SUNY Offers Quick Admissions for Top 10% Students
Ten SUNY campuses, including Stony Brook, now give high-achieving seniors admission decisions within days through the Top 10% Promise program.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in College Applications
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Stony Brook University and nine other SUNY schools make admissions decisions in days for high-achieving students in the Top 10% Promise program. The program expands this year to seniors at all public high schools statewide.
Why it matters
The fast-track process gives eligible students early certainty about college placement during the application season. The statewide expansion extends the option to a far larger group of New York high school seniors.
Eligibility requires ranking in the top 10% of a class and being on track for an Advanced Regents or International Baccalaureate diploma, plus minimum SAT or ACT scores and at least two AP or IB exam scores. Students must choose a specific program after acceptance to complete the application.
The players
Stony Brook University
A public research university in Stony Brook, New York, and part of the State University of New York system.
Kathy Hochul
The Governor of New York who announced the Top 10% Promise pilot in 2024.
The details
Students in the top 10% of their class who meet the diploma, test-score and exam requirements can apply to participating SUNY campuses, including Stony Brook, Binghamton, Buffalo, SUNY ESF, SUNY Polytechnic, Albany, Geneseo, New Paltz, Oneonta and Purchase. If a high school does not rank students, a guidance counselor can certify eligibility, and responses typically come within days.
Timeline
2024: Gov. Kathy Hochul announces the Top 10% pilot in 68 school districts.
Last year: About 200 students enrolled through Stony Brook's pilot.
This year: The program expands to seniors at all public high schools statewide.
Nov. 1: Stony Brook's Simon STEM Honors Program application deadline falls during the timeline.
Culture Shift
The expansion follows the 2024 Top 10% Promise pilot launched by Gov. Kathy Hochul across 68 school districts. It signals a state push to speed college decisions for high-achieving students rather than leaving them to wait through the traditional cycle.
Eligible seniors at public New York high schools can now pursue quick SUNY decisions and plan their fall applications around the fast timeline. Students who want Stony Brook's Simon STEM Honors Program should note its Nov. 1 deadline and weigh it against the Top 10% timeline.
The takeaway
Students who may qualify should confirm their class rank, test scores and AP or IB exam results early, since the program requires them before applying. Counselors at schools that do not rank students can certify eligibility on a student's behalf.
Further reading
For more on the admissions process, see College Applications in New York.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Newsday.
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