The Honors College expects to enroll approximately 150 students in each graduating class.  Students are admitted during three periods.  Three admissions periods have been created to provide the highest number of outstanding students at UAlbany the chance to become a student in The Honors College.

Incoming First-year Students

Most students are admitted to The Honors College as they enter UAlbany as freshmen.  All students admitted to UAlbany are eligible to apply to The Honors College. The application consists of a short essay and is submitted after a student has been accepted at UAlbany. Specific information about applying to The Honors College will be sent to all Presidential Scholars and Douglass Scholars by the Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Admission After the First Semester of a Student's First Year

Following the fall semester each year, current UAlbany freshmen may apply to become students in The Honors College.  All freshmen will be advised of the opportunity to join The Honors College in the early part of January.  Students with a first-semester GPA of 3.7 or higher will be sent an email encouraging them to consider applying to The Honors College.  Applications will be due during the first or second week of February.

Admissions criteria will include a student's first-semester grades, type of courses taken during the first semester, an essay of approximately 500 words, and extracurricular activities during the student's first semester and last year or two of high school.  Students who have received sanctions for academic integrity issues will not be considered for admission.  Students who have received sanctions for significant behavioral problems will not be considered for admission.

Students admitted during this period will be able to preregister for honors courses offered the following fall and will be able to preregister for all courses at the same time as other honors students.  Students admitted during this period will be able to join honors housing at the beginning of their sophomore year and will be given the same housing priority as other honors students.

Admission at the End of a Student's First Year

Following the end of the spring semester, UAlbany students who have just completed their freshman year may apply to become students in The Honors College.  All freshmen will be advised of the opportunity to join The Honors College in May.  Students with a second-semester GPA of 3.7 or higher will be sent an email encouraging them to consider applying to The Honors College.  Applications will be due during the first or second week of June.

Admissions criteria will include a student's first- and second-semester grades, type of courses taken, an essay of approximately 500 words, and extracurricular activities during the students first year.  Students who have received sanctions for academic integrity issues will not be considered for admission.  Students who have received sanctions for significant behavioral problems will not be considered for admission.

Students admitted during this period will be able to preregister for honors courses that still have openings remaining.  In addition, students admitted during this period will be able to join honors housing in August, once all incoming freshmen have been placed in available honors housing, if any spaces remain.