How do I know if I am a transfer student?
A transfer is defined as any student who has previously enrolled in a college or university after graduating high school. Transfers may apply for the fall or spring semester. First-year Applicants are those students who have not yet graduated from high school, regardless of the number of college credits earned, or have graduated from high school but have not yet enrolled in a college or university. College coursework is evaluated after acceptance.
I am currently in my first semester of my freshman year of college. Can I apply as a transfer student for the spring semester?
Yes! Applications for the Spring Semester will be due October 1st.
I am planning on taking a “gap year” after high school. Should I apply as a freshman or a transfer student?
Using the guidelines provided above, most students who take a “gap year” will apply as freshmen.
I have taken some college classes during my time as a high school student. Should I apply as a first-year or a transfer student?
You will only be considered a transfer student if you have already graduated from high school and subsequently enrolled in a college or university. Your college level course work will be evaluated by our Transfer Analyst in the Office of the Registrar once you have been offered admission as a freshman.
I am an international student. Can I apply as a transfer student for the spring semester?
International Students who are currently studying in a college or university in the United States may apply as spring transfer students, although we highly recommend that all international students enter in the fall semester because of our extensive orientation program. International students who are studying in a college or university outside of the United States may only apply for the fall semester.
How many of my credits will transfer? Where can I find general information on Wheaton’s policy on transferring credits?
Learn more about transferring credits to Wheaton.
How do you calculate the difference between quarter hours and semester hours?
This calculation depends on the school and what is listed on their transcript as the policy regarding their credits. In general terms, semester hours at an accredited college or university will come in as the equal number of semester hours at Wheaton. If you are transferring from a college which is on the quarter system calendar, one quarter credit is equivalent to.667 of a semester credit; e.g., 4 or 5 quarter credits = 3 semester credits. We do not transfer fractions of credits.
Can I get credit for online college level course work?
A maximum of 30 online credit hours can transfer towards a degree at Wheaton College.
Do my grades from my previous college transfer to my Wheaton transcript?
Grades do not transfer, only credit hours. Only Wheaton courses are computed in a student's GPA. However, in order for the credit to transfer, the course must be taken for a letter grade (not pass/fail) and that grade can be no lower than a C- (C for writing courses). Courses of a vocational or technical nature are not transferable.
Do I need to provide a syllabus along with my transcript? How are distance education courses treated?
Students are only asked for a syllabus in the rare instance that a course's evaluation is in question after the original evaluation. Also, distance learning courses from accredited colleges are treated the same as other courses.
What if I repeat a course at Wheaton for which I received transfer credit?
If you take a Wheaton course which is the same at the Wheaton equivalency indicated on your transfer credit evaluation, you will lose your transfer credit for that course since you are repeating it at Wheaton.
Do you give credit for “life experience”?
Credits are only awarded and transferred from regionally accredited colleges/universities. We do not award credit for life experience like missions work. If the missions experience is part of an unaccredited Bible college which is awarding credit, there are certain criteria that must be met before any credit is considered under that situation.
Does Wheaton accept credits from professional training schools?
Wheaton College does not take credits from professional training schools (including vocational and technical). We only accept courses that closely match our Christ at the Core general education curriculum.
How do you handle upper division credit?
Wheaton College requires that 36 hours of course work must be taken from junior and senior level courses numbered in the 300s and 400s. Upper division credit for transfer courses is given only if the course is numbered as upper division at the other college. If you took a lower division course at another college but that course is taught as an upper division (300 or 400 level) course at Wheaton, the transfer credit does not count toward your required 36 upper division hours. Community college credit cannot be transferred as upper division credit.
How many courses can be transferred into my major?
The final decision on how a course will apply to your major is made by the major department. Normally, the department will want to talk with you about your courses before deciding how they will apply to your major. A minimum of 15 semester hours in your major plus the major capstone course (senior seminar) must be Wheaton courses. Supporting courses required for the major cannot be used to calculate the 15 hours minimum.
I have been told that Wheaton College accepts credits from YWAM’s University of the Nations. How many of my credits will transfer?
