Transfer Students

We welcome applicants to transfer for both our spring and fall semester programs. Typically, our largest transfer cohort applies to start in the fall. Each year, our enrollment and financial aid availability fluctuates for transfers, making our transfer process more difficult to predict than our first-year process. Please check with our transfer program coordinator for more information on this year's space and financial aid availability.

Determining if you should apply as a first-year or transfer student can be complicated. Therefore, we offer the following guidance to determine eligibility for transfer applicants:

First-Year Applicant

Any applicant who has not yet graduated from high school (even having already earned AP, IB, or college credit) and who has not been enrolled as a degree-seeking student at another college or university should apply as a first-year candidate.
Note: First-year students may only transfer up to eight blocks (one year) of CC credit upon enrolling.

Transfer Applicant

Colorado College requires transfer applicants to have completed a full semester of college work, or to have already earned/completed college credit, at the time they submit their application. Therefore, any applicant who has been a regular status, degree-seeking college student and has already earned at least one semester of college credit at the time of application should apply as a transfer student using the Transfer Common Application.
Note: Transfer students may only transfer up to 16 blocks (two years) of CC credit upon enrolling AND are expected to complete 16 blocks (two years) in order to graduate.

Multiple Attempts to Transfer Policy

Students are allowed to submit two applications to transfer to Colorado College. If they are denied both times, the student will no longer be able to submit subsequent applications. Please be sure to only apply for transfer when you are intending to transition for the next possible semester entry point at Colorado College.

Students who applied as a first-year student will not have this application count toward their transfer application limit and will be considered a first-time applicant in the transfer program. However, previous offers of admission to Colorado College as a first-year applicant do not guarantee admission to Colorado College as a transfer student.

To be considered by our admission committee, you'll need to submit the following items by the decision plan deadline. There is no fee to apply to Colorado College.

Transfer Common Application

We accept only the Transfer Common Application for students seeking to transfer to Colorado College. We recommend all students begin by submitting the Preliminary Application.

If you are applying for financial aid, a complete financial aid application is required before our team will even review your file. Our financial aid deadlines match our admission deadlines for all rounds.

Writing Supplement

In addition to the required essay(s) for the application of your choice, all applicants will be required to complete one Supplemental Essay for their application to be considered complete.

On Colorado College's Block Plan, students immerse themselves in one class at a time, fostering deep engagement and courageous conversations with peers and professors. We embrace diverse perspectives, encouraging students to think differently.   

In seeking to identify students who will thrive at CC, we’d like to know more about your background and experiences.   

In answering one of the prompts below, feel free to highlight any aspects of your self-identity that will help us know you better. This could include, but is not limited to, gender identity, first-generation status, race, ethnicity, political views, socioeconomic background, spirituality, or geographic origin.  With respect to race in particular, please note that in a 2023 majority decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, Chief Justice John Roberts stated, “Nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected the applicant’s life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”  

• Tell us about a time when you learned from an experience that challenged your perspective. 
• Provide one or two specific examples from your life that demonstrate your potential to advance CC’s commitment to antiracism. 
• Describe how your personal experiences with a particular community make you a student who would benefit from Colorado College’s Block Plan.

Visit our 2023-24 Supplemental Essay page for further tips and insights. Recommended length: 250 to 300 words.

Personal Statement

Attached to the Common Application, your personal statement should briefly tell us about you and your story. You may want to include why you are transferring, as well as commentary about your academic goals and personal aspirations. We recommend limiting your personal statement to one, single-spaced page, though you are welcome to write more.

High School and College Transcript(s)

We require official copies of all of your secondary and higher education transcripts. If you have only completed a semester of college work, we will weigh your high school performance with heavier consideration. If you are finishing your second year of college, we will weigh your three graded semesters more than your high school experience.

Final Secondary School Transcript(s)

We require an official copy of your final secondary (high) school transcript(s) for all secondary schools previously attended. This is required regardless of the number of years you have been in a college/university setting and/or the number of years that you have been out of high school.

College/University Transcript(s)

We require an official copy of your college/university transcript(s) for all institutions you've attended. If possible, please include a transcript which denotes your current semester courses.

Self-Reported Transcript Policy

Although the Transfer Common Application allows you to self-report a copy of your secondary and higher education transcripts, we require an official copy of your college/university transcript in order to release a decision on your application. We invite you to self-report a copy of your transcript(s) which may allow us to start reviewing your application while we await the receipt of your official transcript. An official at your college/university must submit your official transcript to our Office of Admission (and can email it to admission@coloradocollege.edu). Please be sure to request copies of your transcript in advance of our application deadline to ensure time for your school(s) to process and provide your transcript(s).

College Course Descriptions

You will need to submit a document of your own creation that includes course descriptions for all college/university courses you have completed and/or are currently enrolled in. We recommend copying and pastying these directly from your institution's course catalog, which can typically be located on the registrar's website. Please refer to this example and feel free to reach out to us with any questions.

College Report

Colorado College requires a completed copy of the College Official's Report to release a decision regarding admission. An official at your current institution must submit this to our Office of Admission.

If you are unsure of whom to contact at your current institution, we recommend contacting the dean of students, Office of the Registrar, or your faculty/staff advisor to identify the appropriate contact.

Accessing the College Report: The college report is an offline form within the Transfer Common Application platform. Applicants can access a copy in the common portion of the application in the supporting information section under 'Documents' or you can download a PDF copy.

