Agree, word is that they are eliminating the transfer option.
1 Like
Ahh, ok. Iām citing how things were a couple years ago.
I was never a fan of the sophomore transfer option.
And considering the amount of space they have, Iām shocked at the inability to have enough housing. There was a housing shortage my freshman year there, nearly 35 years ago: they were converting lounges into rooms and offering incentives to students to turn their doubles into triples.
2 Likes
Any international who got in without IDOC being asked??
My knowledge of the transfer option is second hand, but my student on campus has heard this is true and her advisor mentioned it as well. I also heard that TOs given for fall 2024 were denied acceptance.
1 Like
Thanks, guys. We are a āweakā legacy if it makes anyone feel better. My father and grandfather (other side) both got PhDs there, i.e. DSās great- and grand.
My DS is a sweet kid and I know his letters were probably very strong, judging from the narratives from those teachers on report cards. I think what may have done him in is that he had no distinguishing awards except a couple of golds on National Latin.
Iāll also say that Iāve been a HS teacher for almost 30 years (started 1996!) and sometimes this just happens. Great kids do not get in where youāre sure they have a really good shot. Iām advising a student right now who is a sophomore in a well-regarded public university who I really thought would get into one of the fancy-schmancies. Iāve also had students get into one fancy-schmancy and not another.
It was a rough night, but DS does have an admission in hand to a rolling public, so he knows he will land OK. His best friend and his cousin were also deferred from their EDs last night, so he is in good company.
6 Likes
Denying the transfer option to students that met the requirements is a rumor that has no real confirmation other than one random post on Reddit last spring.
For all intents and purposes, itās a guaranteed option if you meet all of the grade and course requirements during freshman year at a different school. They cannot use the term āguaranteedā but it pretty much is IF you meet the gpa and course requirements.
2 Likes
Congratulations 
thats so exciting! Can you please share her stats if you donāt mind? Looking for some insights for my daughter applying RD
1 Like
My Cornell studentās advisor told my student (and a few others - all at the same time) that there were denials this past Spring despite meeting the GPA and course requirements, and that Cornell was going to get rid of the TO for the Brooks School, but they might still offer TOs in ILR and other programs. Weāll see what happens!
1 Like
Cornell does reject ED applicants. Apparently they deferred only 21% of ED applicants last admissions cycle (not sure how accurate this is, however). This seems equivalent to the number of deferrals for other similar schools such as Brown (15-30%), UPenn (15-20%), or Columbia (20-25%). However, Harvardās deferral of REA applicants is something like 83%. Other schools such as USC defer all other EA applicants who are not initially accepted. Therefore know that your student definitely is in the minority and still has a chance at acceptance.
3 Likes
Thank you, this is really helpful to know. DS had another friend who was rejected (not deferred) from Princetonās SCEA yesterday. I think it must really vary by school. I know that MIT defers many people who later get in, for example.
1 Like
I am an alum here. What I donāt understand is that some kids get deferred and offered guaranteed sophomore transfer. Has this been a thing for many years? When my D21 applied to ED, she was deferred and eventually denied at RD. However, I saw one kid in Class of 22 (same high school) got guaranteed sophomore transfer. He just went to Fordham and transferred in sophomore year. His dad is an alum. Itās just weird that some get offered this transfer opportunity while others donāt.
My understanding is that not all of the Cornell colleges participate in TO. But yes, TO has been going on for a very long time. I havenāt seen any stats directly from Cornell but have read elsewhere between 500-700 students/year are offered TO. I have no idea if thatās accurate since itās not coming directly from the university.
My understanding is the TO option is most often given to legacies. Most donāt actually accept ā so itās a way of avoiding outright rejection of legacies.
I think to legacies who pay their annual dues.
I was at Cornell in the late 90s and guaranteed transfer was a thing back then. I had several friends who came in that way.
The same way some get in and some donāt. Its not a legacy thing. But I donāt think its an option at every school. Kids I know now are ILR.
2 Likes
Thanks. I was there in the mid 80s. There was no such thing as TO back then. I was at their AAP (arch art & planning)
I graduated from Cornell in ā92 and someone in my HS was admitted TO to HumEc
1 Like
I think youāre confusing deferral with transfer option. Youāll hear that a legacy applied ED and was deferred rather than outright rejected as a way to soften the blow.
The TO is offered by some schools at Cornell, not all. Itās about enlarging the class at smaller schools. My daughter has a TO at the hotel school for next fall, and she is not a legacy. She has an advisor at Cornell that supports TO students for both Nolan and Dyson.
Iām in a Facebook group for parents of TO students. Iāve seen TO for CALS, ILR and CAS. None for COE as I donāt believe they are offered there.
Some kids end up enjoying the freshman year at their āhome schoolā and decide to stay. My daughter is having a great time and doing very well. And sheās very excited to start her sophomore year at Cornell. In many ways, Iām glad it worked out this way. Weāre saving money and sheās been able to adjust to college life without the same intensity that a place like Cornell has. Itās not the path she thought she would be on a year ago when she was applying ED to Cornell. But in the end, itās working out fine.
6 Likes
Yes, there are anywhere from 500-700 transfer students admitted each year. Whatās unknown is what percentage of that is kids who have a transfer option. Also in that mix are kids who simply applied through the regular transfer process as a college freshman or sophomore.
Kids who have a TO have to technically apply, but itās just a form saying that you want to go and submitting your grades. A regular transfer student, which Cornell has plenty of, has to do essays and submit recommendation letters, test scores and a list of extracurricular activities. Itās basically applying all over again like when they were seniors in high school.