INTERNAL TRANSFER PROGRAM

The College of Arts and Sciences welcomes students from other Cornell colleges whose interests lie here rather than in their present colleges and who have shown that they can succeed in liberal arts courses. Transfer applicants must have strong academic records that compare favorably with those of students who entered the College as incoming freshmen, and transcripts should show progress towards completion of Arts and Sciences’ distribution, breadth, and language requirements. In addition, students who internally transfer to the Arts and Sciences (A&S) must complete a minimum of 4 semesters of on-campus residency while in A&S. Applicants who have not made progress towards these requirements may need to plan an additional semester of study to complete the A&S degree and they must petition the college for the extra semester. Financial aid is not generally granted for additional semesters.

Transferring into A&S can be a smooth process if applicants carefully follow the procedures outlined in this brochure.

A. Application Deadlines

Fall Semester - Last Day of Classes
(for a Spring transfer)

Spring Semester - Last Day of Classes
(for a Fall transfer)

Applications will not be accepted after the deadline.

B. Eligibility Criteria

If you have done superior work in an appropriate program of study in your present college and you show potential for successful completion of an A&S degree, you may be eligible for direct transfer. In order to transfer directly into A&S during the semester before your intended transfer you should enroll in and complete four courses in A&S (of at least 12 credits) with all letter grades, and no grades of C- or lower and no incompletes.

If you do not meet the criteria for direct transfer, you should apply to both the college and the university’s Internal Transfer Division (ITD). The ITD is a central unit that helps Cornell undergraduates transfer between colleges when direct transfer is not possible. It accepts students whose records show that there is some prospect of transfer into their target college but who need more time to prepare themselves academically. In most cases, ITD admits only those students who have been sponsored by A&S. Sponsorship is awarded to those applicants who show academic strength. If you meet the criteria outlined in the A&S letter of sponsorship, you can expect to be admitted to the college following your ITD semester. Occasionally, students are admitted to ITD without sponsorship. In those cases students will have one semester to improve previous academic deficiencies. Admission to ITD without sponsorship does not carry a guarantee of transfer.

First semester freshmen and students who are withdrawn from or on required, voluntary or medical leave from other Cornell colleges are not eligible for direct transfer, but may be eligible for sponsorship in the ITD if certain conditions are met.

C. Informational Briefings

If you are thinking about transferring into A&S, you are required to attend an informational briefing. Call the admissions office at 255-4833 to register for a scheduled time slot. When you arrive at your assigned session, it is imperative that you sign in so that we know you have attended. Call the Admissions Office at 255-4833 to register. When you arrive at your assigned session, it is imperative that you sign in so that we know you have attended.

Please note: No student can transfer into the college without registering for and attending an informational session.

D. The Application Process

During the informational briefing, you will be given an A&S internal transfer application form. You should complete it and hand it in at that time or return it to 172 Goldwin Smith Hall within one week. Once your application is received, it is reviewed (along with your transcript). If your cumulative gpa is lower than the required 3.0, we may request an interview with you.

For students who are contacted for a college interview: Interviews take place in the A&S Admissions Office, 172 Goldwin Smith Hall. At this appointment, you will discuss your reasons for wanting to transfer, review your academic profile and address any other questions. Be prepared to talk about your intellectual interests; your intended A&S major; and address any academic or other concerns. No decisions are rendered at this meeting.

Additionally, students should complete the following steps:

• Go to the registrar’s office of your current college and make arrangements to have your permanent college file sent to A&S; Engineering students will be able to make arrangements through ITD.

• If you are a second-semester sophomore or beyond, you should apply to an A&S major. Arrange to see the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) of the department you choose. Take with you a copy of your transcript and a list of your current courses. Complete a “College of Arts and Sciences - Advisor/Major” form and have he or she sign it, thereby provisionally approving you for the major. If you are a second-semester sophomore, but not ready to enter a major, you should pick up a copy of the “Petition to Delay Entering a Major” from the Admissions Office, 172 Goldwin Smith Hall. The form should be completed by the DUS of your selected major department and returned with your internal transfer application materials. Note: If you expect to be a junior upon transfer, you are expected to remain in the major that you propose.

