An Introduction to Cornell

for Transfer Students

“I would found an
institution where
any person can find
instruction in any
study.”
—Ezra Cornell, 1868
Transfer Students

S
tudents transfer to Cornell for many reasons:
after completion of a two-year degree program,
a change in their initial area of academic
interest, or simply a change of heart about the
original institution chosen.
Whatever the reason, Cornell University welcomes
transfer students to a degree unmatched in the Ivy
League. Transfer students have been a part of the
university since our founding in 1865. In fact, the first
woman to graduate from Cornell—Emma Sheffield
Eastman (Class of 1875)—was a transfer student. Today,
about 600 transfers enroll at Cornell each fall and another
100 in the spring, enriching the classrooms and campus
with a broad range of life experiences.
If you are thinking about the next step in your educational
career, we invite you to consider Cornell, where “any person
can find instruction in any study” (Ezra Cornell, 1868). Our
commitment to transfer student education sets the standard
for the country’s pre-eminent universities. Visit the campus
or visit our web site (admissions.cornell.edu) and see for
yourself all that Cornell has to offer.
Why Cornell Just The Facts
Cornell is the right place for students who want to chart their
own intellectual course and who seek to make a difference in
our world. At Cornell, students develop the confidence and Fall 2009 New Transfer Students
abilities necessary to pursue their goals while exploring a vast
Number of enrolling transfer students 569
array of academic offerings:
Women 273
• more than 4,000 courses in seven undergraduate colleges and
schools Men 296
• nearly 80 majors and the option to develop an individual,
From two-year institutions 162
interdisciplinary major with a faculty adviser
• an extensive network of undergraduate research opportunities African American, Asian American,
Latino, and Native American
• internships to take classroom learning into a “real-world”
transfer students 135
environment
Students at Cornell benefit from the university’s worldwide International transfer students 45
network of alumni, who are eager to help the current New York State transfer students 267
generation of students pursue their career goals. Cornell has
remarkable graduation rates (92 percent) and placement into Transfers from the Northeast 392*
graduate and professional schools—89 percent of Cornell Transfers from outside the Northeast 177
graduates who apply are admitted to law school (compared
* includes New York, New England, and Mid-Atlantic
to the national acceptance rate of 66 percent), and 80 percent states
of students with a 3.4 GPA or better are admitted to medical
school (the national overall admission rate is 44 percent).
If you are eager to learn, to make new discoveries, and 2009 New Transfer Students by
to realize your career goals—and you are seeking an College **
environment that embraces transfer students—then you
should consider Cornell University. Agriculture and Life Sciences 281

Academic Calendar Architecture, Art, and Planning 11

Arts and Sciences 59

Two semesters:
Fall, from late August to mid-December Engineering 14
Spring, from late January to mid-May Hotel Administration 44
Winter session Human Ecology 46
Three summer sessions Industrial and Labor Relations 114

