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How to Apply to Fordham as a Transfer Student

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We Make Transferring an Easy Choice

We know that transferring colleges is a big deal. Fordham is dedicated to helping transfer students during their transition to their new college community. As a transfer student, you will be encouraged to nurture your desire for learning and to participate in Fordham's five-century-old tradition of Jesuit education. Fordham is a place where our core curriculum helps you to develop a capacity for critical thought before you ever choose a major. Your education will be dynamic, challenging you to gain a greater insight into your academics.

Fordham is a stepping stone to the world, which you’ll find through endless opportunities in New York City. Are you ready for the next step? We'll walk you through the application process.

Why Should You Transfer?

Is Fordham right for you?

Learn more about what we are looking for

Admission Facts

Learn more about our students

Required application components for transfer students

The following items are required when submitting your application.

  • Common Application

    • When completing the Common Application, you will be required to submit one essay. An applicant may select any of the Common Application essay prompts.

    • The transfer application fee is $80

      Our institution proudly participates in the following fee waiver programs:

    • An applicant whose financial circumstances would pose a major barrier to applying to college can demonstrate their financial need by meeting one of the indicators outlined in the Common Application. Please refer to this information in the Personal Information section of the Common Application. If one or more of the guidelines apply to you, you will automatically qualify to have your Common Application fees waived.

    • We are pleased to offer waived application fees for community college students who are a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK). If you indicate you are a PTK member in the Program Materials section of the Common Application, your application fee will automatically be waived.

    • We are pleased to offer waived application fees for members and dependents of members of the US Armed Forces. If you indicate you are a veteran on the Common Application, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission at [email protected] to receive an application fee waiver.
    • Required from all institutions attended, even if you were a part-time or non-matriculated student.

    • Under the Academic History quadrant of your Common Application, select the Colleges Attended section, and complete the steps to order your transcript.

    • Official transcripts may also be emailed or mailed to the Office of Admission directly by your institution.

    • Additionally, we accept unofficial college/university transcripts directly from the applicant and this may be uploaded to the Optional Documents ‘Unofficial College Transcript' section of the Common Application prior to submission, uploaded to the Fordham applicant portal after Common Application submission, or can be emailed to the Office of Admission at [email protected].

    • Students who have completed international university coursework must have their transcript evaluated by World Education Services (WES) or another NACES-accredited evaluation service to be considered for potential transfer credit. Evaluations are not required for international institutions accredited by a United States regional accrediting organization.
    • To be eligible for transfer admission, an applicant is required to have graduated from high school or received a high school equivalency diploma.

    • We accept unofficial high school transcripts directly from the applicant and this may be uploaded to the Optional Documents ‘High School Transcript' section of the Common Application prior to submission, uploaded to the Fordham applicant portal after Common Application submission, or can be emailed to the Office of Admission at [email protected].

    • An official high school transcript or exam results may instead be sent to Fordham directly by your high school or the equivalency exam testing agency.

    • Fordham accepts the GED, TASC, HiSet, and CHSPE as high school equivalency exams.

    • All students who are admitted and enroll at Fordham must submit an official, final high school transcript, or official high school equivalency exam results, prior to the start of classes. In order for a document to be considered official, it must be sent to us directly by your high school or equivalency exam test center. Official documents will not be accepted from the applicant.

  • Transfer College Report

    • An academic official at the institution you currently or most recently attended should complete all portions of the transfer college report. Typically, your institution's Registrar's Office or an academic dean may complete this document.

    • The purpose of this form is to confirm your academic standing. Please be sure all questions are answered on the form.

    • A letter of good standing from a school official that addresses all questions listed on the form can serve as a substitute.

    • Please download the Transfer College Report editable pdf and send it via email to your school administrator. Your institution may complete the form and then email it to us at [email protected].

    • When complete, your institution should email or mail the document to us directly. Please note that we are unable to accept the Transfer College Report directly from an applicant.
    • All international students whose native language is not English are expected to submit recent results from the TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test.

