First-year applicants will complete high school during the current academic year.

Applicants who have enrolled in a dual-enrollment or early-college program and have not yet graduated from high school, must apply as first-year applicants.

Applicants who graduated from high school but have earned fewer than 12 credits at a college or university are considered first-year candidates.

Applicants are considered transfer applicants if they have:

• Completed a high school diploma (or an equivalent)
• Earned at least 12 semester hours of college credit (not including exams such as Advanced Placement) after graduating high school

If an applicant has earned 12 or more semester hours of credit since completing high school (or earning an equivalent), they must apply as a transfer student.

If an applicant has enrolled as a full-time student at another institution, they must apply as a transfer student. 

If a student has previously earned a bachelor’s degree, they cannot apply for a second bachelor’s degree at Cornell.