Who are First-Year Students?
Applying
Required Information
Application Priority Dates
Admission Decisions
Early Decision
Special Talent Admission
Home-Schooled Student Admission
Scholarships
High School Entrance Requirements
Admission Deposit

Who are First-Year Students?

Freshmen or first-year students who have earned fewer than 12 college credits since high school graduation.
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Applying

First-Year candidates must submit:
To apply to SUNY Oswego use The Common Application OR SUNY Application
- Applications are also located at all New York state high school guidance offices.
- Request an application packet from the SUNY Oswego Office of Admissions by calling 315.312.2250 or emailing us
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Required Information

• A completed undergraduate application
• Official high school transcript
• Official SAT (Oswego's code =2543) and/or ACT (Oswego's code =2942) scores.
  -If you have been out of high school at least three years, it is not necessary to submit a test score result.
• For student submitting a SUNY Application: A completed Oswego Supplement to the SUNY Application is required.  This application will be sent electronically upon receipt of your application by the Oswego Office of Admissions.
• A $40 application fee is required by both The Common Application and SUNY Application.
• Students who have registered for college course work must have official transcripts submitted from each college to the Oswego Office of Admissions.
• Students must also submit any other information that is requested by the Oswego Office of Admissions.

Credentials separate from the application should be sent to:
SUNY Oswego
Office of Admissions
229 Sheldon Hall
Oswego, NY  13126-3599
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Application Priority Dates

SUNY Oswego uses recommended filing dates to encourage early submission of applications due to the time needed to complete the Supplemental section of the application.  Freshmen applying for the fall term are encouraged to apply for admission between August 1 and January 15. However, applications received after that date will be considered on a space available basis.

Freshmen applying for the spring term are encouraged to apply for admission by November 15th. However, applications received after that date will be considered on a space available basis.
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Admission Decisions

Admission decisions are based primarily on your high school academic record and the results of college entrance examinations.  The supplemental information you provide is taken into consideration as well. 

• Notifications of fall semester admission decisions begin mid-January and continue on a rolling basis.
• Scholarship decisions will be announced mid-February and continue on a rolling basis.

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Early Decision

An early decision option is available to you as a fall-semester freshman applicant if you have decided that SUNY Oswego is your first choice college and you plan to enroll here if accepted.  You should only select this option if Oswego is your first choice.

To be considered for early decision, all parts of your application for admission must be received by the Oswego Office of Admissions by Nov. 15 and must be marked for early decision.

Notification letters will be sent December 15. If accepted for early decision, your tuition (and housing deposit if appropriate) deposit is due by Jan. 15.
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Special Talent Admission

Recognizing that some students acquire excellence outside their formal academic experience, Oswego admits a percentage of the freshman class on the basis of promise demonstrated by means other than traditional academic criteria.  To be admitted under this supplementary category, students must demonstrate outstanding capabilities in one of the following categories: leadership, specialization in an academic area, creative expression and performing arts, athletic ability; or applicant should be considered because of altered-career orientation and/or unusual circumstances interfering with past performance. Information regarding special talent and/or circumstances should be presented to the Committee on Admission through the Supplemental portion of The Common Application or SUNY Oswego Supplement to the SUNY Application.
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Home-Schooled Student Admission

Students who have been home-schooled will need to submit standardized test scores (SAT or ACT), as well as documented proof of successful completion of the home-school curriculum, local school district records, and in some cases a GED.  Students must also submit any other information that is required by the Oswego Office of Admissions.
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Scholarships

Oswego Presidential and Merit Scholarships will only be offered to students entering in the fall semester. Students who submit a completed application by January 15th for fall will receive full consideration for merit scholarships.

Visit the admissions scholarship page for a complete listing and requirements for all fall freshmen merit scholarships.
For additional questions on helping pay for college, visit our Costs and Financial Aid page.
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High School Entrance Requirements

Candidates for admission must graduate from a secondary school program or present a General Equivalency Diploma. As a freshmen candidate your preparation should include the following:

• English: 4 units
• Social Studies: 4 units
• Mathematics: 3-4 units
• Science: 3-4 units
• Foreign Language: 2-4 units

All applicants are expected to be enrolled in a college preparatory track program.
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Admissions Deposit

If you are planning to enroll at Oswego for the fall semester and wish to reside on campus, you must forward an advance deposit of $200 for tuition and housing ($100 if you will not be living on campus).  This deposit must be postmarked no later than May 1, or the date as directed in the offer of admission, which ever is later.
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