Internal Transfer Guidelines

• First-year students may apply during their second semester at Cornell.
• External transfers can apply during their first semester at Cornell. However, such transfers are typically not approved unless students present a strong argument for this additional transfer.
• Students on a Leave of Absence must return to their home college/school before applying for internal transfer.
• With very few exceptions, ILR does not accept applications from current juniors or seniors. 

• You need to have taken (or be in the process of taking) one introductory economics course, (micro or macro), a first-year writing seminar, and one ILR course to apply.
• Minimum GPA: 2.8
• Residency requirements: students must complete at least 4 semesters at Cornell. 

• Contact ilradmissions@cornell.edu to speak with an Admissions Counselor about your interests and the transfer process.
• See the Internal Transfer site for information on deadlines and when the application will become available.
• Complete the Internal Transfer Application. The application includes a Personal Statement responding to the following prompt (650 words max): “Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should show us that your interests align with the ILR School.” 

• Review the Academics section of our site to learn about the curriculum and see some of the ways students tailor our program to their interests.
• Read course descriptions from all of our departments to see the full range of topics covered at the school.
• Watch our information session.
• Students thinking about an internal transfer due to concerns with career outcomes from their current major should meet with a career advisor in their current school and/or the central Office of Career Services. Many majors lead to the same jobs and graduate schools, so it is important to determine whether a transfer is necessary to achieve your goals.
• If specific courses offered or topics explored in ILR interest you, meet with an academic advisor in your current program to clarify a) all opportunities in your major to take classes in ILR, and b) how many core requirements remain in your program. Doing so will help you determine if you already have the ability to take the ILR classes that interest you without having to transfer. 

If you have any additional questions about the ILR School or internal transfer process, please contact our office at ilradmissions@cornell.edu or 607-255-2222.