Transfer Option Frequently Asked Questions

The TO allows us to continue to work with a select group of talented applicants whom we did not admit but who remain committed to Cornell and the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration.

No. All decisions are final and there is no appeal process.

No. If you are not certain that you will want to transfer, we recommend that you complete the form now and withdraw later if you ultimately decide not to transfer. Saying “yes” to the transfer option is not binding and you can decide to withdraw from the transfer option at any time by communicating with the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business admissions office.

This offer is valid only for the school within the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business that extended you the transfer option. Should your interests change, you must apply as an external transfer candidate to the Cornell program that best meets your current interests.

All incoming students, including transfer students, participate in required orientation programming. In addition, you are assigned an advisor in your school’s Office of Student Services to walk you through the onboarding process.

Students may only fulfill their free elective credits during study abroad opportunities, so it may be very difficult to complete your core credits and study abroad. Individual circumstances will determine the opportunity to study abroad. Some transfer students may be advised to consider a summer abroad versus a semester abroad.

If you are interested in the CIA Alliance, we recommend that you contact Emily Franco, director of the Nolan School/CIA Alliance, for more information.

Learn More About Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Alliance

Please refer to your TO letter for specific courses you should take during your year at another institution.

We recommend you choose a school that is your next best fit and that will allow you the flexibility to take general-education and introductory-level business courses. We do not recommend attending another hospitality program, as it can be difficult to fulfill transfer credit for our hotel administration core courses through other hospitality courses. Course syllabi must receive pre-approval from our office to fulfill hotel administration core classes.

Most transfer credits will fulfill non-hotel-administration (general-education) electives and free electives. While Cornell University will accept a maximum of 60 transfer credits, only 42 credits are needed to fulfill non-hotel-administration (distributive) and free electives.

On rare occasions, the Nolan School may accept transfer credit toward core courses in the major. Up to 18 credits may be considered for transfer toward core required courses. Suggested core courses that may be considered for transfer credits include:

• HADM 1150 – Organizational Behavior and Leadership Skills
• HADM 1210 – Financial Accounting
• HADM 1410 – Microeconomics for the Service Industry

Prior to enrolling in a course  you wish to transfer into the core curriculum, please submit a syllabus and email the registrar for review at ha-registrar@cornell.edu. This should be sent before taking the course as there is no guarantee that courses will transfer as Nolan core courses. Please allow up to 10 business days for a response from the registrar.

Nolan School students are limited to a total of 15 test (AP, IB, GCE, A-level) credits toward degree requirements.

With qualifying scores, Nolan School students may be awarded AP credit only in Free Electives, with two exceptions:

• AP Microeconomics-a score of a 5 will fulfill HADM 1410
• IB Economics-a score of 7 will fulfill HADM 1410 and 3 free elective credits
• AP English Language and Composition or AP English Literature and Composition-a score of 5 will fulfill the First-Year Writing Seminar

Earning a C or better will allow earned credits to transfer. Your GPA does not transfer and is not calculated in your Cornell GPA.

In your college catalog, there will be a paragraph on the school’s credit system, and it should also provide the conversion from that credit to semester hours. If not, you may want to contact the registrar of your college to ask how these credits will convert to the semester system.

For the quarter system, we generally calculate that 1 quarter-system credit = .666 semester credits. Please note that we do not round up (e.g., if the total number of credits towards graduation requirements = 15.9, you will receive 15 credits.)

Students who have not completed the TO requirements will still be considered for transfer admission, but will be reviewed with the regular transfer applicants.

The selection committee will evaluate each application on a case-by-case basis and take into account that the applicant was offered the TO.

We have found that students who attend institutions outside the U.S. often have a difficult time fulfilling the course requirements, because the content may vary greatly from what is offered at U.S. institutions.

Pass/fail grading or written evaluations will not satisfy the TO requirements. You will be required to submit grades to the admissions committee in order to demonstrate your academic performance in the courses you are taking.

Pass/fail grades will not count for credit. To be considered a transfer student, you must complete 12 or more college credits (post-high school graduation).

No. You must receive a grade in the course for it to count toward transfer requirements and to transfer for credit to Cornell. In Cornell’s view, taking a course P/F is like not taking the course at all. If your institution has a policy that all grades are taken P/F, you must ask to have your grades uncovered to receive credit.

All students must complete two units (400 hours each) of practice credit to fulfill Nolan School graduation requirements.

Once you have matriculated to an accredited college or university at which you will complete your TO requirements, work experience may count towards, but will not exceed, one full unit (400 hours) of practice credit. See Practice Credit requirements and guidelines.

To re-apply as a TO candidate, you must submit an abbreviated TO application and required supplemental documents. The TO application will be emailed in early December.

If you did not submit the Statement of Intent form accepting the transfer option or if you declined the transfer option, you would need to begin a new Cornell external-transfer application if you re-applied.

Yes, you will need to resubmit your application for financial aid at the time of application. Please use the financial aid calculator to receive an estimated financial aid package or visit finaid.cornell.edu.

No. Interviews are not required or offered for TO applicants.