Admission Requirements

Your application must be postmarked by October 15 for spring 2023 transfer admission or by March 15 for fall 2023 transfer admission.

Special information for Displaced Students

Cornell University will welcome transfer applications from newly identified displaced students beginning March 2022. Displaced students from Ukraine, Sudan, and South Sudan are eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) even if they apply after the March 15th deadline. For questions, please contact transfer@cornell.edu. You can learn more here by visiting: https://global.cornell.edu/about/advocacy.

To read President Pollock's statement regarding the war in Ukraine please visit https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2022/03/statement-president-martha-e-pollack-war-ukraine.

Please review the list below for more information about transferring to Cornell.

This section will give you 10 things you either need to know or do to apply for transfer. Then use our checklist to make sure you have all of the required elements together before submitting your transfer application. For more information, please see detailed submission instructions for materials.

1. Eligibility

You must apply to Cornell as a transfer student if you’ve graduated from high school and have earned 12 or more credits (not including exams such as Advanced Placement) at another college or university. If you’ve enrolled as a full-time student at another institution, you’re also considered a transfer applicant. If you are enrolled in a dual-enrollment or early-college program and haven’t yet graduated from high school, you will apply as a first-year applicant.

A Second Bachelor’s Degree?
Students who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree are not permitted to enroll for a second bachelor’s degree at Cornell. If you already have a bachelor’s degree and wish to pursue further study, you should contact the Graduate School (607.255.5820 or gradschool@cornell.edu) or the appropriate academic department for advice about extramural courses or graduate studies.

2. Basic Requirements

Be sure that you have completed all the basic educational requirements needed to transfer to Cornell. Each of our undergraduate colleges or schools may have specific requirements and prerequisites that you’ll need to meet, and maybe some extra items you’ll need to submit to be considered for admission.

3. Choosing a College

You may apply to only one of the eight undergraduate colleges or schools at Cornell.* Each college or school has its own transfer applicant admission requirements. Make sure to review the appropriate transfer student requirements and send any requests for specifics directly to the college or school you’re considering.

*At the discretion of the admissions office, another college at Cornell may review your application if you are not offered admission to your primary-choice college.

4. Transfer Application

Cornell accepts the Common Application (CA), Academic Report, College Report, Transfer Supplement, and Mid-Term Report, Professor Evaluation, College Report, and Cornell Mid-Term Report.

5. Cornell University Supplemental Information

The Cornell Questions and Writing Supplement (CA) are required of all applicants. These sections include important Cornell-specific information.

6. Required Supporting Materials

In addition to the transfer application, Cornell requires submission of the following forms with your application. These forms can be submitted online, or by mail. Be sure to remind individuals writing recommendations for you to include your name and date of birth on all pages.

  • Academic Evaluation (CA) - This must be completed by one or more instructors who have taught you in a full-credit college course. A high school teacher’s recommendation should not take the place of a recommendation from one of your college instructors. This can be submitted online via the application site, or by mail.
  • Registrar Report (College Report) - A dean, registrar, advisor, or another college official who has access to your academic and disciplinary records must complete this report. The form should be filled out as completely as possible by the official; the sections regarding academic standing and disciplinary record are required. We cannot review your application without a completed College Report. This is printed from your online application account, completed, and submitted by mail or by email to undergradapp@cornell.edu..
  • Mid-Term Report - This form is completed by the applicant for the courses you are enrolled in at the time of your application. If midterm grades are not available to submit with your application, the Mid-Term Report should be submitted as soon as possible when grades are available. If your college does not assign midterm grades, please speak with your professors and have them assess your current performance in class. If you are unable to get a grade an explanation is required. This explanation needs to be submitted via the uploader on your application status page. Please use the Common Application Mid-Term Report form.

    This can be submitted online via your Application Status Page.

Don’t forget to check with the undergraduate college or school to which you are applying for any additional required submissions. Without these required materials, your application will not be considered complete.

7. Official Transcripts

We require your official secondary/high school transcript(s) and official transcripts from all colleges attended. Official transcripts must be submitted directly to us from the issuing institution. In order for these to be considered official transcripts, they must be submitted directly from an official representative or office of the school, institution, or organization.
  • Postal mail or delivery service in a sealed envelope, signed across the seal
  • Common Application recommender invitation tool on the "Recommenders" tab
  • Common Application transcript request form found in the "Academic History" section of the Common Application
  • Online document delivery service such as Parchment, SCOIR, or Naviance

8. Standardized Test Scores

Standardized Test Scores: SAT or ACT scores are neither required nor expected for transfer candidates.

9. Application Fee

Applications must be submitted with the $80 application fee or fee waiver in order to be considered. Submitting the application and the $80 online fee or the transfer fee waiver* begins the transfer admission process and should be done as soon as possible to avoid delays.

Please note that Cornell cannot process your transfer application without the $80 application fee or a transfer fee waiver. Remember that when you apply online, you must submit the application fee online, or you must mark the box indicating you are requesting a waiver.

*Transfer Fee Waiver

Cornell is proud to serve students from all economic backgrounds. If submitting our application fee would result in a financial hardship for your family, you can apply for an application fee waiver by following the instructions on the Common Application AND submitting the NACAC Fee Waiver Form or a letter from a transfer advisor, the financial aid office at your current college/university, or a representative of a social service/community agency stating that the fee would cause financial hardship.

10. Interviews

While most of our colleges and schools do not require or offer an interview, the programs that do require or offer an interview are:

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning - an interview is required for architecture applicants and is strongly recommended for fine arts applicants. Use the AAP online interview request form or call 607.255.4376 to schedule an interview.