Fall 2025 Letter to Counselors

A Message from Admissions

Dear School Counselor Colleagues,

I wish you a warm welcome from Union College and the “Electric City,” Schenectady, NY!

While I began my time here nearly a year ago, this is my first experience with the start of Union’s academic year. I feel as though I should be holding up a first day of school sign, social media style, with a lunchbox and backpack in hand. Like those photos, the new academic year at Union marks a time of exciting change. With any period of change, there’s a comfort in looking over our shoulder, but we move forward to the bright future waiting in front of us.

When you read this, we will have welcomed 465 new first-year and transfer students to campus. They come from nearly 20 countries and 32 states, including D.C. and Puerto Rico. Their orientation included the opportunity to get acclimated to their new home on campus, and also to the surrounding community and region. New this year, our orientation featured a “Shared Experiences Day,” where groups of students participated in 16 different small-group experiences, such as hiking in the Adirondacks (our new president joined in on this one!), seeing Hamilton on Broadway, taking part in an Upstate Food Tour, and exploring Schenectady. It is wonderful to see them build relationships and make connections that embody the spirit of the Union community.

The 2025-2026 academic year at Union College begins with much to look forward to.

On July 1, we welcomed our 20th president, Dr. Elizabeth Kiss. President Kiss joins us from the Rhodes Trust in Oxford, U.K., where she served as CEO. Prior to that, she was president of Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, Ga.
With public and private partners in the greater Schenectady area, we opened our new $55 million M&T Bank Center, home of Union’s Division I men's and women’s ice hockey teams. This facility is part of the revitalization of Schenectady’s Mohawk Harbor development and will also be used for a variety of regional events, such as concerts and trade shows.
This summer, Union started construction on a new $60 million engineering facility that will enhance academic and research opportunities and boost our consistent ranking of “Best Science Lab Facilities,” as ranked by The Princeton Review (we’re currently #2 in the country).
We have added four new minors: Mental Health Care, Civil Engineering, Climate Change Studies, and Musical Theater and Vocal Performance. With these additions, we now offer 70 different areas of academic study.
Starting this year and moving forward, first-year students are now allowed to park on campus.

There are also some updates for the upcoming Union College admissions cycle.

Our school counselor resource webpage has undergone a refresh, including a new “Connect with your Territory Dean" feature to search for your admissions rep by high school: www.union.edu/admissions/school-counselors
For the fall 2025 application cycle, we have eliminated the application fee for all applicants, in all application rounds.
We have increased our merit scholarship awards, with particular focus on Early Decision and Early Action. (Note that 30% of our Class of 2029 applied ED.)
We have added a short answer question (200 words or less) for applicants to our Leadership in Medicine (LIM) BS/MBA/MD program asking about their interest in the program and in Union.
There are no additional short answer or supplement essay requirements, but we will be sending all applicants an optional Applicant Research Questionnaire to share their interest in undergraduate research and, if applicable, provide us with their AP Capstone or IB Extended Essay topics. Research is a hallmark of the Union curriculum and we are eager to learn about ways in which our applicants are looking forward to getting involved.

A former VP of mine and a giant in the admissions field, the late Bill Elliott, often said: “We are in the business of finding new ways to do old jobs.” I think about that saying often as I, along with colleagues like you, navigate the challenges facing higher education.

My morning routine of opening Inside Higher Ed or the Chronicle each day brings equal parts trepidation, frustration and cringeworthy moments. But I find comfort in knowing that the job of helping students realize their educational and career dreams, and ensuring our institutions are places that flourish with independent, creative, and questioning thought—all done within a profession of truly remarkable individuals—truly makes a difference.

As you begin the new school year, we in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at Union College thank you for all you do for your students, and we value your partnership with us. The admissions team and I look forward to the opportunity to connect with you in the coming year—whether in person, through a virtual session, or here on campus for one of our future counselor programs. You are always welcome here.

I hope you have a fantastic year ahead!

Best,