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Gov. Hochul Launches Initiative to Help NY Students Enroll in Public Colleges, Universities
ESF is one of nine SUNYs participating in new program
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Nov. 1, 2024 – The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is one of nine SUNYs participating in Governor Kathy Hochul’s SUNY Top 10% Promise Program, creating a direct pathway for the highest-achieving New York high school seniors to gain admission and enroll at select SUNY colleges and universities.
Governor Hochul first announced this plan as a part of her 2024 State of the State to help more New York students benefit from SUNY’s unparalleled combination of accessibility, affordability, and academic excellence.
“Access to higher education has the potential to transform New Yorkers' lives and change the trajectory of a student’s life,” Hochul said. “Offering New York students graduating in the top 10 percent of their class direct admission to SUNY campuses will help reduce barriers to higher education while ensuring our students can continue their education and pursue their dreams right here in New York State.”
The Top 10% Promise is a direct-admissions program that automatically grants acceptance to graduating high school students whose GPAs are in the top 10 percent of their class and meet specific academic readiness criteria to at least one selective, world-class SUNY campus. The program will take effect for select high school seniors preparing to enroll for the fall 2025 semester.
“We are thrilled to be part of Governor Hochul’s SUNY Top 10% Promise Program, which aligns with our mission of expanding access to high-quality environmental education,” said ESF President Joanie Mahoney. “This initiative will not only support top-achieving students but also ensure talented young New Yorkers from all backgrounds can pursue their academic passions at ESF.”
Along with ESF, the other participating SUNYs are University at Albany, University at Buffalo SUNY Geneseo, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Purchase College, and Stony Brook University.
“There is a place at SUNY for every New Yorker, and The SUNY Top 10% Promise will make it even easier for our highest-achieving high school students – particularly those from low-income backgrounds – to discover SUNY’s extraordinary value and academic excellence,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. “With thanks to Governor Hochul for her leadership, this new direct admission program will advance educational equity and open the doors to higher education even wider.”
Students in all New York state school districts will be eligible to participate when the SUNY Top 10% Promise is fully in place. In the first year, 68 school districts (and individual charter schools) from across the state were invited to participate based on serving rural, urban, and suburban communities with high levels of adversity or enrolling a significant share of students from low-income backgrounds. The initial participating high schools are representative of the diversity of New York state.
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.