Who is a transfer student?
By Cornell’s definition, a transfer student is a student who has graduated from high school AND has earned twelve or more credits at or has matriculated at another college or university. When is the transfer application deadline, and when will I be notified of Cornell’s decision?
The College of Engineering admits transfer students for matriculation only in the fall semester, primarily due to the sequencing of the courses in our curriculum. The deadline for completed transfer applications is March 15th of each year, and students are notified of Cornell’s decision on a rolling basis from the end of April through early July.
Does it matter if I am transferring from a two- or four-year college?
No, the College of Engineering accepts transfer applicants from both two- and four-year schools. What is more important is the rigor of the engineering curriculum at the institution you are attending and how well your coursework corresponds to the required engineering courses at Cornell.
Does it matter to which engineering major I apply?
Absolutely! Transfer applicants to the College of Engineering are permitted to indicate a first- and second-choice major on their application, and we highly recommend that these be the two areas in which you are most interested. If you are accepted to your first-choice major, the process ends there. If not, your application will be forwarded to the faculty in your second-choice major for review. Please note that transfer students are not permitted to apply as undecided candidates, and students who are accepted to a major must remain in that major for at least one year. Because the departments make the admissions decision, you must articulate your academic interest and how it pertains to the fields you’ve selected.
When will I find out how many of my credits will transfer to Cornell?
Transfer students typically receive their credit awards during fall orientation (August) when they arrive on campus and meet with their faculty advisor for the first time. However, if you are accepted and your circumstances require that you know the status of your credit before making a final decision, a tentative credit award is available during the spring or summer, by request.
What do the Engineering faculty members look for when reviewing transfer applications?
Although the faculty will consider many things when reviewing applications for their respective departments, they will focus primarily on the content and rigor of the college-level courses that a student has completed and how well the student performed academically. At a minimum, transfer applicants should be sure that they have taken college-level courses in calculus, chemistry, physics (calculus-based), computer programming, and writing and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (although most accepted students tend to have GPAs in the 3.5+ range).
Does the Engineering College require any standardized test scores of transfer applicants?
No, but we highly encourage transfer students to submit SATs, ACTs, SAT IIs, etc., with their application if they have taken them previously. Although not required, these scores may work in the students favor because faculty find them useful when reviewing applications.
Are there any special requirements for international transfer applicants?
The College of Engineering requires international students to submit a TOEFL exam score, if English is not their native language.
Does Cornell have articulation agreements with any colleges that I should know about?
Yes, the College of Engineering has standing 3-2 agreements with both Ithaca College (NY) and Wells College (NY). In addition, the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering has specific transfer articulation agreements with the following two-year institutions: City College of San Francisco (CA), Foothill College (CA), Montgomery County Community College (PA), and Ulster County Community College (NY).
If I receive AP, transfer, or credit by examination from my current institution, will that automatically transfer to Cornell?
No. The College of Engineering has specific AP standards that will be used to evaluate transfer credit. For complete information about AP standards in the College of Engineering, please see the Engineering Advising Office page.
If my transcript and/or course descriptions are not in English, what should I do?
If your application materials are not already in English, you must have them translated and certified as accurate before sending them to Cornell.
Are course descriptions required as part of the transfer application?
Yes, your transfer application must include complete course descriptions copied from your institution’s course catalog or syllabi for each college-level course you have taken, are in the process of taking, or for which you received AP, transfer, or college-examination credit. The descriptions should include a list of topics covered in the class and any prerequisite courses. A list of the textbooks used is also useful but not required. The faculty will use this information to compare your courses to those required by the Engineering College at Cornell. Please note that our faculty will not be able to review your application until this information is received.
