Requirements for Transfer Admission

Each year, we admit a small group of transfer students to Columbia College and The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.  Because space in the sophomore and junior classes is limited, admission is highly competitive.  We typically admit fewer than 10 percent of the applicants for transfer admission each year. Potential transfers are expected to have a minimum GPA of 3.5 overall; Columbia Engineering candidates are strongly encouraged to have a minimum GPA of 3.5 in their mathematics and science courses.

Due to the timing of the transfer process, we are generally unable to consider grades earned in the second semester of the year of application; thus, high school grades, rigor of program and standardized test scores are all important in the evaluation of transfer credentials, especially for students applying for sophomore standing. If you have applied to Columbia previously, the documents you provided at that time will not roll over; you must resubmit any information requested by this transfer application.

You must take or have taken either the SAT or the ACT to be considered for transfer admission, and the scores must be directly reported to Columbia from the appropriate testing agency. If you have previously taken the SAT Subject Tests, those scores must also be officially reported; if you have not taken the SAT Subject Tests, they are not required to be taken at the time of the transfer application.

To apply for transfer admission, you must submit the following:

• The completed online transfer application
• The $70 application fee
• An official high school transcript (from all schools attended)
• An official college transcript (from all schools attended)
• SAT or ACT scores (and TOEFL /IELTS scores if necessary; please refer English Language Proficiency Requirements for further details)  (Please hyperlink to the section on English proficiency.)
• A letter of recommendation from a college professor
• A Statement of Good Standing from the current institution

Financial Aid for Transfer Students

Columbia’s transfer admission process for is need-blind for United States citizens and permanent residents, students granted refugee visas by the United States, and citizens of Canada and Mexico. While we do not guarantee that we can meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for admitted transfer students, Columbia recently announced extensive enhancements to its undergraduate financial aid program. Columbia does not give any scholarships for academic, athletic or artistic merit. Foreign students applying for aid must understand that such aid is awarded on an extremely limited basis. Please visit the website for the Office of Financial Aid & Educational Financing for more information.

Transfer Credit

You must have completed, or be registered for, 24 points of credit (the equivalent of one year of full-time study) at another institution. No more than 64 points in Columbia College or 68 points in Columbia Engineering will be awarded as transfer credit, including points earned through AP or IB examinations. We do not grant credit for college courses taken before a student's graduation from high school. If you left high school without receiving a diploma to attend an early college program, you must apply as first-year applicants by the January 2 application deadline.  Course credit is not given for such accelerated programs except for credit earned through standardized examinations (e.g., AP, IB, A-level exams); such credit will be limited to 16 points, which is equivalent to one full semester at Columbia. For more detailed information, students should refer to the Columbia College Bulletin or The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Bulletin.

Columbia does not award transfer credit for courses that are not analogous to those available at Columbia College or Columbia Engineering; i.e., no credit is granted for courses taken in business, communications or education, as those are not undergraduate departments at Columbia.

Important Dates & Deadlines

March 15
Application deadline for transfer candidates.

April 21
All financial aid applicants must submit their FAFSA online. Transfer financial aid applicants must also submit the College Scholarship Service CSS PROFILE online. If applicable, transfer candidates must additionally submit their Non-Custodial Parent's Statement (online via the CSS Profile Web site) and/or business/farm tax information. All financial aid applicants must submit copies of their own and their parents’ 2007 federal income tax returns, including all schedules and W-2 forms.

Mid-May
Admissions decisions released to transfer candidates.

Late May/early June
Deposit deadline for admitted transfer students.

Late August
New Student Orientation Program and academic year begin.