How to Get Into Syracuse University: Admissions Stats + Tips

What’s Covered:

• How Hard Is It to Get Into Syracuse?
• Average Academic Profile of Accepted Syracuse University Students
• What is Syracuse University Looking for?
• How to Improve Your Chances of Getting into Syracuse University

For more than a century and a half, Syracuse University has been at the forefront of higher education. It was the first school to grant a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree and has established a sterling reputation for supporting veterans, dating back to World War I. One thing all Syracuse University attendees have in common is a love for (or at least tolerance of) winter weather—Syracuse is consistently among the snowiest cities in the U.S.

How Hard Is It to Get Into Syracuse?

Syracuse is a competitive school to gain admission to. In the 2024–2025 admissions cycle, it received a record-setting number of applications for the fifth consecutive year, with 44,480 applicants. Of those, 20,427 were admitted, resulting in an overall acceptance rate of 46%.

While Syracuse University’s acceptance rate is low, your actual chances of acceptance are tied to the strength of your profile. CollegeVine’s free admissions calculator can help you better understand your odds of getting into Syracuse University. It uses a variety of factors—from grades to test scores to extracurriculars—to estimate your chances of admission and provide tips to improve your profile.

Average Academic Profile of Accepted Syracuse University Students

GPA

Syracuse doesn’t publish the average GPA of students accepted to the university. That said, you can assume that most applicants have strong academic profiles, and according to the university, “academic performance is a significant factor in our admissions decision.”

SAT/ACT

The middle 50% SAT score of students enrolling in the 2024-2025 admissions cycle was 1270-1440. The middle 50% ACT score was 29-32.

Class Rank

Syracuse doesn’t report the average high school class rank of admitted students, but it’s safe to assume that most accepted students graduated at, or near, the top of their class.

What is Syracuse University Looking for?

Academics play a considerable role in admissions decisions at Syracuse. The university is searching for students who are academically talented and prepared for college-level coursework.

You can stand out to Syracuse admissions officials by pursuing intellectual interests and taking high-level coursework. Participating in honors and AP courses demonstrates students’ commitment to making the most of their college experience.

Syracuse is looking for more than just great grades—they want a campus populated by interesting, talented students of high character. They also want students who pursue their passions outside the classroom with the zeal they do in the classroom.

How Syracuse Evaluates Applications

Syracuse doesn’t publish a Common Data Set, which means we can only guess how the factors they use to make admissions decisions.

In general, top-notch schools like Syracuse consider the following factors “very important”:

• Course rigor
• Class rank
• Test scores
• Extracurricular activities
• Essay
• Recommendation letters

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting into Syracuse University

1. Achieve the best possible GPA while taking the most challenging classes available.

Syracuse University attracts strong students, and academic performance is a significant factor in admissions decisions. The first step toward getting into Syracuse is to earn all—or at least mostly all—As.

Schools like Syracuse that receive huge numbers of applications use a tool known as the Academic Index (a distillation of your entire academic performance into a single numerical score) to expedite admissions decisions. If your Academic Index fails to meet Syracuse’s standards, you risk being viewed as unqualified and not having your application seriously reviewed.

If you’re early in your high school career and your GPA is underwhelming, there’s still time to improve it. If you’re a junior or senior, increasing your GPA is more difficult, and the easiest way to raise your Academic Index is to have high test scores.

A superb Academic Index alone isn’t enough to wow admissions officers at Syracuse; you’ll also need to have completed challenging coursework. Applicants to selective schools, such as Syracuse, have commonly completed anywhere from 5–12 AP courses, if not more.

2. Aim for 1440 SAT and 32 ACT.

The middle 50% SAT score for students enrolling at Syracuse in 2024-2025 was 1270-1440, and the middle 50% ACT score was 29-32. The closer you get to the high side of the average middle 50% range, the better your chances of being accepted to Syracuse.

Syracuse is test-optional for students applying in Fall 2026, which means students are not penalized if they choose not to submit standardized test scores. That said, we recommend submitting test scores if they fall within the middle 50% range. Applicants who submit test scores are accepted at higher rates than those who do not submit them. You can get recommendations on whether you should apply test-optional using our free chancing engine.

Syracuse superscores both the SAT and ACT, and taking one of the exams two to three times is a proven strategy to improve your test score—and, consequently, your odds of admission.

