<p>To answer ISPF72’s question, yes, the guaranteed transfer option has to be exercised after 1.5 semesters at another school. They don’t care where you go. It could be the most ratty, unchallenging two-year or four year college in America so long as it is accredited by some accreditation organization. </p>
<p>I don’t know why my D was given this option. Frankly, I was a bit surprised that she did not get accepted by Cornell outright. And I had no idea that such a thing as GTO even existed. the option does appear to be better than making the freshman waiting list. Cornell will take a tiny percentage of people off the wait list. And waitlisters that I contacted did not get the GTO. I suggested to my D that if she absolutely wanted Cornell, don’t go to hard school like Oberlin to try to get the minimum 3.0 in your first semester, go to our local community college and easily rack up a 4.0 and take the transfer. But she wants to go to Oberlin. Hopefully that means she absolutely hates the place. How do you walk away from a scholarship? We’re not rich people.</p>