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CALS Transfer Option

Due to enrollment limits and the competitive applicant pool, many outstanding candidates cannot be admitted initially. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) offers a Transfer Option (TO) to select first-year applicants to apply as a transfer student after a year of full-time study at another institution. Please note, this is not a guarantee of admission. 

What is a Transfer Option?

The Transfer Option (TO) is an opportunity for select students to reapply to CALS as a sophomore transfer with a shortened application process, pertaining to the major to which they initially applied. Students can choose not to pursue their TO at any time. All TOs will have access to CALS Admissions support, including TO-specific information sessions and contact with CALS Transfer Ambassadors.

What's Next?
  • Complete the TO Reply Form! You must reply to the CALS Admissions Office using the TO Reply Form on or before the deadline to confirm your interest in this offer.  Candidates who do not submit a response to the TO offer by the deadline are no longer eligible to participate in the Transfer Option.
  • Join our TO welcome webinar! Check your email for the invitation and registration information.
  • Choose a first year institution! This choice is completely up to you! You may choose any 2-year or 4-year accredited institution, preferably in the United States. It is extremely important that you choose a school where you can see yourself being happy for the remainder of your college career, and where you will be able to complete the course requirements for your Transfer Option.

Transfer Option Requirements

  • Attend an accredited 2- or 4-year institution that provides access to the course requirements for your CALS major.
  • Study full-time during the academic year (August - May).
  • Remain in good academic and disciplinary standing during the academic year.
  • Complete all course requirements for your major with a "B" or better in each course.  
  • Earn a 3.0 cumulative GPA (3.5 for Biological Sciences) in your first college semester and a 3.0 average at mid-term during the second semester. 
  • All required courses must be completed for a grade and credit. Cornell does not accept Pass/Fail coursework.
  • Required courses must be complete or in-progress at the time of application. 

To prepare for studying within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences each academic major has key foundation courses that transfer option candidates need to complete or have in progress at the time of their application.

Select the major in which you were offered the Transfer Option. Select "Transfers Entering as Sophomores" to view your major-specific requirements. 

Here are some options that students often consider:

  • Community college courses - These can be taken either concurrently (Fall/Spring) or in a Winter term.
  • Online coursework - These are acceptable as long as they are taken for a grade from an accredited institution. (Cornell does not accept Coursera, MOOCs, or certificate program courses)
  • Look at the Junior requirements - Is there something in the Junior requirements that you can take instead? This could be a great way to identify other major-related coursework, helping you stay on top of your academic progress.

We ask that you use your best judgement to find courses that will fulfill your major requirements, and have provided resources to help! Each major requirements page has a list of Cornell courses that current students often take. Click each link to view the course descriptions, and in some cases, the syllabi. Finding courses at your institution that closely align to the course descriptions and objectives of these Cornell courses will put you in the best possible position for your courses to transfer. 

Please note that our Admissions team will not be able to advise students on their semester schedules or provide official course evaluations prior to admission. We can, however, answer questions about special circumstances or any confusion that may arise throughout the year. 

CALS Transfer Policy

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Online Coursework

Online coursework must be taken for a grade from an accredited institution. You must submit an official transcript for these courses in your application in order to be considered for transfer credit.

Cornell does not accept MOOCs or certificate courses for academic credit.

AP/IB Credits

In some cases, AP or IB credit may be used to fulfill required course requirements. Please use the CALS Transfer Credit Policy  to see which scores will count for credit.  Please note that some majors will not accept test credit, and this will be noted on their requirements pages. 

Note: Placing out of a course at your first institution may not fulfill a course requirement for the CALS Transfer Option, you must meet Cornell's minimum score to receive credit. 

Quarter System Schools

CALS semester system awards quarter system credits by calculating .67 credits per credit of study at an institution on the quarter system. A 5-credit quarter system course is equivalent to a 3-credit semester course.  

If your major requires two semesters of a course (ex: Biology), plan on taking two quarters of Biology if they are 5 credits each.

College Credit Earned in High School

Cornell University does not accept credit for courses sponsored by colleges or universities but taught in the high school to high school students (dual enrollment). CALS does not accept credit from College Now, SUPA, University in High School, NOLS and other comparable programs. CALS does not accept credit for programs offered to students for completion of high school degree in a college setting such as, but not limited to, Bard, TAMS, etc.  

If you have taken a college course while in high school, on a college campus, and it did not count towards your high school graduation requirements, you may fill out a College Credit Earned in High School form for possible consideration.  

Questions?

Feel free to reach out to us at cals_admissions [at] cornell.edu (cals_admissions[at]cornell[dot]edu). Additionally, check out our FAQ!

The Transfer Option Timeline

April - May
  • Complete and submit the TO Reply Form by the expressed deadline in your email from CALS Admissions
  • Attend a Transfer Option Introductory Information session (Invitations will be sent to your email)
November
  • TO Check-in Webinar - Learn more about the application process (Will be recorded)
December
  • Deadline for TO Change of Major requests
January
  • TO application link will be emailed to you no later than January 31st.
February
  • TO Application Webinar - Walk through the application process with CALS Admissions (Will be recorded)
March
  • TO Application due March 15, 2026
  • Financial Aid application due (if applicable)
April - May
  • Transfer decisions will be released on a rolling basis