Frequently Asked Questions
Do transfer students have to live on campus?
Cornell College is a residential campus so we do require students to live on campus for the duration of their enrollment, except for a small number of exceptions. We've had transfer students from 20 states live in our residence halls and we create opportunities for transfer students to live near one another to build community with shared experiences.
Do transfer students take part in orientation?
Yes! Fall transfer students take part in New Student Orientation so that we can provide them with helpful tools and resources necessary to transition to Cornell successfully.
I cannot get help from the professors at my current school. How easy it is to access Cornell faculty?
Cornell professors are first and foremost teachers and mentors. And Cornell's small classes and One Course At A Time curriculum create close learning communities where faculty and students quickly get to know one another. Your professor will only be teaching one class—the one you're enrolled in—and he or she will be accessible both in class and after class.
When will I be assigned an advisor?
Transfers are assigned an advisor immediately. The advisor can be changed at any time with no questions asked.
How does a three-credit hour class transfer into Cornell versus a four-credit hour class?
- A four-semester hour psychology course taken at a community college transfers over as one course credit at Cornell
- A three-semester hour English course taken at a community college transfers over as .75 of a Cornell course credit
Review our transfer of academic credits conversions table to learn more or contact Sharon Grice to receive a preliminary transfer credit evaluation.
How many credit hours per year do I earn at Cornell?
Our block plan is made up of eight Blocks per year (four in the fall and four in the spring). You'll earn one Cornell course credit (4 credit hours) per Block for a total of 8 Cornell course credits (32 credit hours) per year.
What are the differences between the block schedule and a semester schedule?
| One Course At A Time | Semester Plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Course credit value | Each course is valued at 4 credit hours. Cornellians earn academic credit in the same way as students on a semester plan. | Courses, typically, are valued at 3 credit hours; 4 credit hours, if they include a lab component. |
| Average daily class time | Three to five hours. | Typically, two to three hours in class (plus lab time, if applicable). |
| Average length of class | One course at a time for 18 days per block (with more actual classroom time spent than in same class on semester schedule). | Typically, four classes taken over three and one-half months. (An average of three hours per class per week.) |
| Number of courses per semester | Four (four blocks in fall semester; four in the spring semester). | Typically, four to five classes per semester. |
| Number of courses required for major | Typically, 10 to 12 courses. | Typically, 10 to 12 courses. |
| Number of courses required for graduation | 31 course credits (124 credit hours). | Typically, 32 course credits(or a minimum of 120 credit hours). |
| Faculty teaching load | Professors teach one course at a time (an average of 17 students per course); six courses per year | Professors teach three to four courses at a time with responsibility for 50 to 100 students at a small college or hundreds of students at a university. |
| Class registration | Once per year with the flexibility to change course registration any time, even mid-semester. | Once prior to the start of each semester, changes available within the first week of the semester. |
| Study abroad | Study abroad options are plentiful. Can be conducted as part of a single Cornell block course or for one to two blocks in length or for a traditional semester or full academic year. | Semester or full academic year options. |
| Internships | Full-time, credit-bearing (in some cases) internship opportunities of one to two blocks in length, with the flexibility to pursue them in the summer and during the school year, across the nation and around the world. | Typically, time availability and location are limited as students must combine with semester and campus-based courses. |