threshold. Students who graduate from an eligible institution and who meet the percentile ranking threshold can complete a simplified application for any of the State Universities and be admitted. Other eligible Connecticut post-secondary institutions, in other words, non-Connecticut State Colleges and Universities institutions, may set alternative measures for automatic admission.

  • Can non-Connecticut State Colleges and Universities participate in CAAP?
    Answer:

    At their option, eligible non-profit private colleges and universities in Connecticut may also participate in the CAAP. In order to participate, such institutions will develop a simplified application that meets the requirements of PA 21-2 which will be made available to students by the BOR along with the applications to the state universities. Non-CSCU participating institutions may select one or more of the following academic thresholds:

    • The minimum class rank percentile established by CSCU – 70th percentile
    • A minimum grade point average calculated with the College Board formula (CAAP GPA)
    • A combination of a minimum grade point average using the College Board formula and performance on a nationally recognized college readiness assessment administered to students enrolled in grade eleven

    If the participating institution decides to implement multiple measures, then a student will be admitted if that student meets any one of the academic thresholds set by that institution.

  • What is the automatic admissions threshold?
    Answer:

    The BOR has set the threshold for percentile ranking at 70, meaning that the top 30% of grade 12 students are eligible to apply for automatic admission under CAAP. The BOR directs high schools to follow the College Board formula for calculating grade point average in order to calculate each student’s percentile ranking solely for the purpose of the CAAP. Districts may continue to use their existing GPA methodologies for all other purposes except the CAAP.

  • Which Connecticut institutions are participating in CAAP and what are the thresholds for automatic admission?
    Answer:

    Participating Institutions	Automatic Admission Threshold
    Central Connecticut State University	70th percentile based on CAAP GPA
    Eastern Connecticut State University	70th percentile based on CAAP GPA
    Southern Connecticut State University	70th percentile based on CAAP GPA
    Western Connecticut State University	70th percentile based on CAAP GPA
    Mitchell College	70th percentile based on CAAP GPA
    University of Bridgeport	70th percentile based on CAAP GPA
    University of New Haven	70th percentile based on CAAP GPA
    University of St Joseph	70th percentile based on CAAP GPA
    Goodwin University	Open Admissions – do not send a letter to a student who is eligible for admission only to Goodwin University. All letters will include information about Goodwin University and the school is included on the Automatic Admission website.
    CT State Community College	Information about admission as well as about the PACT program is included in the letter.

  • Will students who apply under CAAP receive acceptance to specific programs at each institution?
    Answer:

    No. Each eligible student who applies will receive a full admissions acceptance package but students admitted to a participating institution under the CAAP are not guaranteed admission into any specific bachelor’s degree program at such institution.

• CAAP GPA
  • Why is CAAP recommending using the College Board’s non-weighted formula for calculating GPA?
    Answer: The College Board formula is a non-weighted GPA. The GPA listed on a student’s high school transcript might not be what is used by college admissions, since there is a lot of variation in high school grading scales, additional points added for honors, advanced, AP, IB courses. For admissions, many colleges will recalculate student GPA so there is consistency/equity across applicants based on institutional standards and may not include all high school coursework or weights. More information about the College Board’s formula can be found on their website.
  • How should the CAAP GPA be calculated?
    Answer:

    The CAAP GPA should be calculated using the College Board’s formula. Districts should convert the student’s percent grade or letter grade from courses in Grades 9 through 11 to a 4.0 scale by using the College Board’s formula. The percent grade is recommended. However, if the percent grade cannot be used for this calculation due to system challenges, then districts may use the letter grade instead to convert to the 4.0 scale based on the College Board’s formula. If using the letter grade to convert to a 4.0 scale, then use the letter grades awarded (with “+”or “—” if applicable) that correspond to the College Board formula. Note that the College Board formula does not include a D- letter grade, so if the school assigns a grade of D-, then those will need to be treated as E/F for CAAP GPA calculation purposes.

  • How should non-weighted GPA be calculated for students who are repeating Grade 12?
    Answer:

    Schools should calculate the non-weighted GPA based on a student’s grades earned to the end of grade 11.

  • Should schools calculate non-weighted GPA based off of final year grades or individual quarter/exam grades?
    Answer:

    Schools should use the same approach used for its high school GPA calculations for purposes of calculating the CAAP GPA.

  • Should any courses be excluded from calculating GPA for CAAP?
    Answer:

    Only courses with a grade should be included. P/F, incompletes, and withdrawn courses should be excluded.

  • Should transfer credits be included when calculating the CAAP GPA?
    Answer:

    Ultimately, this is a local decision. In general, the CSDE has heard that it will be easier for schools to use the same approach for transfer credits that are used for their regular high school GPA calculations when calculating the CAAP GPA. However, if schools that otherwise don’t include transfer credits for their regular HS GPA now wish to include them just for the purposes of calculating CAAP GPA, then that is their prerogative. 

