Admission to the Honors Program
Admission requirements are for first-time college students, transfers, current SUNY Orange students, GED holders and 24-Credit Hour students. Applicants who are first-time college students or transfers must follow the regular college admissions process as well as complete the Honors Program Intent form.
Applicants who are current SUNY Orange students, including those presently enrolled in the 24-Credit Hour Program, are required to file an Honors Program Intent Form with the Admissions Office. The Viewbook / Application and the Honors Program Intent form can be found at the Admissions Office or received by calling 845-341-4294 (Honors Program) or 845-341-4030 (Admissions). The Honors Program is open to both full and part-time matriculated students.
All Applicants:
- must take the required College Placement Assessment in English and math and place into Freshman English I. Those who have taken and passed a college-level English class may obtain an Assessment Waiver. Information is available here.
- must provide two letters of recommendation from faculty, counselors, administrators or mentors.
Additionally:
- First time college students must be graduates of a college prep high school program with at least one of the following:
- high school average of 90% at the end of junior year;
- class rank in the top 10% of the class;
- combined SAT score of 1200 (math + verbal) or 1800 (3 parts);
- ACT score of 27.
- Home schooled students and GED holders are welcome to apply to the program. Interested parties should discuss specifics with the Honors Program Coordinator and Admissions to discuss eligibility.
- High school seniors with accumulated college credits:
- Between 1 and 11.5 credits must meet the requirements for first time college students and have attained a cumulative average of 3.5 for completed college courses.
- Twelve or more credits must meet transfer student requirements.
- Transfer Students with 12 or more credits must have a GPA of 3.5 and provide a two to five page typed essay to be evaluated as part of the application.
NOTE: Honors courses taken at other colleges will be accepted toward the SUNY Orange Honors Program, where appropriate, following current transfer course guidelines.
Students may meet an Honors English course requirement with courses previously taken at another college, with a grade of "A" in an appropriate transfer English course or a grade of 4 in Advanced Placement English from high school. Students seeking AP credit must also submit the essay component of the exam for evaluation; however, the Honors Program required credits must be made up with other Honors courses, in consultation with the program Coordinator. To find more information about AP, click here.
Clicking on the link above will take you out of the SUNY Orange Web site. The college cannot be responsible for the content on the pages of this external web site, although the pages linked to here have been reviewed and are recommended by members of the staff of the Honors Program. - Current SUNY Orange Students, including 24 Credit Hour, must have a 3.5 GPA and provide an essay to be evaluated as part of the application.
NOTE: If students have achieved an "A" in SUNY Orange's Freshman English I and/or II, the above noted essay and the Honors English I and/or II requirement will be satisfied. Still, the three or six Honors credits must be made up with other Honors courses, in consultation with the Program Coordinator.
