New York Spring Accepted Student FAQs

Congratulations and welcome to the CIA family! The first place you should visit is your student portal. It’s a one-stop shop for all required enrollment paperwork and tasks. If you were accepted more than a week ago and have not yet received an e-mail with your login information, please e-mail enrollment@culinary.edu.

Check out our accepted students page for details.

There are several airports within two hours of the CIA. While Stewart is the closest to campus, many students choose to use NYC-area airports because they offer a larger array of flight options, often with fewer connections and at reduced costs. We’ve listed them here in order of proximity to campus:

• Stewart International Airport is the closest airport. It is approximately 45 minutes from campus. Students need to take an Uber or taxi to get to campus; public transportation is not available.
• Westchester County Airport is approximately one hour and 15 minutes from campus. Students would need to take an Uber or taxi to get to campus; public transportation is not available.
• John F. Kennedy International Airport is located in the New York City area. Students can use the Jamaica AirTrain to get to New York Penn Station. From there, students can use Amtrak to get to the Poughkeepsie Train Station—only 3.5 miles from campus.
• LaGuardia Airport is located in the New York City area. There is bus service from the airport to Grand Central Station. From there, students can use Metro-North Railroad to get to the Poughkeepsie Train Station—only 3.5 miles from campus.
• Newark Liberty International Airport is located in New Jersey. There is train service to New York Penn Station. From there, students can use Amtrak to get to the Poughkeepsie Train Station—only 3.5 miles from campus.
• Albany International Airport is located north of campus. Students can use the bus or train to travel from the airport to Albany-Rensselaer Amtrak Station. From there, students can use Amtrak to get to the Poughkeepsie Train Station—only 3.5 miles from campus.

Unfortunately, the CIA is unable to provide transport from airports to campus. If you’re interested in coordinating with other traveling students, we encourage you to engage with your peers in the Admitted Student Facebook Group.

The CIA will begin spring semester classes January 19. Spring semester courses will end Wednesday, April 28. The summer semester will begin Tuesday, May 4. Check out the updated New York Academic Calendar.

Due guidance from state and federal agencies, the CIA has made the difficult decision to cancel all on-campus events. We know you’re disappointed—so are we! But you can explore our campus virtually with our guided video tour, interactive campus map, and more. Check it out.

Take a peek at all of the different housing options and styles of residence halls you will have to choose from! And explore how some current students have decorated their rooms in these Instagram posts: Room Decorating Contest and Current Student Rooms.

Fun fact: famous vlogging channel Hellthy Junk Food came to campus and filmed one of their videos! It includes some fun snapshots of campus!

On top of getting the world’s best culinary education, you will have access to a multitude of services, amenities, and resources! There are ALWAYS activities and events for students to attend. Check them out:

• Academic Advising
• Campus Safety
• CIA Bookstore
• Counseling and psychological services (CAPS)
• Health Services
• International Student Resources
• Learning strategies/disability services
• Sports Team
• Student Activities, Clubs, and Organizations
• Student Commons and The Egg
• Student Financial Planning
• Veteran Resources

Move-in day is Sunday, January 17. Students who plan to quarantine on-campus, to meet the New York State travel advisory requirements, will move-in January 11. We encourage you to keep your travel plans flexible. Your housing assignment will be sent to your CIA e-mail address.

For students arriving by car, one family member will be allowed out of the car to assist with your personal belongings. CIA students and staff will assist you in transporting your belongings to your room. To better manage the risk to our campus community, only students will be allowed into the residence halls.

At the CIA we have a variety of housing options for students. Most first-year students are assigned double rooms that measure 12 x 20 feet. A limited number of triple rooms will be available. All triple rooms include their own bathroom, which creates a “family group” under COVID-19 policy—limiting those students’ contact with others. While a small number of single rooms exist on campus, these are reserved for students with certain medical needs. The CIA also has a very small number of quad rooms that may be used, upon request by roommate groups.

