Advanced Placement and Non-Cornell (Transfer) Credit
Advanced Placement
Cornell University refers to pre-college examinations under the umbrella term Advanced placement. At Cornell, Advanced Placement includes College Board Advanced Placement Exams (AP), International Baccalaureate at Higher Level Exams (IB), General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE- A-Level), and Cambridge Pre-University Exams. Please review the appropriate major department websites, and note that if you decide to take a course that your credit places you out of, you will forfeit that credit.
How do I have Advanced Placement credit posted?
- AP:
- arrange for the College Board to send your official score report directly to Cornell University using code 2098.
- notify CALS Student Services that you are having the score report sent to Cornell.
- when the report is received, CALS Student Services will review your report and award the appropriate credit based on your scores.
- IB/GCE A-Level:
- Submit the original IB or GCE-A Level transcript to the CALS Office of Student Services in 140 Roberts Hall.
How do you find out if Advanced Placement credit counts toward your requirements?
- Visit the Advanced Placement Credit table and review the table below.
My Advanced Placement credits have not yet been posted to my record.
- Contact our office if you have had the official scores sent to the CALS Office of Student Services but do not see the test credits.
The following table summarizes English and Statistics exam credit and placement specific to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Exam | Subject | Score | Credit & Placement Information |
---|---|---|---|
CEEB’s AP Exams | English literature and composition OR English language and composition | 5 | Placement out of 3 credits of written expression. (Students allowed to use one test to fulfill written expression). |
CEEB’s AP Exams | Statistics (excluding BE/EE) | 5 | 4 credits. Students taking AEM 2100, BTRY 3010, BTRY 6010, PAM 2100, ILRST/STSCI 2100, ILRST 6100, PSYCH 2500, STSCI 2150, SOC 3010 or MATH 1710 or equivalent will forfeit credit. Major requirements are not included. Confirm credit with the department or faculty advisor. |
International Baccalaureate (IB) | English Literature A (HL) OR English Language and Literature A (HL) | 7 | Placement out of 3 credits of written expression. (Students allowed to use one test to fulfill written expression). |
GCE A-Level | English Literature | A*, A | Placement out of 3 credits of written expression. (Students allowed to use one test to fulfill written expression). |
GCE A-Level | Statistics (excluding BE/EE) | A*, A, or B | 4 credits. Students taking AEM 2100, BTRY 3010, BTRY 6010, PAM 2100, ILRST/STSCI 2100, ILRST 6100, PSYCH 2500, STSCI 2150, SOC 3010 or MATH 1710 or equivalent will forfeit credit. Major requirements are not included. Confirm credit with the department or faculty advisor. |
Cambridge Pre-U Exam | English | D1, D2, D3 | Placement out of 3 credits of written expression. (Students allowed to use one test to fulfill written expression). |
*Note: CALS students are limited to 15 non-Cornell (transfer) credits (this includes all non-Cornell (transfer) credit earned before a student's first semester in a college/university) as a first-year student from an accredited college/university. For those receiving more than 15 credits of AP coursework, you will need to inform the CALS Office of Student Services which credits you wish to accept.
Transferring Credit
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Cornell University reserves the right to determine, in their sole discretion, whether course credit earned at other schools, either secondary or post-secondary, meets the College’s and the University’s academic standards and will, therefore, be eligible to be applied toward Cornell degree requirements.
Applicants and matriculated students should not assume that, because a particular course is taken at another accredited institution listed as a recommended course or a foundational course, will necessarily be eligible for Cornell credit.
Official transcripts may be submitted electronically to:
cals-studentservices [at] cornell.edu, or mailed to:
CALS Student Services, 140 Roberts Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853.
Non-Cornell (transfer) credit is defined as:
- Advanced Placement exam credit. To find out more about AP, IB, French Baccalaureat, and GCE A-Level exams, consult the Courses of Study or the top of this page under the credit and placement table.
- Credit earned at an accredited college or university in the United States or the student’s country of permanent residence. A list of the six recognized accrediting bodies accepted by Cornell is available on the Council for Higher Education Accreditation’s website. For courses taken outside of the United States, academic coursework may be evaluated for Cornell University credit, provided that the coursework is taken at the college level and recorded on official transcripts. Additionally, students who wish to transfer credit(s) from outside of the United States may be requested to submit an international credential evaluation or proof of accreditation for the institution where the coursework was completed.
- Credit earned through the Ithaca College Exchange Program.
- Credit earned through the Office of Global Learning.
Guidelines for Current CALS Students
- The College will review external transfer credits from other regionally accredited institutions upon completion of the transfer course application form located in DUST.
- Credit will not be awarded for courses completed outside the home country in the fall or spring semester while on a leave of absence.
- A letter grade of "C" or better is required for a course to transfer, though please be aware that some schools and departments may stipulate a higher minimum grade.
- Transfer credit will only be awarded for courses offered by regionally accredited, degree-granting, post-secondary institutions. MOOCS and other non-degree courses are not eligible for transfer credit.
For more information, visit the non-Cornell (transfer) credit section in the Courses of Study.
Transfer Credit Application Process
Steps:
- Review the list of pre-approved transfer courses in the CALS transfer credit database.
- Download the Transfer Credit Application Pre-Approval form.
- Complete Section A of the form.
- Attach a course description and recent syllabus with your completed form when ready to submit.
- Have the appropriate Cornell Academic Department at Cornell evaluate the course for credit equivalency in Section B.
- Obtain a signature from your faculty or academic advisor under Section C.
- Email the form, complete with all necessary signatures and attachments, to CALS Student Services at cals-studentservices [at] cornell.edu (cals-studentservices[at]cornell[dot]edu)
- Plan early. CALS Student Services will review the form and email you a decision on the course's transfer eligibility after submitting all required paperwork. The typical turnaround time is 10 business days.
- When the course is completed, request that the official transcript from the institution where the class was taken be sent to CALS Student Services. An official electronic transcript can also be sent directly from the institution to cals-studentservices [at] cornell.edu.
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