Academic Requirements & Policies
Course Requirements
Typically, 16 units of secondary school preparation are the minimum required for admission. We look favorably on applicants who exceed the minimum number of courses required; honors, advanced and Advanced Placement courses are strongly encouraged.
The minimum requirements include certain fundamentals such as English, a foreign language, mathematics, social studies and science. If you plan to pursue the engineering curriculum, you should have elementary and intermediate algebra, plane geometry, trigonometry, chemistry, physics and four years of English. Although more advanced mathematics work is not required, it will prove helpful.
If you plan to major in liberal arts, you should have four years of English, two or more years of a foreign language, and at least two and one-half years of college preparatory mathematics. (Potential chemistry, physics and mathematics majors should have three and one-half years of mathematics).
If you plan to apply to the eight-year Leadership in Medicine Program, you must have four years of English; one year each of biology, chemistry, and physics; and four years of college preparatory mathematics.
We will carefully consider applications from students whose preparation is unusual and who, for good reasons, do not meet these required norms.
Advanced Placement
Union participates in the Advanced Placement program of the College Entrance Examination Board. Students who pass examinations taken under this program with a grade of 3 or higher in calculus and 4 or 5 in other subject areas are considered for college course credit and are exempted from any requirement to take the equivalent college courses. Those students must elect a more advanced course if they take work in the department in which credit has been granted. Repetition of work for which credit has been granted will not be permitted.
International Baccalaureate
Union welcomes the International Baccalaureate diploma as a credential for admission and tends to favor successful participants in our admissions process. Credit may be awarded for higher-level examination scores of 5 or better upon approval by the appropriate academic department. The total credit granted will not exceed the equivalent of a full year of Union College course work.
Standardized Test Policy
In 2006, Union dropped its requirement that students submit the SATs or ACT. Candidates indicate on their common application whether or not they would like their scores considered in their application.
Please note, however, that applicants to the eight-year Leadership in Medicine Program are still required to submit the SAT I as well as two SAT II Tests (one mathematics test, and one science test) or the ACT. Applicants to the six-year Law and Public Policy Program must submit either the SAT I and two SAT II tests or the ACT. Applicants for these programs must complete the necessary tests no later than December of their senior year.