    • International students who are not submitting these required results must complete the English Language Proficiency Test Waiver Request Form linked within the online applicant portal after an application has been officially submitted. Please refer to our international students website for more information.

  • Transfer Equivalency Self-Service (TESS) is a tool designed to help prospective transfer students determine how their transfer credits may be accepted at Fordham and how those credits may apply toward an intended degree.

    Step 1: Create an Account so that you can save your preliminary degree audit and return to it at a later date to update your selections or share with your college’s transfer advisor. Only prospective transfer students should create an account. If you are a counselor, parent, or other community member, please utilize the ‘Continue without signing in’ option.

    Step 2: Answer a few questions about when you wish to transfer and what your intended major is.

    • Enrollment Dates: Select the term in which you plan to enter Fordham
    • Intended Level: Select Undergraduate
    • Intended Degree: Select either Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, or Bachelor of Science
      • If your intended college is Fordham College at Lincoln Center, you may select BA, BFA, or BS
      • If your intended college is Fordham College at Rose Hill, you may select BA or BS
      • If your intended college is the Gabelli School of Business, please select BS
    • Intended College: Depending on your Intended Degree, select either Fordham College at Lincoln Center, Fordham College at Rose Hill, or the Gabelli School of Business
    • Intended Major: Select the major you plan to pursue
    • Intended Concentration: Select if you plan to pursue a major in Business Administration or Global Business in the Gabelli School of Business. Otherwise, select ‘None’
    • Intended Minor: Select a minor you plan to pursue. This is an optional field.

    Step 3: Select your institution and class information

    • Search for the name of your college/university. Search for ‘Advanced Placement’ if you wish to add AP scores.
    • Select the course you have completed or will complete. For each course, you will be required to enter the term you wish to enroll at Fordham, number of credit hours received/expected, final grade received/expected, and the type of credits earned (semester, trimester, or quarter hours).
    • Select ‘Add another class from this school’ or select ‘Proceed’.
    • Repeat this step so that courses from all institutions you have previously attended or currently attend are included.

    At this time, we are able to provide transfer credit information for a limited number of institutions. If your institution is not listed, or if you cannot find a specific class in the database, you will find out how your credits transfer after you have applied and been admitted. Additional institutions and classes are regularly added to the transfer database.

    Step 4: Review your preliminary transfer credit evaluation and degree audit

    • The results page will indicate how your courses will be accepted for transfer credit and how these courses will apply toward your intended degree.
    • Download and save the PDF of your degree audit. If you are admitted as a transfer student, you may provide this document to the Director of Transfer Students for Fordham College Rose Hill & Lincoln Center or Transfer Dean for Gabelli School of Business.
    • If you have created an account, save your work by clicking on the disk icon in the top right hand corner of the website.

    Please note that the preliminary transfer credit evaluation and degree audit is not official. The degree audit should be used as a guide to help you understand how your courses taken at previous institutions may transfer to Fordham and apply toward your degree requirements. Official transfer credit evaluations are not completed until you have been admitted and have submitted official transcripts. At the time of admission, you will be connected with the Director of Transfer Students for Fordham College Rose Hill & Lincoln Center or Transfer Dean for Gabelli School of Business, who will assist you in this process. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

    This tool is for prospective transfer students. Current students must contact their advisor/class dean to request approval before taking coursework outside of Fordham.

  • Prior to applying, a student attending another college or university may utilize our transfer credit equivalency database to determine how their credits are transferable. At this time, we are able to provide transfer credit information for a limited number of institutions. Please refer to the above section for more information.

    If your institution is not listed in our database, or if you cannot find a specific class in the database, you will find out how your credits transfer after you have applied and been admitted. At that time, we will connect you with the Director of Transfer Students for Fordham College Rose Hill & Lincoln Center or Transfer Dean for Gabelli School of Business, who will provide you a transfer credit evaluation of all previous courses completed.

    We encourage admitted students to wait to submit an enrollment deposit until after their transfer credit evaluation has been completed.