  • Which grades should be included in the non-weighted GPA calculation?
    Answer:

    Schools should calculate the non-weighted CAAP GPA based on a student’s grades earned to the end of grade 11. If the school includes high school grades earned in middle school as part of its normal high school GPA, then those courses can also be included when calculating CAAP GPA. Conversely, the school excludes high school grades earned in middle school from its regular high school GPA calculations, then those should also be excluded from CAAP GPA calculations.

  • Which courses should be excluded from calculating the CAAP GPA?
    Answer:

    P/F courses, incompletes, and withdrawn courses should be excluded from the CAAP GPA calculations.

  • Which courses should be included in calculating the CAAP GPA?
    Answer:

    When calculating CAAP GPA, schools should include all the courses that they normally would when calculating their regular high school GPA.

  • Is the 70th percentile threshold determined at the district or school level?
    Answer:

    The 70th percentile threshold is determined at the school-level.

  • What rounding/truncating rules should be implemented when calculating the CAAP GPA?
    Answer:

    The district should use the same approach used when calculating its regular high school GPA for calculating the CAAP GPA.

• Communication Required by Schools
  • What is the responsibility of each school around CAAP?
    Answer:

    Each high School is responsible for calculating CAAP GPA following the College Board formula and determining percentile ranking based on that CAAP GPA.

• Eligibility
  • Who is eligible for CAAP?
    Answer:

    • CT High School Senior who resides in Connecticut

    Be a current senior attending a Connecticut public or private high school and planning to graduate in the spring of 2024 and is a resident of Connecticut.

  • Are students who reside out of state but attend schools in Connecticut eligible for CAAP?
    Answer: No. Students must be a permanent resident of Connecticut to be eligible for CAAP.
• Deadline to Apply
  • What is the deadline to apply for the CAAP for the class of 2024?
    Answer:

    There are two eligibility timelines for the class of 2024. Please make sure your information (including your class rank percentile) is entered into your Common Application by October 28, 2024. You will then receive your acceptance letter in early November. If you miss the first deadline, make sure that your information (including your class rank percentile)  is entered by December 31 for the second offer cycle which will issue letters in early January. 

• Automatic Admissions
  • What does automatic admissions mean?
    Answer:

    Automatic admission means that a student who qualifies may choose to complete a simplified, free application for each of the colleges and universities participating in CAAP to which the student qualifies. The student will automatically receive a letter of acceptance and details about financial aid awarded.

  • Do Goodwin University and CT State Community Colleges have different rules of acceptance under CAAP?
    Answer:

    Admission is guaranteed to Goodwin University and to CT State Community Colleges. There is no application fee to apply to CT State Community College and Goodwin University will waive the admission fee to all students who receive the CAAP letter and apply through the CAAP website. If a student chooses to attend CT State Community College, the student is also eligible for PACT, the Pledge to Advance CT, a program that allows Connecticut students to attend tuition free. This funding covers the gap between federal and state grants you receive, and community college tuition and mandatory fees, so students will need to file a FAFSA.  

• Application
  • Is there a separate application that students who qualify for CAAP must complete for each institution?
    Answer:

    This year CAAP is using Common App to facilitate streamlined applications to secure admission to the CSUs or other participating institutions they choose. This application will require verification that the student has met the 70th percentile ranking . The application will not require an application fee or the submission of an essay or letters of recommendation, in addition, links have been provided with institutional profile information including:

    • College admissions and financial aid
    • Net cost of completing a bachelor’s degree
    • Graduation rates
    • Average earnings of for graduates
    • If possible, common majors at the institution
  • Is the application fee waived for students who qualify for CAAP?
    Answer:

    There is no application fee for students who apply under CAAP. 

  • What if a student has already completed the Common App?
    Answer:

    Please verify that the student has added their class rank decile information to the education tab in Common App. If they have done so, they will be included in the eligibility pool.

  • What if the student does not meet the qualifications?
    Answer:

    If a student does not meet the requirements for automatic admission to one or more of the participating Connecticut Colleges and Universities, a student may still complete a regular application for admission to those schools, but admission will not be guaranteed.

  • If students have already paid an application fee and are now eligible for CAAP, can they get a refund for the application fee?
    Answer:

    Yes. For students that have already applied to a participating institution and paid an application fee and subsequently find out that they are eligible for CAAP, please contact the institution to request a refund of that application fee.

• Financial Aid
  • Does the student need to apply for federal or other financial aid?
    Answer: To be eligible for federal and other kinds of financial aid, the student will need to file a FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The deadline for completing the FAFSA is June 30, 2024, but students are encouraged to apply before the Connecticut deadline, which is February 15, 2024. There are two Connecticut resources, the FAFSA Family Guide and the Virtual FAFSA Completion Sessions.
• Contacts
  • Where can I get more information about CAAP?
    Answer:

    Please visit the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program (CAAP) webpage for details about CAAP and for links to the free applications for the schools and contact information for each school. Please email CSCU-CAAP@ct.edu with any questions.

    For specific questions around CAAP resources for schools and districts, contact SDE.AutoAdmit@ct.gov.