SUNY Top 10% Promise program expanded statewide

Stony Brook University and nine other SUNY schools are making admissions decisions in days — not months — for high-achieving students who take part in a newly expanded statewide program called the Top 10% Promise.

For qualifying 12th graders who rank in the top 10% of their class and meet other academic criteria, the program offers quick decisions about admission to 10 State University of New York institutions. The program, initially offered in 68 school districts in a pilot program announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2024, is expanding this year to include seniors at all public high schools statewide, according to SUNY.

In addition to Stony Brook, the program includes Binghamton University, the University at Buffalo, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNY Polytechnic and campuses in Albany, Geneseo, New Paltz, Oneonta and Purchase.

"It's truly a great way for us to connect with high-achieving students," said Mark Cortez, executive director of admissions at Stony Brook. About 200 students enrolled through the Top 10% pilot program at Stony Brook last year, he said.

In addition to ranking in the top 10% of their class, students also must be on track to receive an Advanced Regents or International Baccalaureate diploma and earn certain minimum scores on the SAT or ACT standardized tests, as well as on at least two Advanced Placement or IB exams, according to SUNY.

If a high school does not rank students, a guidance counselor can certify eligibility.

Students should submit applications to the SUNY system as soon as possible, since some programs could fill up, according to SUNY. Responses typically come within days, the university system said.

Once accepted, students must choose their specific program to complete the application, according to SUNY. If they do not do that in time, their program of choice could become full, SUNY said.

Not best for all

The new admissions program is not necessarily the right option for all students, some educators said. For instance, certain SUNY programs, such as Stony Brook’s Simon STEM Honors Program, have Nov. 1 deadlines that could conflict with the Top 10% timeline, which requires review by high school and college officials.

"The concept itself is good," said Jessica Kane, a college counselor at Uniondale High School.

But, she said, if a student is determined to attend a particular program, it isn’t always clear from the start of the Top 10% application process whether that program is actually open.

Plus, she said, students might not realize they are required to choose their program after being accepted to complete the application.

"That's another step," Kane said. "If they don't do that, they will not get into that school."

In some cases, students are better off applying through the early or regular admissions process to their program of choice, she said.

Across the country, the number of schools offering direct admissions has increased, with 234 participating this year, according to the Common App, a college admissions platform.

Like SUNY, a growing number of public and private colleges and universities have offered direct admission to students who meet the institutions’ standards over the past 10 years, said Taylor Odle, an assistant professor of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Such programs can boost applications and, in some cases, lead to enrollment increases, Odle said. But for students who are economically disadvantaged, members of racial minority groups or first-generation college students, direct admission does not address the financial and other barriers to attending college, he said.

For some students, direct admission can make college applications feel a bit less stressful, said Eleanora Ferrante, a college and career counselor in South Huntington.

"It gives them a sense of confidence," she said. "They're like, ‘oh, somebody wants me. I know I can go to college.’ ”