My daughter just got her acceptance through the portal at 4:35 this afternoon. There is no mention of if she received a scholarship, merit aid or if she was accepted into the Honors College. She certainly has the grades for a scholarship so I am concerned that nothing was mentioned in her acceptance letter. This is kind of a safety school, so if she wasn’t offered a scholarship here I am going to start getting nervous about scholarships or acceptances to other schools like SUNY Stonybrook or Binghamton. Maybe this information comes later?
We received an email today letting us know that merit scholarships and honors college awards would start being made late December/January. Son accepted EA last week. Same boat as you!
94 gpa
1430 SAT
A few honors/AP courses
Good ECs
same story wondering why because our daughter has great quals and accepted today with no mention of scholarships or honors programs.
Will they say even if you don’t get one? Does anyone know how we will be informed? By email? Portal? Letter?
My son received a letter in the mail about a scholarship this week. I didn’t see anything in the portal, though.
Hi everyone, SUNY Albany freshman honors student here!
This year (Class of 2024) is only the second year they have done the Presidential Scholarship for honors students. If your children get it, good job! It is prestigious and shows that they worked hard in high school. My award letter automatically told me that I got it (I got my award letter through the portal), but like I said, it is only the 2nd year they have done such a thing so they may be ironing out the kinks a bit. Just so you know, it does NOT go towards tuition. It goes towards room and board, books, etc. If your children are excelsior scholarship recipients, this is a good thing, as it saves you 4,500 (at least mine does) a year for their room and board, which is where the university makes you pay the most money. I have a friend currently in high school who is coming here in the fall who told me that her scholarship letter came days after her acceptance. I don’t know what they are doing for others.
As for the acceptance into the honors college, your children, if they want to get in, will be given an essay prompt. I am not sure exactly when this will be for you, but mine came around March. They can also apply if they don’t automatically get in. I do want to stress to you that the honors college isn’t always a great fit for everyone. The first 2 years you take 18 credits (6 classes) of “honors classes”. Yes, these are smaller, but in my experience (I took 3 last semester), they are not “more challenging” or “harder” than other courses throughout the university. You can find small classes in the university, you just have to know where to find them. All of my classes last semester were under 50 people, including non honors classes. They also offer the same exact classes through the university for the most part, at different times, which will probably be exactly the same and with the same professor. The only classes that are not offered are the “seminars”, which are actually very interesting topics. I am taking one on serial killers in Spring 2020. But these are 1 credit, so ultimately do not affect your child’s credit count or GPA very much. After you get 18 credits of honors classes (some are gen ed, some are not), you have to start preparing for an honors thesis. This is the point where a LOT of people drop out of the honors college. (Look at their Facebook page, you’ll see how many graduate in a semester versus the 150 that come in as freshmen). It’s a lot of work, and if your child is doing a major such as business (as I am), it may seem fruitless to pursue research. It also may interact with your child’s schedule, based on what program they are in. Personally, I am forced to leave the honors college this fall, as I am pursuing 2 majors and a minor, something which requires planning and specific classes to take. If they were to do what I am doing (Double majoring and a minor. I am majoring in Business and Medieval studies, with a minor in history. Weird combo, I know), or even something generally where they do not have time for something like that, then there is no point in joining. Also, I have been told this by EVERYONE: employers care more about your GPA then an “honors notation” on your transcript (is what you ultimately get from the honors college). If your child does not have a passion for researching in their field, I would suggest they seriously consider the commitment it takes. There also is a lot of cliqueyness in the honors college, as I have seen. And, they tell you this, but its not true: the dorms are NOT better. Actually, they are pretty bad. Your child is better off on Indian Quad, the dorms there are much nicer. A lot of people view themselves as “superior”, especially the freshmen. It is something I personally do not like or agree with. If your child does not feel this way, or does not like “drama” or conflict, then maybe think of something else.
Ultimately, the choice is you and your child’s. I am just here to give you what I know and have seen. I hope this helps!
Thank you, this is helpful.
Son recently received an email about the Honors College essays, and this year they are due Feb 1, so not much time!
My husband taught at UA for some time, and said he didn’t notice any difference between Honors and regular, which you seem to have confirmed. Unfortunately, husband feels the classes at UA in general are too easy compared to other colleges, so if the Honors classes are not different, not sure if this will sway his opinion about son attending the school. I know you haven’t been elsewhere, but do you have a sense of the depth of your classwork compared to peers at, say, Binghamton or Stony Brook?
