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Top 10% Promise
Beginning with the high school graduating class of 2027, the Top 10% program has been expanded to every high school in New York State. For the past two years, through the direction of Governor Hochul, SUNY has been offering this direct admission program to expand college access to top-performing students.
A quick look at Top 10% Promise
- SUNY will directly admit the top 10% of students from your school who meet the academic preparedness criteria.
- Ten selective and unique SUNY campuses participate. All eligible students will be accepted to at least one.
- There is no application fee for qualifying Top 10% Promise applicants.
- Students will be asked to opt-in on the SUNY application by answering "yes" to the question "Are you an eligible student interested in SUNY’s Top 10% Promise program?"
- High Schools will confirm student eligibility and provide a transcript through SUNY Application Manager (www.suny.edu/counselor).
- New York City public schools will have transcripts automatically transmitted through the current agreement with SUNY and will not have to be uploaded.
- Once a student is confirmed eligible, SUNY will inform them to which of the ten participating campuses they have been directly admitted in their applySUNY portal home.
Eligibility
Students must be in the top 10% of their high school class AND at least one of the following:
- On track to graduate with an Advanced Regents diploma OR an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma
OR
- On track to graduate with a Regents diploma OR private school diploma that meets the required Regents distribution of courses AND have achieved at least one of the following:
- SAT combined score of 1100 or higher (reading and math)
- ACT composite score of 23 or higher
- Two AP exams scores of 3 or greater in English, History, Math or Science
- Two IB exams scores of 5 or greater in English, History, Math or Science
Which campuses are part of the Top 10% Promise?
Participating campuses include:
How do I identify students in the top 10% at my school?
We ask that high schools determine the top 10% of graduating seniors.
Should the student apply to a campus if they are not admitted to through the Top 10% Promise?
No. If a student is not admitted to one of the ten campuses through the Top 10% direct admission program they should not apply again. They are given full admission consideration through this program.
Can students apply to campuses not included in the ten participating in this program?
Yes! Students are able to apply to additional campuses through the traditional application and review processes.
Can students opt-in to Top 10% Promise through the Common Application?
No. Students should use the applySUNY application if they are interested in this program.
What if the program of study my student is interested in is not listed as an option?
After acceptance to the campus, the student will be asked to select the major they are interested in. If the major they are interested in does not appear in the list as an option, the student has not met the academic criteria to be admitted to that major.
What if the program the student is interested in has special admission requirements like an audition or portfolio?
Some majors may require additional steps. If the student selects one of those majors, we will inform them that additional steps are required. The campus will then follow up directly with the student.
What if the student is interested in a SUNY campus that is not included in the ten listed here?
Students are able to apply to additional campuses through the traditional application and review processes.