  • Admitted transfer students will receive a Preliminary Transfer Credit Evaluation (P-TCE) within 2-3 weeks after being admitted. In addition, a transfer student's online admission letter provides the contact information for the Director of Transfer Students for Fordham College Rose Hill & Lincoln Center or Transfer Dean for Gabelli School of Business.  Admitted transfer students should contact the Director of Transfer Students for Fordham College Rose Hill & Lincoln Center or the Transfer Dean for Gabelli School of Business with any questions regarding their P-TCE.

    If you attend an institution that can be found in our Transfer Equivalency Self-Service (TESS) tool, your P-TCE will be prepared according to the information in TESS. We recommend that you save a copy of your degree audit when using TESS and provide this to the Director of Transfer Students for Fordham College Rose Hill & Lincoln Center or Transfer Dean for Gabelli School of Business upon admission.

    The Director of Transfer Students for Fordham College Rose Hill & Lincoln Center or Transfer Dean for Gabelli School of Business will determine which courses will transfer to fulfill Fordham's core curriculum requirements. To determine how many credits transfer into a student's intended major, they may consult with the Associate Chair of the relevant academic department.

  • Fordham University accepts a maximum of 60 credit hours towards degree completion in our three undergraduate colleges (Fordham College at Lincoln Center, Fordham College at Rose Hill, and the Gabelli School of Business). Students are required to complete at least two years of full-time coursework, for a total of 120-124 credits (depending on the program), in order to receive a Fordham degree. Students who have over 60 credit hours may instead consider applying to Fordham’s School of Professional and Continuing Studies.

    Approved courses taken at a regionally accredited two-year or four-year college or university will likely transfer to Fordham as either core curriculum credit or elective credit if the courses meet the below criteria. Fordham also accepts AP and IB coursework for transfer students.

    Courses will be considered for transfer if:

    • 3 or more credit hours
    • Grade received is a C or higher (2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale)
    • Pass/Fail grades will be accepted and considered for credit for students completing Spring 2020 and Summer 2020 coursework only. Pass/fail grades will not be accepted or considered for credit for students completing coursework before Spring 2020 or from Fall 2020 and beyond
    • Online coursework will be accepted and considered for credit for students completing Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Summer 2021, Fall 2021, and Spring 2022 coursework
    • Course description is similar to a course offered at Fordham. Often, if a course is not similar to courses offered at Fordham, the class may still be transferable as elective credit
    • Course is approved by the Director of Transfer Students for Fordham College Rose Hill & Lincoln Center or Transfer Dean for Gabelli School of Business

    Courses will not be considered for transfer if:

    • Grade is lower than a C (below a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale)
    • Course has fewer than 3 credits (certain science labs may be accepted)
    • Please see our college coursework policy for courses taken prior to high school graduation, such as dual enrollment
    • Course is not approved by the Director of Transfer Students for Fordham College Rose Hill & Lincoln Center or Transfer Dean for Gabelli School of Business
    • Course credit is for a prior learning experience, including, but not limited to, U.S. Armed Forces credit, and CLEP or DANTES examination results

    Will my GPA transfer or will I start with a new GPA at Fordham?
    A student's GPA from Fordham will be based on the student's performance in Fordham courses alone. Grades from previous institutions will not be included in the calculation of a Fordham GPA.

  • In general, we advise prospective transfer students to focus on completing college coursework that will fulfill requirements in Fordham’s robust core curriculum. This will ensure a higher likelihood of your coursework being accepted for transfer credit. If a student pursues coursework within a specific major prior to Fordham, we advise that you focus on introductory classes, as more advanced level classes within a major may be more challenging to transfer. 

    Additionally, we recommend students seeking advice on what courses to take at their current college or university to consult with their current academic advisors.

    Fordham College at Lincoln Center and Fordham College at Rose Hill Applicants
    We encourage students who are pursuing majors in the liberal arts and sciences to review the below resources as a guide. This information will allow you to explore the requirements for graduation at Fordham, and then select similar coursework at your current institution. 