Also, thanks for the info about the scholarship. Son was thinking of living at home, so will have to look at what the scholarship covers and if it will be reduced if he chooses to live at home.
Sounds like Honors College is a good experience if you are thinking of grad school or have a more academic major. If in a more professional major, like Business, it is likely not worth the work for the thesis.
Having hired many people, in all honesty, I would say that your GPA doesn’t make much difference either, except in civil service. Having the skills needed, being flexible, reliable, and able to communicate are most important.
My son applied on 1/12/20. Admitted on 1/14/20. Received two emails. One on 1/20/20 for the Presidential Scholarship and one on 1/21/20 for the Honors College application. He didn’t look at this email until 1/28/20. Teens 
@Dadof2Kids - Ha, ha, ha. My oldest kid always checked her email. Kid #2 is making me pull my hair out. Could you please check at least once a week so you will see messages letting you know if things are missing from your application?
Did your son submit the Honors College essay on 1/12/20 as well? My son submitted his a few days ago and hasn’t heard yet.
Do you think your son will go to UA?
No, on the essay. He probably would have missed all the deadlines if I didn’t sit down with him. I’ll leave it up to him if he wants to do the essay (The answer to this will probably be a no).
He applied to 3 schools. Bing, Alb and Buff. Got into Alb, Buff. Waiting on Bing (I think it’s a reach). Being from downstate, we also wanted him to apply to SB, but it didn’t have his major of interest (and he wants to go away).
Haven’t been to Buff ever. We stopped in to Alb on Mem Day weekend in '19 but the campus was dead. Wife and I did kind of like it, though the 60’s 70’s feel was apparent. I went to RPI, so am familiar with area. We will probably make the long arduous drive to Buff to see if that’s better. Closer to home would probably be best. In the end I’ll let him make the decision. He did get a Presidential Scholarship for Alb. He’s also been hit with the Senioritis bug hard.
I haven’t signed onto my account in a while but I’m glad I came across your reply! Thank you so much for all the information!
My daughter has been accepted to Binghamton, Buffalo, Stony Brook, Albany and New Paltz. She has received presidential scholarships to Albany and New Paltz. Binghamton really is her first choice. She feels like Albany is a big party school and the fact that some of her friends from school that are in the freshman class now are big Partiers doesn’t dissuade her from this. LOL.
Would you say the classes at Albany are challenging? I read another comment on here where the poster’s husband had been a teacher at Albany and said the classes weren’t that hard.
We are trying to figure out the best fit financially and academically. My daughter wants to go to school to be a math teacher. Binghamton has a four and one program where Albany does not. But I didn’t realize that the presidential scholarship could be used toward room and board! That’s awesome. But if Albany is not the right academic fit for my daughter I would do what I can to swing the extra money that we’ll be spending to go to Binghamton without Merit Aid.
Has anyone gotten an interview for the capital region leadership award?
@laxlover293 No. I called admissions on Thursday because we are trying to plan travel to a family event that weekend. They said the invitations for interviews hadn’t gone out yet, but that the interviews would be 15 minutes long, scheduled from 12-4, with an optional reception at 4:30. (Although they said the Selection Committee would be at the reception, so probably worth sticking around for if you can.) The admissions person said they would be calling to schedule interviews, but I don’t know if people will also get emails first.
Hi, my son recently submitted his essay for Albany’s honors college. It is his first choice. I was unaware that there were interviews. Does anyone have any idea, when they are?
@saizer - Sorry for the confusion. NO INTERVIEWS needed for the Honors College. The interviews are for a separate scholarship program that is just for prospective students living in the local UAlbany area.
Thank you for clarifying. Good luck to your son!
@laxlover293 - My son got an invitation for an interview for the Capital Region Leadership Award via email on Tuesday or Wednesday (he rarely opens his email, so not sure of the day.)
@UNYMom What kind of clothes is your son wearing? I’m not sure how formal this interview is…
@laxlover293 - Please do not follow my son’s lead! Despite my pleas, he plans on wearing jeans and a T-shirt because he is coming straight from school. I don’t think you have to be dressed to the nines, but an oxford, polo shirt/“business casual” would be good.
Best of luck to you.
Any one else know about the Academic Distinction Scholarship? This seems to be towards residence hall fees.