Admissions FAQs | Honors College

Does the Honors College have early admission?

The Honors College does not participate in an early admission program. The Honors College notifies students of their decision by April 1. Students who are admitted into the Scholars for Medicine or Scholars for Dental Medicine Programs will be notified in early April.

If I am not admitted to the Honors College will that affect my admission to Stony Brook University?

No. In fact, you cannot be considered for admission to the Honors College until you have been admitted to Stony Brook University.

How many AP courses should I have taken in order to be admitted to the Honors College?

You are expected to have followed and succeeded in a rigorous program of study. We understand that you cannot take courses that your high school does not offer, or that you might not be able to take every AP course offered by your high school. Students who are admitted to the Honors College demonstrate success in a range of courses (AP, IB, college-level) and this serves as a good indicator of probable success in a rigorous academic program in college. Please note that a max of 30 AP credits can be traferred to the university.

Do SAT II test scores matter in Honors College admission?

SAT II Subject test scores provide additional information about the scholastic abilities or applicants. We encourage students to submit SAT II scores if they are available, but these scores are considered in the context of the entire application.

Is it a good idea to take the SAT again to improve my score?

For the SAT, we consider your highest individual critical reading and math scores even if they were received on two different sittings. For the ACT, we only consider your composite score and do not combine individual scores from various test dates. Standardized test scores are only one factor in the admissions process and taking these test a significant number of times can begin to look desperate. Research has shown that after the third attempt most students' SAT/ACT scores begin to plateau. We encourage you to take the tests when you feel you are best prepared.

How is the redesigned SAT affecting the admissions process?

Submission of SAT scores from exams that followed the old format will continue to be accepted. The optional essay section of the redesigned SAT exam will be recommended, but not required. As the redesigned SAT exam has significant differences from the current exam, a numerical score on the redesigned exam may not be equivalent to the same score on the current exam. Therefore, Stony Brook will not combine section scores (super-score) across the current and redesigned SAT. Stony Brook will super-score section scores taken from multiple sittings of the same SAT exam format. Students who take the SAT exam in both in the current and redesigned format are welcomed to submit both sets of scores; these will be reviewed separately.

Can I apply to both WISE and the Honors College?

Yes. You must indicate on your application what your first choice of program is but you can apply to all of our honors programs if you wish.

If I am not admitted to Scholars for Medicine or Scholars for Dental Medicine Program will I still be considered for admission into the Honors College?

Yes. If you are accepted to the university but are not admitted to Scholars for Medicine or Scholars for Dental Medicine and applied to the Honors College, your application will be reviewed for admission into the Honors College.

If I am not admitted to the Honors College can I appeal the decision?

It depends. If you have new information to add to your Honors College application please contact us with your appeal letter at honorscollege@stonybrook.edu. 2021 appeal inquiries will not be accepted after April 15th, 2021.