So I’m a little confused and if anyone has some knowledge about this then the input would be great. I guess I was denied at Cornell for this admissions round but when I read the text it said
“Within the next few days you will receive notification from the undergraduate college to which you’ve applied that you are being offered a transfer option. Please contact the college directly if you have any questions.”
Could anyone clear up what this means? Am I denied for this round but may be considered as a transfer student later on? Or is this like a wait list of sorts? Anyways thanks so much for any answer about this, because to be honest I’m truly confused.
This is a great transfer option. If you meet their requirements during your freshman year in a community college or state university- get a minimum GPA of 3 and take the required courses. You are pretty much guaranteed that they will take you for sophomore. My son took the option and went to Binghamton for one year. He is now doing well and very happy in Cornel
Each college at Cornell has its own transfer procedure and GPA minimum. You will get a letter. Take the specified classes and get the specified grades and transfer is automatic.
Here’s an article with more background:
http://cornellsun.com/blog/2013/09/30/guest-room-inside-cornells-guarantee-transfer-system/
Here’s a New York Times article on Cornell’s guaranteed transfer program with some perspective from other universities:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/education/11accept.html?_r=0
Is the gpa the overall freshman gpa you need? Or is it what you need to have(or above) each quarter?
Each department has a slightly different requirement for minimum GPA. It is the overall but all your classes must have no Cs. I think it is important to have good grades at the beginning and through the middle of the year when they evaluate your grades since you need to submit your grades for the first semester and submit your mid-term grades on the second semester. My son ended up with one C after he was admitted for transfer, they kept him-but he had good grades until his final exam because he got sick. His GPA was 3.3. He is now actually doing better in Cornell then his old college! Go figure.
If this was your decision notification letter is it for sure that you have a guaranteed transfer option? Or should I wait for the letter from IRL to be sure that this is happening?
Congrats on the GT!! The GPA requirements are pretty straightforward—you just need a 3.0 or above every academic term (3.5 if you’re in AEM or Biological Sciences) with nothing below a B.
Try to plan out your schedule beforehand so that you’ll be able to complete all the requirements and take some fun classes on the side. For example, I’ve finished the requirements for my major, and all my classes this quarter are based on field trips 
@Coriander23 so this letter is for a guarantee transfer spot? If so, I’m really excited about the opportunity it affords me. Will they contact me about the specifics of this in the near future? Thanks to all who have helped me understand this strange decision!