** includes spring semester transfers. Cornell

typically enrolls 80­–120 new transfer students each
spring semester. Not all Cornell colleges/schools
enroll transfer students for the spring semester.
Finding Your Place
at Cornell
Before you apply, you must determine which seeking a business-related degree enroll
college is the right fit for you. Take a close in the School of Hotel Administration. In
look at the university’s academic programs addition, you can prepare for medical, law,
and determine whether Cornell offers the or business school in any of Cornell’s seven
opportunities you are looking for. Can you undergraduate colleges.
pursue your intellectual passions here as
Whichever college you choose, planning
you work toward your ultimate career and
is important because each college has its
life goals? No matter which college you
own admissions requirements for transfer
choose, you will be well prepared for the
students.
career path you desire.
The college or school you choose will be
your academic “home” within the larger You may begin by reviewing the colleges’ web
university. You’ll take many of your courses sites:
in the college. You will get to know faculty College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
and staff members on a first-name basis, www.cals.cornell.edu
and you’ll make new friends among other
students in the college. College of Architecture, Art and Planning
www.aap.cornell.edu
If you have a strong academic foundation
in the liberal arts, you may want to College of Arts and Sciences
www.as.cornell.edu
consider applying to the College of Arts
and Sciences, but this background also will College of Engineering
position you to study in any one of Cornell’s www.engineering.cornell.edu
undergraduate colleges. You can study
School of Hotel Administration
many subjects such as biology, computer
www.hotelschool.cornell.edu
science, design, business, geology, and
psychology in more than one college. College of Human Ecology
www.human.cornell.edu
For example, if you are interested in English
and writing, you may want to consider the School of Industrial and Labor Relations
communication program in the College of www.ilr.cornell.edu
Agriculture and Life Sciences; an alternative
for psychology students is the human
development program in Human Ecology;
for students interested in government and
public policy, Industrial and Labor Relations
may be a good choice; and many students
Academic Programs
Africana studies
Agricultural science education
Agricultural sciences
American studies
Animal science
Anthropology
Applied economics and
management
Archaeology
Architecture
Asian studies
Astronomy
Atmospheric science
Biological engineering
Biological sciences
Biology and society
Biometry and statistics
Chemical engineering
Chemistry and chemical biology
China and Asia-Pacific Studies
Civil engineering
Classics (Greek, Latin)
Communication
Comparative literature
Computer science
Dance
Design and environmental
analysis
Development sociology
Economics
Electrical and computer Italian
engineering Landscape architecture
Engineering physics Linguistics
English Materials science and
Entomology engineering
Environmental engineering Mathematics
Feminist, gender, and sexuality Mechanical engineering
studies Music
Fiber science and apparel design Natural resources
Film Near Eastern studies
Fine arts Nutritional sciences
Food science Operations research and
French engineering
German area studies Philosophy
German (literature and culture) Physics
Government Plant sciences
History Policy analysis and management
History of architecture Psychology
History of art Religious studies
Hotel administration Science and technology studies
Human biology, health, and Science of Earth systems
society Science of natural and
Human development environmental systems
Industrial and labor relations Sociology
Information science Spanish
Information science, systems and Statistical science
technology Theatre arts
International agriculture and Urban and regional studies
rural development
Viticulture and enology
Applying to Cornell
Cornell University uses the Common
Application for Transfer Admission exclusively
and also requires a Cornell-specific Transfer
Supplement. The application deadline for
fall transfer admission is March 1. Students
wishing to transfer in spring must submit all
materials by October 1. Details about transfer
admission timelines and requirements are
available at admissions.cornell.edu/apply/
transfer.
Keep in mind that transfer applicants have
diverse academic talents and career interests
that may be satisfied by more than one of
Cornell’s colleges and schools. Your application
may be reviewed by a college or school at
Cornell in addition to the one to which you are
applying.
Financial Aid/Costs
Your family’s financial situation plays absolutely no part in
Cornell’s decision to admit you. If you are admitted, we want you
to attend, and the university will work with you and your family
to help make a Cornell education affordable.
About half of Cornell students receive financial aid. All financial
aid awards are based only on financial need. Cornell offers no
merit or athletic scholarships.
To further our commitment to help make the cost of a Cornell
education affordable, the university has implemented a new
financial aid program. Cornell has eliminated need-based loans
for all undergraduate students from families with total income
under $75,000. For undergraduate students from families
with total income between $75,000 and $120,000, need-
based student loans are capped at $3,000 annually, and for
undergraduate students from families with total income above
$120,000, need-based student loans are capped at $7,500. In
addition, for students from families with total income under
$60,000 and total assets less than $100,000, there will be no
parental contribution.
For more information about financial aid, visit the Office of
Financial Aid and Student Employment’s web site: finaid.cornell.edu
Tuition and Student Activities Fee 2010–11
Endowed Colleges
Architecture, Art, and Planning; Arts and Sciences; Engineering;
Hotel Administration $39,666
Contract Colleges
Agricultural and Life Sciences; Human Ecology; Industrial and
Labor Relations
New York State resident* $23,526
Non-New York State resident 39,666
*A resident is a person whose permanent domicile is in the state of New York.
The domicile of a student under 21 is presumed to be that of his or her custodial
parent(s), unless the student provides acceptable proof of emancipation.
Estimated Living Expenses 2010–11
Housing $7,500*
Dining 5,150*
Books and supplies 780†
Personal expenses 1,580
Note: This table does not include travel allowances.
*Costs of an undergraduate double room and Bear Traditional meal plan.
†The estimated cost of books and supplies for undergraduates in the College of
Architecture, Art, and Planning or in the Department of Design and Environmental
Analysis in the College of Human Ecology is $1,320.
Home Away from Home
As a transfer student, you have many options for housing
at Cornell. The university offers on-campus housing for
incoming transfer students who apply for housing by
Cornell has rated among the

