The Admissions Committee looks for candidates who will benefit from and contribute to the academic, intellectual, and extracurricular life of the College.
We seek students with excellent grades and look favorably on applicants who exceed the minimum number of high school courses required. Honors, advanced, and Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses are strongly encouraged. Your secondary school recommendations are also important. Beyond academic excellence, we look for personal responsibility and integrity and carefully review your talents and background. In particular, we look for students who can participate enthusiastically and constructively in the life of the College.
Application and Admission Procedures
Applications should be filed by November 1 for Early Action, Early Decision 1 and the Leadership in Medicine Program and by January 15 for Early Decision 2, Regular Decision and the 3 + 3 Law Program in the final year in secondary school. The Admissions Committee generally announces its decisions in December March. There is a $60 application fee for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Admitted candidates must reserve their places by paying the $750 admissions deposit on or before May 1. The admitted applicant then becomes a degree candidate entitled to a place in the class with all the rights and privileges of a Union student. Reservations submitted without the deposit are considered incomplete. If the degree candidate withdraws for any reason or is removed from candidacy for the degree before successfully completing three terms at Union, the admissions deposit is retained by the College in consideration of the degree candidate’s placement in the class. After the student successfully completes three terms, if all obligations of the student to the College, financial and otherwise, are satisfied, the deposit may be refunded upon withdrawal (within the specified guidelines), removal, or graduation.
Requirements for Admissions: The Admissions Committee will carefully consider applications from candidates whose preparation is unusual and who, for good reason, do not meet the norms as stated below. Normally, a minimum of 16 units (courses) of secondary school preparation are required for admission. These should include certain fundamentals such as English, mathematics, science, social studies, and a world language including American Sign Language (ASL). The following units are recommended:
For Liberal Arts: Students should have four years of English, at least two years of a world language or ASL, and a minimum of two and one-half years of college preparatory mathematics. Students planning to major in chemistry, physics, and mathematics should have at least three and one-half years of mathematics.
For Engineering: Students planning to complete the engineering curriculum should have elementary and intermediate algebra, geometry, trigonometry, chemistry, physics, and four years of English. Although more advanced mathematics work is not required, it will prove helpful.
For the Leadership in Medicine Program: Students applying for the accelerated B.S./M.S. or M.B.A./M.D. program sponsored by Union College, Clarkson University, and Albany Medical College must present at least four years of English, one year each of biology and chemistry, and at least three years of college preparatory mathematics. A year of physics is recommended but not required. International students are not eligible for the LIM program.
Interviews and Group Information Sessions: Interviews are strongly recommended, and more information can be found at union.edu/interviews. Personal interviews are offered weekdays from June 1 to January 31 for students who will be or are seniors. Transfer students may schedule an interview by emailing admissions@union.edu
Student-guided tours are available in conjunction with group information sessions weekdays and on many Saturdays throughout the year.
School Reports and Recommendations: The secondary school report form, requesting a recommendation from the school counselor and a transcript of the academic record, is part of the Common or Coalition Application. The transcript should include a listing of the courses in progress as well as completed courses. A report of quarter or mid-year grades is required. A letter of recommendation from a secondary school teacher who has taught the student is also expected. The recommendation may be submitted through the Common or Coalition Application or sent directly to the admissions office by the teacher.
College Entrance Examinations: Applicants may submit standardized test scores and choose to have the scores considered with the application. For most applicants, standardized testing is optional. The SAT or the ACT is required for applicants to the Leadership in Medicine program and for the 3+3 Accelerated Law Program. The November test date is the last test date available to applicants for the Leadership in Medicine program. The December test date is the last test date available for the 3+3 Accelerated Law Program. Testing is strongly recommended for foreign nationals residing both in and out of the U.S. for whom English is not a first language; the TOEFL, IELTS, ACT or SAT, or the Duolingo English test may fulfill that requirement.
Early Action: The deadline for early action is November 1. Early action applications are evaluated in the same way as regular decision applications. Students receiving offers of admission in early action may apply to other colleges and will have until May 1 to accept or decline Union’s offer of admission. Early action decisions will be released in mid-to late December.
Early Decision: A significant number of Union’s applicants request early decision. The College recommends this program to all candidates who have decided that Union is their first choice college. Early decision candidates are favored in evaluation. A candidate who wishes to be considered for early decision must check the appropriate space on the application for admission and submit an Early Decision Agreement Form. An early decision application carries with it the commitment that the candidate will enroll if admitted. Regular applications to other colleges may be filed - with the understanding that these will be withdrawn if the candidate is admitted to Union.
Applications and requests for early decision must be received by the College by November 1 for Option I or January 15 for Option II. All other forms and credentials, including the Early Decision Agreement, must also be received by November 15 or January 15, respectively. Early Decision candidates will be notified of the decision by mid-December for Option I and by early February for Option II. Candidates not offered admission under the Early Decision Program may either be deferred to the regular applicant group and reconsidered or denied admission.
