pacificvista

ok. I know that Cornell has different schools and some of them are more difficult to get into than others. Is it difficult to be an 'internal' transfer? how does that work? What about taking classes at other colleges- do you HAVE to major in what college you're in? I am confused.

ResurgamBell

cornell is aware of the loopholes used to get into unique programs such as "aem" by applying to a school with laxer admission standards but the transfers still happen but it's harder to get into certain programs like aem.

ILR to CAS is common. You just have to take 1 ILR course and get a 3.0 for the semester in order to be able to transfer.

Yes you have to major in the college you go to. You can take classes in any college at cornell even if it's not related to your major. There are certain restrictions for specific majors/programs but in general yes.

Let us know what major(s) you're interested in and we can be more helpful.

pacificvista

I am interested in being a biology/neuroscience major/ history minor. So far, I want to eventually go to med school or go to law school. I think I am interested in CAS, but I know they have the lowest acceptance rate. Also, does internal transferring happen often? (I doubt everyone knows EXACTLY what they want to do when they first apply) And are transfers "looked down upon"?

ResurgamBell

i think CAS is your best fit. the reason it has the lowest acceptance rate is because CAS is the largest school at cornell and it's where everyone who doesnt know about cornell applies to...

Feral24

i thought AAP was lower than CAS

ResurgamBell

probably feral...but CAS is competitive...and i dont think he has any interest in AAP so he shouldnt even be looking at that school...

pacificvista

umm ... okay- thanks; yeah thats what I was thinking but I've looked at stats and the admittance rate is in the mid-teens. What about internal transfer thing? does it really matter a lot of if you transfer from different colleges within cornell. Also, does it affect your transcript in anyway- because I have an odd feeling that switching colleges isn't painless.

ResurgamBell

so you're saying you want to apply to a school that isnt CAS to increase your chances of getting into cornell?

not a good idea, especially if you cant show how you fit into schools like CALS (the only other school where you could do biology...maybe ENGR)

TchaikovskyPiano

You can't really do biology in engineering unless you actually want to major in biological engineering. First year classes will largely be calculus, physics, and some technical classes.

OP: It is generally a bad idea to choose a college strategically in terms of admissions. Internal transfers don't always work if you don't get good grades your first year, or can't demonstrate good reason to transfer schools. Admissions is also heavily based on fit; just because CAS has a lower acceptance rate, it does not necessarily mean that colleges with higher ones will be easier for you to get into.

Feral24

@resurgam - oh i know, i was just mentioning that i thought AAP had the lowest rate, not that i wanted him to apply there instead