Cornell is absolutely the most transfer-friendly Ivy in the bunch. Its transfer acceptance rate (estimated at 17%) is higher than its standard acceptance rate (10%) and they let in between 500 to 700 transfer students a year. The infrastructure and support for transfer students at Cornell is nuts and truly unlike any other school. Compare Cornell’s 17% transfer acceptance rate to Princeton’s 1.2% (or to put it simply, 16 students), or even to a school like Duke which has an approximately 5% transfer acceptance rate.
On top of being welcoming to transfer students, Cornell actively seeks out transfers in a way no other Ivy does – though their Transfer Option. As they say, “due to first-year enrollment restrictions… we are unable to offer admission to many applicants who have shown outstanding academic potential.” We’ve worked with a lot of students who had Transfer Option offers (and nbd, they all got in) and we know the process inside and out.
SO WHAT IS IT?
The Transfer Option is basically a second chance. You applied to Cornell, and you got rejected. But along with that rejection… a proposal. The intrigue sets in. Cornell saw you as a potentially very good addition to their campus – but maybe you didn’t have the best grades or scores or hadn’t challenged yourself to the degree they wanted to see. A Transfer Option offers you the opportunity to take your first year of classes at any school you want, as long as you take a specific set of classes and make the grades they ask for. Seems simple enough.
When you receive a Transfer Option offer, you have to accept or deny, but this isn’t like Early Decision – you may change your mind and decide not to apply to Cornell again. But there are a few things you can’t do. You can’t delay your Transfer Option another year, you’d just have to apply as a regular transfer. You also can’t take a gap year if you want to take the Transfer Option, as it’s only good for the Fall of the next year.
You can take your required courses at any school (or community college), but Cornell warns that you need to pick somewhere that you’d be happy at even if you don’t get into Cornell. And if you aren’t able to take the required classes, your Transfer Option application gets moved to the general transfer applicant pile, so all hope is not lost there.
There is little data on the acceptance rates for Transfer Option offers, but anecdotal evidence (read: a bunch of reddit posts we found) seem to suggest most people get in as long as they take the required courses and keep above a 3.3 GPA. However, Cornell’s CALS site says you need to keep above a 3.0, while Biological Sciences majors need to be above a 3.5. This article from a student at Boston College who was offered a Transfer Option seems to even claim that admission is guaranteed if you meet those requirements. We wouldn’t necessarily believe either source.
After you’ve totally crushed your first semester at college and start the spring, it’ll be time to fill out your transfer application. You won’t return to the Common App, but instead be sent a special website and login to access the Transfer Option portal. Cornell recently added an essay component to the application too, which we know is a little daunting. It’s a pretty standard Why Cornell essay, but with a big emphasis on the work you’ve already done in your first year and why you’ve just gotta be at Cornell.
We don’t think there’s any reason to be afraid of the Transfer Option. We know it can be a bummer to get rejected from a school you’re excited about – but this is a really interesting way for Cornell to give you a second chance and you’re not out of the running yet. Use this time to get deep into your interests, kick ass in your classes, and get involved at your school.
If you received a Cornell Transfer Option offer and have zero idea where to start, or feel like you might need help finding classes and extracurriculars to help you with your application, contact us today. We are experts when it comes to the Transfer Option and we’d love to help you.