Early Admission: In recent years, a number of high school students have expressed an interest in accelerated completion of high school requirements and early admission to the College. The admissions committee will consider candidates for early admission providing that, on the basis of high school achievement, they have demonstrated the potential to do college-level work. Interviews are required of candidates requesting early admission.
Deferral: Union College allows any student who has paid the enrollment deposit to defer entry for one year at a time (gap year) for reasons such as athletes, health, military service, community service, travel and work. The deferral may be renewed for a second year. Requests to defer must be received by July 1 and submitted to the Director of Admissions, Ann Fleming Brown, at browna@union.edu for approval. Students who choose this option commit to attending Union in the year after the gap year. Students also agree not to apply to other colleges during the gap year. Students may take courses at another institution, but must not be fully matriculated. Union accepts up to six AP results, IB results and/or college classes for credit. Applicants for financial aid must submit the updated CSS Profile and FAFSA by January 15 of the gap year. Merit scholarships are guaranteed at the same level for the following year.
International Students
In addition to the application requirements described above, applicants who are citizens of other countries must be proficient in reading, listening, writing, and speaking English as English is the language of instruction at Union. The Admissions Committee requires that all international students (for whom English is not their first language) submit the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS, or Duolingo (DET) examination. The SAT or ACT is also strongly recommended for international applicants. English language proficiency waivers are granted on an individual basis at the discretion of the admissions team. Admissions interviews are recommended for all applicants and required for international students who are from China, and Vietnam. Other applicants may be asked to complete an interview by the Committee of Admissions.
Limited financial aid is available to non-U.S. citizens, and therefore competition for funding is selective. Union expects international applicants to be able to contribute a minimum of $7,500 (USD) each year toward the cost of attending. All aid is determined by the College’s evaluation of a family’s financial contribution. To apply for aid, non-U.S. citizens must submit the CSS Profile and tax returns from their country of residence. If you do not have tax returns, an employment verification letter from each working parent or guardian’s employer may be submitted in lieu of tax returns. Canadian citizens are required to file the CSS PROFILE form with the appropriate agency by January 15. Additional information is available at www.union.edu/financialaid.
Transfer Students
Union welcomes the applications of students wishing to transfer from other two-year and four-year colleges. In making its decisions, the admissions committee considers college work completed and the recommendations of appropriate officials at the college presently attended. Students should arrange for transcripts of all college work, a college report, a secondary school transcript and recommendations to be submitted to the Admissions Office. An interview is recommended, but not required. Transfer students must have completed some college courses within five years to be considered for admission.
Financial aid for transfer students is limited and depends on the economic need of the student. Candidates applying for financial aid must submit the College Scholarship Service’s PROFILE Form and the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Form to their respective processing agencies.
The admissions process for transfer students follows a separate timetable. For admission to the fall term, transfer applicants must submit their completed applications by April 15. For entry into the winter term, the deadline is November 1; while for the spring term, the date is February 1. Applicants are notified of admissions decisions on a rolling basis. Admission for spring and winter terms is on a space available basis only.
Visiting Students
Occasionally, non-matriculated students may wish to attend the Union on a full-time basis. These students are considered visiting students. They may take courses full-time at the College for a maximum of two trimesters, at which time they must apply for transfer admission and be admitted before continuing their studies. The Registrar’s Office is the entry point for Visiting Students. High school students who wish to take a course or courses at Union should inquire about that possibility at the Registrar’s Office.
Admissions Timetable
Application Deadlines:
Regular decision deadline is January 15.
Early action deadline is November 1.
Early decision deadlines are November 1 or January 15.
Leadership in Medicine deadline is November 1.
3+3 Accelerated Law Program deadline is January 15.
Transfer applications should be filed by April 15 for Fall term, November 1 for Winter term, and February 1 for Spring term.
Entrance Examinations: Standardized testing is optional for most applicants. If the candidate submits testing, the SAT or the ACT must be completed by January of the senior year (by November/December for early action/early decision and accelerated programs).
Interviews: Individual interviews are strongly recommended and must be completed no later than two weeks after the application deadline. Register at www.union.edu/interviews.
Financial Aid Applicants: Applicants must file the College Scholarship Service’s PROFILE Form and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with the appropriate agencies. Citizens of other countries file the CSS Profile. Financial aid deadlines are the same as the application deadlines above.
Candidate Reply Date: Accepted candidates reserve places in the first-year class by May 1.
Admissions Office Hours: Weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Selected Saturdays in April and June through November, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Campus Tours: Weekdays from the Admissions Office and on selected Saturdays in April and June through November. www.union.edu/visit
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