Yes, you should follow all placement test procedures for incoming students. For example, all incoming students are required to take the Math Placement Test. Following that, Math has their own advanced placement procedures, which will help ensure that you start in a course that is right for you.
Ordinarily, non-transfer students in the College are granted a total of 12 quarters of enrollment (i.e., four years if taken consecutively) to complete their degree requirements. Transfer students will be allotted a prorated number of quarters based on the total units awarded to them during the transfer credit evaluation process. All transfer students will be granted a minimum of six quarters of enrollment in order to meet the College’s 1800-unit residency requirement.
Summer Quarters and quarters of non-enrollment (e.g., leave of absence, suspension) do not count against the quarters allotted. Examination credit, credit earned during the Summer Session, and courses not successfully completed by the student may also affect the rate at which a student moves toward completion of their degree. As they approach graduation, transfer students may submit an Additional Quarter of Enrollment Petition for one additional quarter of study if academically necessary for completion of the degree.
You are welcome to change your major whenever you’d like. You are not required to stick with the major you applied as, but it may be more difficult to pivot major plans. If you change your major, you should speak with their academic adviser about how your credits could be used toward the new major.
You will be allotted a number of quarters that are necessary to complete your degree, taking into account one major. The number of quarters allotted will build in some cushion, so that you can complete your major and all other graduation requirements at a reasonable pace. This might allow for the completion of a second major or a minor, depending on the details, but we cannot guarantee the ability to do so.
You can petition for an additional quarter of enrollment if it is necessary to complete major or other graduation requirements.
Depending on how your transfer credits fit into the structure of a UChicago degree program, you may need more or less than the traditional four years. You will work closely with your academic adviser to understand how many credits you need to graduate. You will make a plan that best utilizes your time. If graduating early or "on time" is a priority for you, it may require taking four classes every quarter and/or it may also require you to take summer courses. It may also not be possible to graduate early or "on time" if you do not receive many transfer credits.
Appointments are available July 20-August 14. Students often prefer to wait to meet with their academic adviser until they receive their credit evaluation. However, you are welcome to meet earlier if you’d like.
All new students are required to meet with their academic adviser once per quarter for the first year. The purpose of the required conference is to discuss your transition to UChicago, set up an academic plan based on your personal, educational, and professional goals, identify any challenges, and provide necessary support.
All new students start in the system as “first-years.” This designation is to ensure that you are supported throughout your transition to UChicago and provided some of the same benefits and opportunities as other students new to the College. After your first-year in the College, your year in school will be updated in accordance with the allotted quarters of enrollment you are granted based on your total transfer credits.
The number of quarters allotted also determines your expected graduation term (EGT); this will be officially entered into the my.uchicago system. Your graduation quarter in turn determines your year in Career Advancement’s Handshake system. If there are any issues with your internship applications in the meantime, you should reach out to careeradvancement@uchicago.edu and they will have a workaround for you.
You should request that your final official transcript be sent directly to College Admissions. Our office is unable to receive final transcripts. If you have any questions about this process, or if you are unable to meet their deadline for transcript submission, please email collegeadmissions@uchicago.edu.
Incoming students will receive communication to their UChicago email address from the College Academic and Student Services Office (casso@uchicago.edu) on how to upload required syllabi for any courses requiring additional review.
To submit any requested syllabi, you will first need to claim your CNet ID and access your UChicago email if you haven’t already done so, following the instructions outlined in the incoming student letter in your UChicago Account.
Syllabi provide the necessary information to accurately evaluate how your previous courses may or may not meet our standards for transfer credit.
If you do not have a syllabus for a course, you can send any other documentation that you might have (e.g., reading lists, exams). Please keep in mind, however, that the potential for credit may be affected. Review the Catalog here for more information.
For students transferring from a college or university utilizing a semester-format academic calendar, two standard semester-length courses are ordinarily considered equivalent to three standard quarter-length courses at the University of Chicago. This conversion rate will be incorporated into the final transfer credit evaluation as either general elective credit or as the third course in an awarded three-course sequence.
You will receive your official transfer credit evaluation in advance of the pre-registration period (August 17-21). The College Academic and Student Services Office will notify you when this is available.
The transfer credit evaluation process will enable you to begin planning and registering for courses based on prior coursework you've completed and which has been approved for credit. Students who are interested in exploring if their transferred courses might count for a different requirement may petition the relevant department or division directly to request re-evaluation. We encourage students to be in touch with their academic advisor for further guidance.
Reviewing the College Catalog will allow you to see how your previous courses match those on our campus. This should provide a good understanding of which of your courses may be eligible for transfer credit. If the course was initially denied for credit, reach out to casso@uchicago.edu to discuss why you believe a course should be reconsidered.
Yes. Transfer credit is not granted to fulfill the Core Humanities, Social Sciences, or Civilization Studies core requirements, so you should plan to take these courses on campus at UChicago. You must enroll in your Core Humanities course sequence beginning in Autumn Quarter, unless you have opted to enroll in Core Humanities via Summer Session offerings in advance. While you may get transfer credit for courses taken in subject areas aligned with the humanities or social sciences, those will not count towards the Core.
Once your transfer credits are posted to your My Planner, you will be able to get into courses using any transfer credits that count as pre-requisites. For example, if you receive course equivalency credit for MATH 15250: Mathematical Methods for Economic Analysis, this credit will be posted to your account and then you will be able to get into courses that require MATH 15250 as a pre-req (like ECON 200).
If you did not receive credit for a course that is needed as a pre-req, you will need to request consent to be added to the course. This may require requesting consent through the "request" button in My Classes or by contacting the professor and submitting a registration consent form. Reach out to your academic adviser for additional information if needed.
Outside of Autumn 2026 registration, this status impacts the pre-registration process, but it does not have an impact on the add/drop registration process. When requesting courses through the pre-reg process during your first year at UChicago, keep in mind that you will have priority for Core courses over third- and fourth-year students. This is why you should prioritize Core classes in your first year.