Advising

For Incoming Transfer Students

Transfer students play an integral role in the life of the College. Your experiences at other institutions contribute to the vitality and diversity of our student body both inside and outside of the classroom. Orientation is a time for you to learn more about your new academic home and get organized to begin your studies at UChicago. O-Week is mandatory for transfer students, and we will have some specific programs designed to help introduce you to the College and answer questions you might have about your time here.

  • If you have immediate concerns prior to accepting your offer, you may contact the Office of College Admissions via email at transferadmissions@uchicago.edu or over the phone at 773.702.8650.
  • If during the evaluation process you notice any incorrect information about your prior coursework, please contact the College Academic and Student Services Office at casso@uchicago.edu for assistance.
  • If you have any questions about how to interpret the details outlined in your transfer evaluation, please contact the College Transfer Student Office via email at collegetso@uchicago.edu.

Incoming transfer students are assigned an academic adviser in mid-summer who will be available to meet with you to talk about your degree path at UChicago, including how your credits will apply to your Core, major/minor, and graduation requirements, and will assist you with course selection for Autumn Quarter. Because much of these details depend on your official credit evaluation, we recommend holding questions of this nature until that time.

For detailed information on the transfer evaluation process, eligibility for Core credit, semester conversion units, and residency requirements, read here. 

Below you will find additional information for transfer students. 

Additional Information

    In May, all incoming students will find a link in their UChicago Canvas portal to access the Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Language placement tests. 

    • The Mathematics Placement Exam is required for all transfer students. 
    • The Chemistry Placement Exam is required for any student that plans to enroll in chemistry courses at UChicago.
    • Students with a background in computer science can take the Computer Science Placement Exams offered during the summer prior to matriculation to confirm the appropriate placement.
    • Students planning or considering further language study at UChicago should take the Language Placement Exam to confirm the appropriate placement in the language they wish to pursue.

    Select scores from official AP, IB, or A-Level exam results may qualify for additional credits and may count for Core requirements. More information can be found in the Placement Tests & AP/IB/A-Level section of this New Student Advising website.

    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.

    All new students start in the system as “first-years,” with an anticipated graduation date four years from matriculation at your first institution. Transfer students will be able to update their intended graduation date and declare their major and minor program(s) starting in Autumn quarter. You can watch this video for more info on how to declare in your my.uchicago portal.

    Over the course of the first year, students will work with their academic adviser to formulate a plan of study for completing both remaining general education and major requirements.

    Incoming transfer students register for their first quarter of courses during the pre-registration process which occurs August 17-21. During the pre-registration period, students select and rank their preferred courses and an algorithm is run in the registration system to maximize their top choices based on several factors, including seat availability, to create the student’s schedule. 

    This is one reason why getting your transfer evaluation materials in on time is so crucial: so that you will have an accurate sense of which courses you'll want to request.

    Add/Drop will open on Tuesday, September 8th at 9 a.m. for current UChicago students and incoming transfer students. Students will be able to make live changes to their autumn schedule at that time.

Transfer Student Frequently Asked Questions

    Yes.