Metadata
Title
Transfer Applicants
Category
undergraduate
UUID
34c1825b822a488287941391016f9723
Source URL
https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/transfer-applicants/
Parent URL
https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/application/
Crawl Time
2026-03-09T07:48:22+00:00
Rendered Raw Markdown

Transfer Applicants

Source: https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/transfer-applicants/ Parent: https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/application/

Transfer students play a meaningful role in the life of the College. Your experiences at other institutions contribute to the diversity of our student body and provide valuable perspective to all kinds of interactions on campus, from classroom conversations to coffee chats on the quad. \ \ If you have already completed at least one term as a full-time student in a bachelor's degree-seeking program at another college or university, you should apply as a transfer student. All others, to include high school students who have taken college-level courses, should apply as first-year applicants.

Timelines

The University of Chicago offers transfer applicants a choice of two application plans: Transfer Early Decision (TED) and Transfer Rolling Decision (TR). Your application will go through the same careful review process no matter which of these plans you choose, so you should pick the one that suits you best. In picking the UChicago application plan that's right for you, you'll want to consider when you will be ready to apply and whether you are prepared to make a binding commitment to UChicago.

If you apply Early Decision, you will need to download, complete, and submit a Transfer Early Decision Agreement by uploading it in your UChicago Account. Please note that the deadline to switch your application from TR to TED is the 2nd Friday in March.

Your UChicago Account

Students may create a UChicago Account before or after starting their application on the Common Application or Apply Coalition, Powered by Scoir. See information on setting up your account.\ \ If you previously applied to UChicago before (first-year, transfer, or summer student) you already have a UChicago Account and won’t receive setup instructions. To access it, use the “forgot password” link with the email from your Common Application or Apply Coalition, Powered by Scoir.

Transfer Financial Aid

Transfer Credit

Student-At-Large

Required Application Materials

These are the materials are required for transfer applicants.

Applicants should submit their choice of Apply Coalition, Powered by Scoir or the Common Application, both of which include the University of Chicago Supplement. Applicants will also be prompted to create a UChicago Account, where they can submit information and view their admissions decision.

These are the materials required for transfer applicants:

Transfer App Timelines
Transfer Early Decision

Application Due Date:

March 2, 2026*

Admission Decision Release:

Late March**

Reply Due Date:

Late April

Transfer Rolling Decision

Application Due Date:

March 2*

Admission Decision Release:

Decisions released on a rolling basis starting in early May

Transfer Rolling Application Closes:

June 1

Reply Due Date:

June 1

*11:59 p.m. applicant's local time on March 1 or first business day of March. \ **Late afternoon Chicago local time on the last business day in March.

Transfer Specific Materials and Instructions

We require a transcript detailing your coursework and grades over your entire high school career. If you graduated, the transcript should list your graduation date. If you have taken courses during high school at institutions other than your final high school, such as a previous high school or a local college, please be sure to submit transcripts for these grades if they are not included in your final high school transcript.

Please make sure to include transcripts from every post-secondary school you have attended after high school. If you received pass/fail marks for college or university courses instead of grades (only applies to full-credit, academic courses), please request that your instructors submit a short, written evaluation of your work to the admissions office separately via email to collegeadmissions@uchicago.edu

A Mid-Term Report with in-progress grades is required for students who are currently enrolled in college coursework at the time of applying to transfer. You should use the electronic Mid-Term Report in the “forms” section of your UChicago Account to report your in-progress grades after you submit your application.

Transfer students are required to verify their academic and disciplinary standing at their current or most recently attended college or university with the College Transfer Report. The report should be completed by a dean, registrar, or academic adviser who has access to your disciplinary and academic records and sent directly to the Office of College Admissions. If using the Common Application, you can download the form in the "Supporting Documents" section. If using Apply Coalition, Powered by Scoir, you may use the UChicago College Transfer Report. If your institution can verify your academic and disciplinary standing by another means (e.g. in an official college transcript, a Dean’s Certification letter, or another document), you may submit this instead.

Admitted students will receive an initial credit evaluation before their reply deadline based on an official copy of their most-recent college transcript. An official evaluation is provided in the summer for incoming students based on the receipt of a final official college transcript. As a prospective applicant, we recommend retaining copies of your syllabi in case additional course information is needed throughout the evaluation process. Learn more about how UChicago evaluates .

We require two recommendations from teachers who have taught you in an academic subject. If you feel that you have not had satisfactory contact with professors at your college or university, you may ask a teaching assistant or lab instructor who may have had more experience working with you to provide a recommendation. A recommendation from a recent high school teacher is also acceptable for those who are just in their first year of college, though we recommend at least one of your recommendations come from someone who has worked with you in an academic context in college. If you have been out of school for a significant period, you may request recommendations from other individuals who can speak to your skills and talents as they relate to your readiness to thrive in an educational setting (e.g. a work supervisor, mentor, commanding officer for veteran applicants, etc.)

The UChicago Supplement includes two required essays: one short essay on why you would like to attend UChicago and one extended essay in response to your choice from our list of several prompts. For the first essay, transfer students will be asked to answer the following prompt:

Please tell us why you are planning to leave (or have already left) your current college or university, and how the University of Chicago will satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future. Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago.

Academic and Campus Requirements for Transfers

Transfer students must attend the University of Chicago for at least two academic years (six quarters) and complete the Core curriculum, along with more than half of their major requirements bearing UChicago course numbers. Certain College-sponsored study abroad programs (chiefly the Civilizations study abroad programs) may be used to meet these requirements. Transfer credit may not be used toward the Humanities, Civilization Studies, or Social Sciences core requirements; other core requirements may be fulfilled through transfer credit, if eligible. Learn more about eligibility for core credit.

Starting the summer before matriculation in the College, may not earn additional credits from schools other than the University of Chicago, except through direct-enrollment study abroad programs sponsored by UChicago. However, these courses will not count toward the residency or course requirements. Most transfer students can complete their studies with no more than one extra quarter beyond the usual four college years, although this may depend on how coursework completed elsewhere fits into the structure of their degree program. Transfer students are required to live on campus for their first academic year at UChicago.

If you would like to visit the University to study for one year or less before returning to another institution, you should apply as a student-at-large. Students who already have a bachelor's degree are not eligible to apply to the undergraduate College at the University of Chicago, as the College does not grant second bachelor's degrees. However, you are welcome to pursue a graduate degree or apply as a graduate-student-at-large through the Graham School of General Studies.

Summer Opportunities for Incoming Transfer Students

We highly recommend and encourage incoming transfer students to take classes at UChicago during the summer before matriculation through Summer Quarter and/or September Term, and will receive information about how to register for these courses in late Spring. In particular, the Humanities and Writing Core program specially designed for incoming transfers offers the chance to integrate into the student community, learn from your peers, and get a head start on your path at UChicago. Learn more online about Summer Quarter and September Term course offerings.

Transfer Financial Aid

Transfer students should apply for financial aid at the time they apply to UChicago for admission. We are committed to meeting 100% of your demonstrated need with a loan-free financial aid package if you are admitted and applied for funding. Our financial aid packages are based on an estimate of the full costs of enrolling at the University of Chicago, including tuition, housing, health insurance, a meal plan, and estimates for additional costs like books and personal expenses. Each family’s financial aid package is tailored to their particular financial profile, and their submitted documents are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Transfer students are eligible for financial aid only if they apply for funding during the admissions process, and will not be eligible for financial aid after receiving their admissions decision or during their four years in the College. If you think you will need financial aid at any point during your four years at UChicago, you should apply for financial aid when you apply for admission.