• Finally, submit your personal statement, plan of study, and a completed recommendation form to Yolanda Clarke, in 172 Goldwin Smith.

• (NOTE: The Internal Transfer division requires a copy of the personal statement and plan of study as well). Be advised that your recommendation form should be in a signed, sealed envelope from your recommender. Some recommenders will prefer to send these forms via interoffice mail.

E. Documentation Guidelines

• Personal Statement. In your statement you should explain the reasons you wish to transfer into A&S. Be advised that we are looking for students with a sincere interest in and passion for intellectual and scholarly pursuits within the liberal arts and sciences. If your record in your present college is weak, explain your poor performance. Explain any lapses in study (i.e. leaves, withdrawals). Include any other relevant information about yourself, your goals and anything that you think the committee should know. Any grades of “F”, “W” or “INC” should be thoroughly explained. Transcripts showing incomplete coursework (INC) will not be accepted unless there is proof that they are permanently frozen or the student provides a supplemental letter from the course instructor stating how/when the INC will be resolved. (In this case, a student will ONLY be considered for the Internal Transfer Division.)

All personal statements should be type-written, double-spaced, not to exceed 1 page in length unless you have extenuating and dire circumstances to explain. No personal statement should exceed two pages. Be sure that your name, date, CUID, and page number is on each page. NOTE: ITD requires a copy of this document.

• Plan of Study. You should complete an Arts and Sciences Internal Transfer Plan of Study indicating the courses that will lead you into your major (for freshman applicants); and what courses will enable you to complete your degree and major requirements (all upperclass applicants). On the back of this sheet is a credit evaluation worksheet for you to list the courses that you've already taken. Please review degree requirements at http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/Academic/Courses/AS.php.
  

• Recommendation Form. Ask one of your instructors in A&S to complete the recommendation form or to write a letter of recommendation. If the faculty recommender chooses to write a letter, it should clearly address the items indicated on the form. Recommendations from faculty at other institutions are generally not accepted unless you have been away from Cornell for a time period greater than 1 semester and you have studied at that institution..

All application materials should be neat and well-organized. SCANTILY WRITTEN, or obviously hurried personal statements; ILLEGIBLE, incomplete, or disorganized plans of study; and VAGUE, non-evaluative recommendations may result in a refused application.




F. Transfer Decisions

When making transfer decisions, A&S internal transfer committee (comprised of college deans and faculty members) reviews all relevant information including, but not limited to the following:

• Academic history and current academic performance

• Plan of study and progress in meeting A&S distribution, breadth, language, and proposed major requirements.

• Personal Statement

• Attendance at an informational briefing

• Recommendations

• Transfer interview (if applicable)

• Completeness and accuracy of your submitted application materials

• Any character or academic integrity information provided by your current college, other university officials, and information from previous institutions.

Decisions are final. Your acceptance into the college is not binding, and you have the option of returning to your former college if they allow you to do so. Denied applicants can reapply, although the college may recommend that you not reapply based on factors relevant to your denied application. Reapplication does not enhance one’s chances for acceptance.

Appeals. No formal appeal process is available for denied applications; however, the selection committee will consider late grade changes in the event that a clerical error was made in reporting or recording a grade. Grade changes will not be considered if they are due to additional papers, projects, etc., submitted after the normal grading period for the semester.




G. Sponsored Students and Credit Evaluations

Students who are accepted for sponsorship in the Internal Transfer Division may wish to submit an updated statement at the end of their sponsored term. Any changes in major focus or gpas less than 3.0 should be addressed. This statement is due 1 week after classes end.

Once you have been accepted into the College of Arts and Sciences, we will evaluate all credits earned and send you a record of what we’ve accepted. Students who entered other Cornell colleges as transfer students from other institutions need to be aware that the College of Arts and Sciences will reevaluate any credits from other institutions. This could result in a change of the number of credits originally accepted by your former college.




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For more information regarding the College of Arts and Sciences Internal Transfer Program, please contact:

Ray Kim , Assistant Dean
(yrk2@cornell.edu)

or Kelli Bucci, Internal Transfer Assistant
(krb34@cornell.edu)

Academic Services/Admissions - Binenkorb Center
172 Goldwin Smith Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
PH: 607-255-4833, FAX: 607-255-8297