Cooperative Transfer Colleges
The College has developed pre-environmental science and forestry transfer options with other colleges both in and out of New York State. For more information and transfer guidelines, see the Cooperative Transfer Colleges page.
Transfer Admission
ESF welcomes transfer students to all of our programs of study. ESF will admit a transfer student after completion of a minimum of one semester of college-level coursework. Most transfer students enter ESF after one to two-years of study at another college or university.
A transfer student's admissibility is based primarily on the student's cumulative grade point average for the college coursework completed, the quality of the coursework, and the applicability of the coursework toward meeting the lower division requirements of their intended program of study. Consideration is also given to the correlation between the student's prior academic discipline and the intended program of study at ESF. A significant emphasis is placed on the student's background in mathematics and science.
All applicants to SUNY ESF must file the State University of New York (SUNY) common application form to initiate the admissions process. This form may be filed on-line, the preferred method, or by paper through the SUNY Application Services Center. Additionally, all applicants must file the SUNY ESF Supplemental Application form and additional credentials appropriate for the application pathway they have chosen.
Transfer Credit
Credit hours appropriate to the ESF curriculum can be transferred to the College, but grades and grade points cannot be transferred. Courses transferred to meet graduation requirements for any curriculum must be acceptable in content, and credit will be awarded only for those completed with a grade of "C" or higher.
All transfer credit will remain tentative until official, final transcripts, AP or CLEP score reports are received and reviewed by Office of Undergraduate Admissions staff. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that official, final transcripts or score reports are received by the College.
Prior coursework should be completed at institutions that are fully accredited by one of six regional accrediting agencies. These are the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Guaranteed Transfer Admission
The College also recognizes that some students have made arrangements to spend a portion of their first two years of college at another institution, and will transfer to ESF in either their sophomore or junior year. To facilitate this process and reduce difficulties associated with transferring, ESF has established a Guaranteed Transfer Admission (GTA) option.
Under this option, students may apply for admission during their senior year of high school for transfer to ESF in either their sophomore or junior year. If admitted through the GTA program, students are guaranteed admission to ESF for either their sophomore or junior year. Guaranteed transfer applicants follow the same application process as outlined under Freshman Admission and detailed on the How to Apply page. Special attention must be given to entering the proper semester of entry on the application for admission. Successful applicants for this option must present a strong high school academic background including at least three years each of college preparatory mathematics and science.
Students admitted through the GTA program are encouraged to enroll at a Cooperative College and must satisfactorily complete coursework appropriate to their intended course of study with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.30 (A=4.000). Students may attend a college that is not a member of the Cooperative College group but should consult the Admissions Office for proper course scheduling and advising.
Admission to the Ranger School (Associate Degree Programs)
The SUNY-ESF Ranger School does not enroll freshmen. Students complete their first year requirements at ESF's Syracuse campus or the college of their choice and then transfer to The Ranger School for their sophomore year.
Candidates may apply for acceptance into the A.A.S. degree programs in forest technology or land surveying technology in one of three ways:
- Apply to ESF's Syracuse campus for Forest Resources Management (Forestry) directly out of high school to prepare for transfer to The Ranger School
- Apply under the Guaranteed Transfer Admission option (described above)
- Enroll in a Forest Technology Pre-ESF program at one of our cooperative colleges and apply as a transfer student during your freshman year.
Cooperative Transfer Colleges
The College has developed pre-environmental science and forestry transfer options with other colleges both in and out of New York State. For more information and transfer guidelines, see the Cooperative Transfer Colleges page.
