Seniors at 68 high schools — including Green Island, Lansingburgh, Schenectady — are part of a pilot program to serve New York's academic achievers.

Currently, only 39 school districts in the state have accepted invitations to participate, and just one of them is on Long Island. Nine colleges and universities are participating.

Nine SUNY campuses and dozens of public school districts and charter schools are participating in the newly launched program.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced the launch of the SUNY Top 10% Promise Program, allowing the highest-achieving New York high school seniors to gain automatic admission to select SUNY colleges and universities.

Three regional SUNY campuses are among the nine initial schools participating in the state’s launch of a program to help the

Through the new SUNY Top 10% Promise Program, graduating high school seniors who meet specific academic readiness criteria and have grade point averages in the top 10% of their class will be accepted to at least one State University of New York campus.

The direct-admissions program will begin with students from New York City public schools and dozens of other districts and will eventually be expanded statewide.

A new NYS program allows kids in the top 10% of their class, who meet other applicable criteria, to be automatically accepted to select SUNY schools.