These CollegeVine resources can also help improve your SAT/ACT score:

• How to Get a Perfect 1600 Score on the SAT
• How to Get a Perfect 36 Score on the ACT
• More SAT Info and Tips
• More ACT Info and Tips

3. Cultivate a strong portfolio of extracurriculars.

Top-tier schools like Syracuse are as interested in what you do outside of the classroom as what you do inside it. Syracuse reviews your extracurricular activities to see how each illustrates your organizational and leadership skills, as well as your commitment to helping others. Extracurriculars also help highlight your talent, which is something Syracuse admissions uses to make admissions decisions.

A highly developed interest (known as a “spike”) and one or two wow-worthy extracurriculars will make you stand out from a crowded field of applicants at Syracuse. Not every activity outside of the classroom carries the same weight with college admissions officers, though. The four tiers of extracurriculars provide a helpful guide to understanding how colleges value extracurriculars:

• Tier 1 activities are the least common and most interesting to colleges. They demonstrate exceptional accomplishment and leadership and include activities like winning a national competition or honor, earning national recognition in athletics or music, and attending a prestigious merit-based summer program.

• Tier 2 activities demonstrate great achievement and leadership, but are more common than those found in Tier 1. Tier 2 activities include winning a state-level award, earning state-level recognition in athletics or music, or holding a leadership position like student body president.

• Tier 3 extracurriculars are better for showing your interests outside the classroom rather than highlighting any great distinction. Tier 3 activities include winning a regional award, captaining a varsity sports team, playing the lead in the school play, and holding a minor leadership position in a club.

• Tier 4 activities are the least influential and most common extracurriculars. These include playing a sport, participating in a club, general volunteering, and working a job after school.

4. Write engaging essays.

At competitive colleges like Syracuse, nearly every applicant will have an outstanding academic profile and impressive extracurricular activities. One of the best ways you can stand out is to compose a compelling essay.

Syracuse University uses the Common Application and Coalition Application, both of which require crafting a personal essay. In addition, Syracuse requires applicants to compose a short essay (250 words) in response to the following prompt:

Syracuse University is a place that seeks to be welcoming to all, and has been since our founding. Explain why you are interested in Syracuse University and describe a personal experience in which you persevered through adversity, rejected discrimination, learned a lesson, or were inspired by the courageous actions of others, and how you will apply what you learned to our community in a positive way.

To write a winning college essay, write in your unique voice and use your limited space to highlight how you’ll fit at Syracuse and how the college will benefit from you being on campus. Your interest in Syracuse can help you get accepted, so make sure to show the college why you want to attend there.

5. Get great recommendations.

In addition to making their own judgments about you, Syracuse seeks the opinion of others when making admissions decisions. The college requires an evaluation from a counselor and two teacher recommendations to get a “sense of your unique gifts, capabilities, and accomplishments.”

Because Syracuse University highly values recommendations, you must receive persuasive testimonials. More goes into getting a great letter of recommendation than simply asking. Who you ask for a recommendation, when you ask, and how you support your recommendation writer can all affect the type of letter you receive, and ultimately your odds of getting into Syracuse.

The nine rules for requesting letters of recommendation from teachers provide a good guide for navigating the process.

6. Apply Early Action/Early Decision.

Syracuse has three admissions tracks: Early Decision I (ED I), Early Decision II (ED II), and Regular Decision (RD). Applying Early Decision can improve your chances of getting into Syracuse, as it shows the university your deep interest in the university and has a smaller applicant pool, making it easier for your application to stand out.

Early Decision is not without its downsides, however. Most notably, Early Decision is a binding process, and by applying through it, you’re committing to attend Syracuse if accepted.

How to Apply to Syracuse University 

Deadlines

Application Requirements

Syracuse accepts the Common Application and the Coalition Application. Other requirements include:

• High school transcript
• Senior grade report
• Counselor evaluation
• Academic recommendation
• STEM teacher recommendation (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
• Portfolio (School of Architecture; School of Art, School of Design, Department of Film and Media Arts; Department of Drama)
• Audition (Setnor School of Music—for Music Education—and Department of Drama)
• Interview

Optional materials include:

• SAT/ACT scores
• Audition (Setnor School of Music)

Learn more about Syracuse University 

Interested in learning more about Syracuse University? Check out these other informative articles:

• What Does It Cost to Attend Syracuse University?
• What is Syracuse University Known for?
• Top 23 Party Schools in the US: Should You Go to One?

Want to know your chances at Syracuse University? Calculate your chances for free right now.