Academic Evaluations (Academic Recommendations)

We require two academic evaluations/recommendations from two college/university professors. While we strongly prefer to have both recommendations from a college/university professor, a recommendation from a secondary (high) school teacher, high school counselor, supervisor, coach, and/or others would also be acceptable for the second recommendation. Letters of recommendation must be submitted by the recommender to our office; recommendations submitted by the students will not be counted as "official."

When completing the Common Application, you will be required to provide contact information for at least one faculty recommender in order to submit your application. Other recommendations can be provided directly to admission@coloradocollege.edu if not submitted through the Common Application.

Additional recommendation letters from teachers, high school counselors, supervisors, coaches, and/or others are accepted.

Financial Aid Application (if applicable)

The financial aid application consists of the FAFSA, CSS Profile, and more, and is only required if you are  applying for financial aid. These materials are due along with your admission application, by our stated deadlines. Please visit our financial aid page for more information.

Standardized Test Scores

Many students believe their SAT or ACT scores accurately and positively reflect their academic abilities and give a more comprehensive view of achievement and potential. We will continue to evaluate all applicants, including those who choose to submit their test scores, in a holistic manner. We do not use an arbitrary cutoff point for admission consideration, and test scores are not the ultimate deciding factor in our process. We will closely consider your academic preparation (grades, course selection, course rigor, counselor evaluation, teacher recommendations) as well as the personal statement, supplement responses, and school/community involvement.

There will not be a negative impact on your application evaluation if you opt not to submit testing. We will not make any assumptions on that choice, and students will be given equal consideration in our holistic evaluation approach.

Please visit our Test-Optional page for exceptions and more information regarding our testing policy.

Virtual Interview Opportunity
We offer virtual interview slots with our admission ambassadors (current students). While not required, they are highly recommended and an excellent way to learn more about CC and express your interest in our school. It's also an opportunity for you to ask your specific questions about Colorado College and our unique Block Plan. 

Prior to requesting an off-campus or virtual interview, please confirm that you already have your Colorado College applicant portal information available. If you do not have an existing Colorado College applicant portal, please fill out our preliminary application. You will not be able to request a virtual interview without an existing Colorado College applicant portal.

Art Supplements

If you're interested in the arts, we invite you to submit an optional art supplement in visual art, music, dance, theatre, creative writing, or film. You may upload media for your art supplement to your applicant portal after submitting the Preliminary Application. 

Colorado College evaluates transfer applicants for admission using the college/university transcript(s) provided by the applicant. Upon preparing to offer admission, an evaluation of applicable transfer credit will be generated by the Office of the Registrar. This evaluation of transfer credits will be provided to the student upon admission.

Students will work with the Advising Hub and faculty advisors to determine major standing and requirements upon enrolling at Colorado College. Transfer applicants are able to declare any major or minor upon enrolling, though CC cannot guarantee successful degree completion within 16 blocks (see guidelines below) should all credits not transfer into a major.

Transfer Credit Guidelines

• A transfer student can only transfer in a maximum of 16 CC units, combined total, (AP, IB, other college).
• Language courses taken online will not complete Colorado College's all-college language requirement.
• One Colorado College unit is equivalent to four semester hours, or six quarter hours. Grades do not transfer to Colorado College and are not calculated into the Colorado College GPA.
• Credit can be awarded for liberal arts courses taken in disciplines not offered by CC upon review by the registrar. If approved, these courses will be awarded general elective credit.
• Students may receive credit for courses toward the general education and graduation requirements, but not all credits may transfer directly into a major/minor program.
• For college study during secondary school, please see additional requirements listed under Advanced Placement credit. Courses taken in disciplines offered at Colorado College are evaluated by the registrar in consultation with department chairs or program directors. The department chair or program director is the final authority on credit earned in his/her discipline. If seeking credit for AP/IB/dual enrollment courses from secondary school, please provide official copies of the score report and/or transcript(s) along with your application.

Transfer Credit Evaluation for Coursework Completed at Other Institutions

Colorado College does accept transfer credit for previous college work completed by a student. The following is a set of guidelines used in awarding of academic credit from an accredited institution or approved program.

• To earn credit at Colorado College, all transfer credit must come from a regionally accredited, degree-granting college or university (including community colleges), or a program preapproved by the CC Center for Global Education and Field Study. Online coursework follows these same standards.
• Courses must be substantially similar to Colorado College courses, and cannot duplicate, overlap, or regress from previous work.
• Course descriptions/syllabi for each course may also be requested in order to confirm credit for individual courses.
• Students who have completed work at other colleges and who wish to have this work credited toward a CC degree must have official transcripts from those colleges sent directly to the registrar at Colorado College.
• A letter grade of 'C-' or higher is required to earn transfer credit. 'D+' and below will not earn transfer credit at Colorado College. Courses for which a Pass or Satisfactory was earned at another college will earn credit at Colorado College ONLY if the college can provide verification that the student passed with a letter grade of "C-" or higher.

Writing Requirement for Transfers

It's possible to complete the writing requirement with transfer work, but there are only a few options. Please visit the Writing Center webpage to find out more.

All-College Requirements for Transfers

Starting with the Spring Semester 2021, transfer students will have their credit evaluation measured by the General Education Program adopted in Fall 2020.

Transfer students generally are waived of the requirement to complete the First-Year Program (FYP) though may elect to enroll in an FYP course if desired.