To prepare for studying within CALS, each academic major has key foundation courses that competitive transfer candidates need to complete or have in progress at the time of their application. View the required coursework and other transfer resources on the Transfer Applicant webpage. As with first-year applicants, we conduct a holistic admissions process for transfer applicants.
The Brooks School looks for academically strong transfer applicants who have demonstrated genuine interest in the fields of public policy or health care policy through coursework, extracurricular activities, and other application materials. To prepare for the Brooks School’s curriculum, students are encouraged to take a mix of social science coursework and a breadth of quantitative and writing-intensive coursework.
Adult students and veterans don't apply for undergraduate admission through a separate pathway at Cornell. Depending on their academic history, they follow the traditional pathway for first-year applicants (never matriculated at a college and earned fewer than 12 credits after high school) or apply as transfer applicants.
Cornell is happy to provide application fee waivers for veterans and current members of the military. Please email veteranadmissions@cornell.edu to request an application fee waiver. Note: do not pay the application fee if requesting a waiver, as the fee is non-refundable.
Credit awarded by another institution solely on the basis of departmental examination (instead of course participation) will not be awarded as transfer credit at Cornell. Equivalent courses from any accredited college or university will likely transfer to Cornell provided the student has received a final grade of 'C' or better for the course. If a student's current institution divides the academic year into quarters, please note that each quarter credit is usually equal to two-thirds of a semester credit.
Transfer admissions decisions are released on a rolling basis beginning in April. For more information, see our Transfer Applicants page.
Cornell's Courses of Study website provides information about how much Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credit is awarded for various subjects. The rules may differ from those at an applicant's former college. You may also find the How to Apply page to be a helpful resource.
Cornell accepts transfer students who have completed two to four semesters at another college or university. Applicants in their first college semester are not eligible to apply. Candidates are encouraged to apply when they feel they have a strong application and should follow the guidelines and deadlines outlined on the Transfer Applicants webpage. The transfer application deadline for fall semester is March 15.
You must apply to Cornell as a transfer student if you've graduated from high school and have earned 12 or more credits at another college or university since then. If you are enrolled as a full-time student at another institution, you are also considered a transfer applicant. Please be sure to review the How to Apply webpage for more information about Cornell's application process and requirements.
The application process and requirements are the same for all students applying to Cornell University. Please visit the How to Apply page for details. International first-year and transfer students should submit their application using the Common Application, which can be completed and submitted online. Cornell also requires a Writing Supplement. The Cornell undergraduate college or school a student applies to may have additional requirements, such as a portfolio or a design submission.
