The Undergraduate Admissions Office FAQs
Financial Aid Information for Prospective Students
- Are there specific transfer requirements for each major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)?
- Will all my courses transfer?
- If I have a question about a course meeting a transfer requirement, is there a way I can have it reviewed?
- Will the credit I received by placement examination at my previous college or university transfer?
- Will pass/fail (S/U) courses transfer?
- Will remedial or ESL courses transfer?
- What is the maximum amount of credits I can transfer?
- Will my grade point average (GPA) from my previous institution(s) transfer in addition to my courses?
- My current institution is on the quarter system. How will my credits transfer to Cornell?
- I am a student at a community college. Do I need to complete my associate's degree before I can transfer to Cornell?
- Does the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences have articulation agreements with any two-year or community colleges?
- I've been out of school for a few years and would like to return and earn a degree. Can I become a transfer student?
- I don't have all the preparatory coursework completed for my major. Should I still apply?
- I have gone to college for two years, but I don't have the preparatory coursework completed to apply as a junior. Can I apply as a sophomore?
- Why do students applying to Communication, Applied Economics and Management, Development Sociology, Information Science or Landscape Architecture have to take biology courses?
- Can I substitute Chemistry or Physics for Biology?
- Should transfer students visit the Cornell campus and attend an information session?
- What if I need help adjusting to Cornell?
- Can a transfer student apply for financial aid?
- How much is the application fee? When is the application deadline? Can I submit my application online?
- Can the application fee be waived?
- Do I need to take SAT or ACT tests?
- Will I receive credit for Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) scores?
- Will I receive credit for college coursework completed during high school?
- What if I did not earn a high school diploma?
- Is housing available for transfer students?
- May I study part-time?
Are there specific transfer requirements for each major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)?
Yes. All of the majors in CALS have specific preparatory coursework requirements. These courses provide a foundation for your studies in CALS.
Parallel courses from any accredited college transfer easily to Cornell. Unless the course is not equivalent to a Cornell course or you have received less than a "C" grade, you may assume that credits will be transferred. The credit evaluation you will receive after you are accepted indicates which courses do or do not receive credit here. This evaluation will also tell you whether a course meets a specific graduation requirement or counts for elective credit. CALS will award up to 60 total credits of coursework.
If I have a question about a course meeting a transfer requirement, is there a way I can have it reviewed?
Yes. There is a Request Course Information form on the CALS transfer website that you can use to have required transfer courses reviewed. Your course(s) will be reviewed within ten working days. You are asked to only send courses in which you have questions; all courses do not have to be reviewed.
Will the credit I received by placement examination at my previous college or university transfer?
No. Credit awarded by another institution solely on the basis of examination (instead of completion of the course) will not be awarded as transfer credit at Cornell.
Will pass/fail (S/U) courses transfer?
A letter from your instructor must be sent stating the grade you would have received if the course were graded in order for a pass/fail (S/U) course to transfer. The letter must be on college letterhead, dated and signed by the professor. The courses will not affect the grade point average (GPA) of the student. Students begin working on a new GPA once at Cornell. We encourage students not to take pass/fail (S/U) courses.
Will remedial or ESL courses transfer?
No. Remedial and ESL courses will not transfer. However, these courses may need to be taken as a prerequisite to a course that is necessary to fulfill CALS transfer requirements.
What is the maximum number of credits I can transfer?
60 credits. The actual number of credits is determined by the CALS Registrar at time of admission.
Will my grade point average (GPA) from my previous institution(s) transfer in addition to my courses?
No. Only credit will transfer, not GPA. Courses transferred do not affect the Cornell University GPA and grades received for those courses do not appear on the Cornell University transcript. You will begin working on a new GPA once at Cornell.
My current institution is on the quarter system. How will my credits transfer to Cornell?
Cornell is on the semester system; quarter hours will be converted to semester hours. Each quarter credit is usually equal to 2/3 of a semester credit.
I am a student at a community college. Do I need to complete my associate's degree before I can transfer to Cornell?