Yes. Whether it’s something you ship from your own home, Amazon, or anywhere else—all you need is your room number. Our mail room has limited storage space, so we ask that you plan the arrival of your packages as close as possible to your move-in date. Ship your packages to:

The Culinary Institute of America
[Your Name]
PO Box NSS20 - Room #[Your Room Number]
1946 Campus Drive
Hyde Park, NY 12538-1499

You need to register your car with this online form. Additional information about policies and parking areas is available in our Student Parking Guide (PDF).

Yes. All CIA students (both incoming and returning) are required to have a flu shot and take a COVID-19 test before returning to campus. In the coming weeks, we will share more details about when this test must be administered and how to report your results. Be sure you’re checking your CIA e-mail (available through your student portal) for the latest information.

You can move in Sunday, January 17.

Currently, no New York State travel restrictions apply to you—however, this could change. We encourage you to monitor the New York State travel advisory page for updates and keep your travel plans flexible.

Current New York State travel guidelines require you to obtain a COVID-19 test within three days of your departure and prior to arrival in New York. Once you arrive in New York, you must quarantine for three days. On day four of your quarantine, you must obtain another COVID-19 test. If both tests come back negative, you may exit quarantine.

While you are not required to quarantine on campus, we encourage you to do so. The CIA will make housing and meals available to you. If you wish to meet these requirements on the CIA campus, you can move in and begin the process Monday, January 11. We will share additional details about reserving your spot soon.

If you choose not to quarantine on campus, you are expected to meet all New York State requirements before arriving to campus for regular move-in Sunday, January 17.

Yes, the CIA will provide all students with masks and face shields, as needed. We will issue students two masks per day. Additional masks will be available for weekend use. There is no additional cost associated with these items.

Yes, students can wear cloth masks, however, they cannot have any logos or insignias on them.

We are implementing a sanitizing program using electrostatic sprayers. The sprayers work by charging the sanitizing liquid as it passes through the sprayer. This generates charged droplets that repel one another and actively adhere to surfaces. The resulting sanitizing mist fully coats all surfaces—top, sides, and bottom. This technology is being used at other local colleges.

In addition to the normal cleaning work—the dormitory lounges, kitchens, corridors, lobbies, stairwells, elevators, doors, waste receptacles, handrails, and common bathrooms will be sprayed down with the electrolyzed sprayers twice a day. This will be done seven days a week.

Common restrooms (including Hudson Hall, academic buildings, library, and Student Commons) will also be wiped down every two hours with sanitizing wipes.

The CIA has long recognized the importance of in-person, hands-on coursework. And our faculty and staff remain committed to providing you with the same exceptional educational experiences—and small class sizes—that have made us the world’s premier culinary college. At least 50% of your first-semester coursework will be delivered in-person, including all laboratory classes. In order to decrease population density, some courses will be delivered online. We believe that this blended approach provides for the best possible outcomes—for both the education and health—of our campus community.

Check out some cool featured courses. If you are looking to dive even deeper, feel free to explore the course catalog for curriculum details.

The CIA will register you for classes and create your first-semester schedule for you! No need to worry about trying to squeeze into classes or schedule your first semester all by yourself. Once you begin classes, you will have an academic advisor that will help you plan your future semesters.

Maximize your financial aid award package. Your enrollment manager and student financial planner will help you learn about your options and understand the process! Check your student portal and CIA e-mail regularly for updates!

Here is personalized information for New York Campus.

There are lots of additional resources on your portal regarding:

• Private Loans and options for financing your education (PDF)
• Setting up a 4-pay payment plan (PDF)

The CIA provides numerous scholarship opportunities. You will need to complete a General Application at CIA $hef, our internal scholarship website ONLY for CIA students! New scholarships are added every few weeks and you’ll be notified at your CIA e-mail address when they match your profile.

We're here to answer any questions you have about your balance or these options. E-mail us at enrollment@culinary.edu or call 845-905-4918.