A Satisfying Meal
the housing deadline. Among the options are traditional
residence halls, program houses, cooperative residences, and top colleges and universities
apartments. Whether you are 20 years old or 50, single or nationwide for food quality
married with a family, Cornell offers a variety of on-campus by The Princeton Review,
options to meet the needs of our diverse transfer population. and you will find a wide
Or, like many upperclass students, you might prefer to live off variety of good food for
campus, and there are ample rental properties adjacent to the all tastes in over 30 dining
campus. Additional information about housing is available at locations. Cornell Dining
housing.cornell.edu. offers meal plan options
that are designed to provide
flexibility, variety, and
plenty of healthy, satisfying
food. And you don’t have
to be on a meal plan to
enjoy exceptional food from
Cornell Dining. Cash, the
Cornell Card, and major
credit cards are accepted
at more than 20 à la carte
dining facilities across
campus.
About Cornell University
Founded in 1865, Cornell is an Ivy League research university
comprising seven undergraduate colleges and seven graduate and
professional schools. With total enrollment of more than 20,000
students from all over the world, and top-rated programs in
architecture, business, engineering, hotel administration, human
and veterinary medicine, human development, the humanities,
labor and employment issues, law, and life sciences, the university
embodies Ezra Cornell’s vision of “an institution where any person
can find instruction in any study.”
The university’s commitment to high-quality education is reflected
in the number and variety of resources available to its students,
faculty, and staff. These include one of the largest academic
research libraries in the United States; the Transfer Student
Program, which supports students who come to Cornell after
studying elsewhere; and more than 800 student organizations
dedicated to interests ranging from politics to professions, religion
to recreation.
Cornell’s faculty, numbering more than 2,600 worldwide, includes
Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and presidents of the
leading professional organizations in their fields.
The university experience is enriched by the diversity of its student
body. More than a quarter of undergraduates are African American,
Asian American, Latino, and Native American, or from multiracial
backgrounds. International students make up an additional 9
percent of the undergraduate student body. There is a vibrant
cultural life on campus, with seasonal offerings of theater, music,
film, art exhibits, and dance.
As New York State’s land-grant institution—and the only Ivy
League university with land-grant status—Cornell seeks to instill
an interest in public service and community involvement in its
students, encouraging them to use their skills and knowledge to
benefit others.
Cornell’s main campus is frequently described as one of the most
beautiful in the United States. Spread over 745 acres of gardens,
fields, and woods crisscrossed by gorges, waterfalls, and creeks,
it includes more than 260 buildings ranging in age from mid-
Victorian to early 21st century and offers spectacular views of
Cayuga Lake and the surrounding countryside.
About Ithaca
Ithaca, New York, is a small city with a big-city outlook. With about
29,000 year-round residents, Ithaca is remarkable for the diversity
and erudition of its population, its commitment to the arts and civic
life, and the natural beauty of its environment. Located in the heart
of the Finger Lakes region, the city is spread over rolling hills at the
southern tip of Cayuga Lake and offers a pleasing study in contrasts
between pastoral countryside and urban living, well-preserved
19th-century buildings and modern amenities, tree-lined residential
neighborhoods and a lively downtown, traditional sensibilities and
cutting-edge experimentation.
Ithaca has much to offer in the form of entertainment and leisure
activities. There are restaurants to suit every taste, occasion, and
budget: fast food and French bistro fare, sushi and submarine
sandwiches, tapas and tacos, as well as Greek gyros, Middle Eastern
pitas, and pizza in every shape and size. Shoppers can choose from
among the weekend farmers market on the waterfront, specialty
stores on the downtown commons, retail chains in the south end
of town, or the malls in the northeast. Outdoor enthusiasts can
hike miles of state and local park trails, bike the hilly terrain, sail
or paddle on the lake, and go skiing, snowboarding, and tubing
at the Greek Peak resort in nearby Virgil. Wine connoisseurs will
appreciate the Finger Lakes wine trails, which provide access to one
of the great wine-making regions in the United States.
For more information about visiting and staying in Ithaca,
see visitithaca.com.

Montreal

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Washington, D.C.
 For More Information
Undergraduate Admissions
Cornell University
349 Pine Tree Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
Telephone: 607.255.5241
E-mail: transfer@cornell.edu
Web: admissions.cornell.edu
Experience Cornell online:
cornell.edu/video
cornell.edu/cubiquitous

Cornell University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer.

Photos by Cornell University Photography
Produced by Office of Publications and Marketing at Cornell University
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Cornell University
Undergraduate Transfer Admissions
349 Pine Tree Road
Ithaca, New York 14850