No. You do not need to complete an associate's degree in order to transfer. However, depending on your individual circumstances, it may be in your best interest to earn your associate's degree before transferring.
Does the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences have articulation agreements with any two-year or community colleges?
Yes. The college has developed a number of transfer agreements with many two-year and community colleges.
I've been out of school for a few years and would like to return and earn a degree. Can I become a transfer student?
Yes. CALS welcomes applications for admission from non-traditional students. Non-traditional students are 24 years or older; a caregiver, veteran, or financially independent; or somebody with an interrupted sequencing of education. You are advised to have demonstrated performance in recent academic work related to your major prior to applying.
I don't have all the preparatory coursework completed for my major. Should I still apply?
Preference is given to applicants who have met all of the requirements. The most competitive applicants have usually completed the requirements. You may want to explore your options to take courses during the summer or winter sessions or at another college to help complete the requirements prior to admission. Course substitutions are not permitted. When listed as a two-course sequence (i.e. "Biology I and II"), we do advise that you take the entire year-long sequence in that subject at your current institution before transferring to Cornell. If you plan to take coursework during the summer prior to your desired Cornell attendance, please indicate this on your application so that the Admissions Committee can take your plans into consideration when making their decision.
I have gone to college for two years, but I don't have the preparatory coursework completed to apply as a junior. Can I apply as a sophomore?
Upon acceptance, the CALS registrar will evaluate your coursework and decide whether you will begin your studies at Cornell as a sophomore or junior.
Why do students applying to Communication, Applied Economics and Management, Development Sociology, Information Science or Landscape Architecture have to take biology courses?
CALS requires students in all majors to take courses in the life sciences. As a college focused on the life sciences, it is important that all students earning a CALS degree have some background in the life sciences and understand the role and process of science in a broader societal context.
Can I substitute Chemistry or Physics for Biology?
No.
Should transfer students visit the Cornell campus and attend an information session?
Yes. To learn more about transfer opportunities within CALS please visit Transfer Visit Options for information on session registration, visiting classes, campus tour times and more.
What if I need help adjusting to Cornell?
Programs and your academic department are available to assist you in your transition to Cornell. Attend Orientation and take advantage of this 4 day event. Communicate with your assigned academic advisor prior to your start within CALS. Tutoring services are also available through the CALS Counseling and Advising Office and at the Learning Strategies Center on campus.
Can a transfer student apply for financial aid?
Yes. Please visit the Office of Financial Aid for more information.
How much is the application fee? When is the application deadline? Can I submit my application online?
Please visit the Undergraduate Admissions Office for answers to these questions.
Can the application fee be waived?
Yes. You can apply for an application fee waiver by (1) sending in the College Board Fee waiver form or (2) submitting a letter from a transfer counselor or representative of a social service/community agency stating that the fee would cause financial hardship. If you cannot apply for a waiver by one of these methods, please contact the Undergraduate Admission Office (607-255-5241) for further information. To request a fee waiver when submitting the online Common Application, check the fee waiver box on the payment page and mail your fee waiver request to: Transfer Admissions, Cornell University, P.O. Box 6411, Ithaca, NY 14851-6411.
Do I need to take SAT or ACT tests?
No. CALS does not require SAT or ACT tests for transfer students.
Will I receive credit for Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) scores?
Students may use credit they receive for advanced placement to satisfy degree requirements only as specified by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Note: You will receive credit in CALS for one Academic Writing course with an AP English Literature or English Language score of 4 or 5.
Will I receive credit for college coursework completed during high school?
In most cases, you will not receive credit. You will only receive credit for college coursework if certain criteria are met.
What if I did not earn a high school diploma?
You will be asked to submit GED scores, proof of GED earned or other applicable high school equivalency along with your high school record that you did complete.
Is housing available for transfer students?
Yes. Transfer students can choose from several housing options:
No. Transfer students must attend Cornell on a full-time (minimum 12 credits per semester) basis.