    Resources:

    Please note that all students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (with the exception of psychology majors enrolled in the pre-health program) must complete a foreign language requirement. Students are required to take a language placement exam, which will place them in the appropriate language requirement sequence. In order to fulfill the language requirement, a student must complete all courses in the sequence leading up to and including an exit-level (2001) course. Typically, most transfer students do not have the required foreign language sequence complete when transferring.
     
    Gabelli School of Business Applicants
    We encourage students who are pursuing majors in business to review the below resources as a guide. This information will allow you to explore the requirements for graduation at Fordham, and then select coursework at your current institution that is similar. 

    Resources:

    Please note that there are specific prerequisite courses needed to be considered for transfer admission to the Gabelli School of Business at Rose Hill and the Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center. Please refer to our Gabelli Transfer Admission Requirements section for more detailed information. A student must have the prerequisite courses completed prior to their entry to Fordham University.
     
    Please note that the Gabelli School of Business has two different core curriculums running simultaneously. If it is at all possible, students will be placed in the Integrated Business Core curriculum as seen in the information links above. In the event that transferring into this curriculum causes a significant loss of transfer credits, students will only at this time be placed in our Traditional Business Core curriculum.

  • Admitted transfer students will receive a formal Preliminary Transfer Credit Evaluation (P-TCE) about two weeks after being admitted. The P-TCE document will be issued to you via email. Admitted transfer students should follow up on their P-TCE by contacting the Dean/Director indicated in their admission letter. Students who have previously completed coursework at international universities must have their transcripts evaluated by WES before contacting the dean. This can be done before or after depositing.

Selecting a College and a Campus

Fordham students enter the subway near the Lincoln Center campus

Optional application components for transfer students

The following items are optional when submitting your application.

    • Submission of the SAT and/or ACT is optional for all applicants.

    • If a student chooses to submit SAT or ACT testing, Fordham will accept official scores from the testing agency or from the student's high school/secondary school counselor.

    • If a student chooses to submit SAT or ACT testing, or is required to submit English language proficiency test results, Fordham will also accept unofficial (self-reported) scores. After submitting the Common Application, you may only self-report scores using the form in your Fordham applicant portal.

    • International students whose first language is not English must demonstrate their proficiency through English language proficiency test results. Fordham will accept official scores from the testing agency or from the student's high school/secondary school counselor.

    • Additional information regarding our testing policy is available on our website.
    • Letters of recommendation are not required for transfer applicants.

    • If you elect to submit a recommendation, a letter from a faculty member is preferred.

    • You may request your recommender to submit their letter via the Common Application or by emailing Fordham directly at [email protected].

Deadlines for transfer student applicants

Applicant Type Common Application Open for Submission Application Deadline Notification Date
Fall Semester Admission  November 1 June 1 Rolling basis beginning March 15
Spring Semester Admission August 1 November 1 Rolling basis beginning October 24

While University housing will be available for Fall 2025 transfer students, please be aware that some first-year transfer students may be placed in on-campus upperclass residence halls if a first-year residence hall is unavailable. Upperclass transfer students admitted for Fall 2025 will be placed in upperclass residence halls on or off campus. Due to space constraints, housing availability may be limited for spring transfers.

Students who were not accepted with housing can follow up with the Office of Residential Life and sign up on the housing waitlist.

International students who need to apply for a visa to attend Fordham should note that we cannot guarantee sufficient time for the visa process for applications completed after November 15.

  • Application materials can be sent to Fordham in one of the following ways:

    • Via the Common Application by uploading it to the Optional Documents section
      • Please select this option if you have not yet submitted your Common Application. Please do not send documents via the Common Application after you have submitted your application.

    • Via the Upload Materials option in your Fordham applicant portal
      • Please select this option if you have already submitted your Common Application.

    • Via email to [email protected]

    • Via mail to: Fordham University, Office of Undergraduate Admission, 441 E. Fordham Rd., Bronx, NY 10458
      • Application materials for both campus locations should be mailed to this address.