Some high school graduates wish to take a gap year and do a YWAM program of learning and service during that time. While this can be a personally valuable experience, it does not equal coursework at an accredited college or university.
Wheaton accepts credits from University of the Nations for the School of Biblical Studies, allowing 6 credits for Old Testament Studies and 6 credits for New Testament Studies, for a maximum of 12 credits. Students receiving this University of Nations credit must take BITH 315 at Wheaton to complete their General Education Bible requirements. We do not transfer credit for the Discipleship Training Program or for ministry service or evangelism.
What are the liberal arts general education requirements for Wheaton College?
You can find this information in our online catalog under "Undergraduate Academic Policies and Information".
What are the graduation requirements for Wheaton College?
You can find this information in our online catalog under "Undergraduate Academic Policies and Information".
Under what catalog year does a transfer student enter?
Transfer students may use the catalog of any year they are enrolled at Wheaton or the year prior to their initial enrollment. Archived catalogs are available on the Registrar's website.
When will I know how many of my college credits have transferred?
Once a student is offered admission to Wheaton College, their transcripts will be officially evaluated by the Academic Advising Office. Students will be notified of their transfer credit hours before they have to confirm enrollment at Wheaton.
Who should I contact if I have specific questions about how my college courses might transfer to Wheaton College?
If you still have questions about how your classes might transfer to Wheaton College, feel free to email us at Academic.Advising@wheaton.edu.
How does Wheaton handle awarding credits for AP or IB exams? Will I receive credit for my AP, IB, or SAT subject exams?
If you have previously taken Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or SAT subject exams, you should request official copies of those scores to be sent to us. Wheaton College’s code is 1905. In order for Wheaton to be able to award credit for your IB exams, you must contact IB and request them to give permission for Wheaton College to access your exam scores on their website. Credits granted at another college for exams do not transfer. The AP, IB and SAT subject exams scores are evaluated according to Wheaton’s requirements.
In high school I was enrolled in an International Baccalaureate program. Does Wheaton award credit for an IB program?
Course Credit will be granted toward the general education requirements of Wheaton up to a maximum of 30 semester hours as follows:
A course taken at the higher level (HL) will be give 6 semester hours of credit if the grade earned was 5 or higher. A course taken at the standard level (SL) will be given 4 semester hours of credit if the grade earned was 5 or higher. Students receiving a grade of 4 for an IB course may petition a department for advanced placement and/or waiver of a course requirement.
What are Wheaton's admission requirements for transfer students? Where can I find the general requirements for applying as a transfer student?
The Transfer Applicants page on the Admissions site provides a description of deadlines, requirements, and a link to the transfer application.
How many transfer students are accepted at Wheaton College each semester?
Wheaton College’s retention rate is currently 96%. This means that the number of available positions on campus is limited. Because of this, the number of transfer students that are accepted for admission varies from semester to semester. In general, there are between 60 – 90 incoming transfer students each fall and less than 20 each spring. The number of transfer students that are offered admission each semester depends on the quality of the applicants as well as the availability of space on campus.
Do transfer students need to take the SAT or ACT test?
We are currently test-optional and do not require test scores for transfer applicants. You are welcome to submit a test score to us to be considered as part of our holistic application review process. Reach out to admissions@wheaton.edu if you have questions.
Updated 9/29/21
Do you have a recommended minimum GPA for prospective transfer students?
Most students who are accepted for transfer admission to Wheaton have at least a 3.5 GPA if they attended a community college and at least a 3.0 GPA if they attended a liberal arts college or university.
Whom should I ask to fill out my academic recommendation form?
A transfer applicant's recommendation should come from a college instructor unless that applicant is a college freshman, in which case he/she may elect to have a high school teacher write it. A recommendation should be done by the instructor who best knows your work.
Do I need to submit my high school transcripts or are my college transcripts sufficient?
We require both your official high school and college transcripts.
When will I be notified of my admissions decision?
Students who apply for the spring semester (by the October 1st deadline) will begin receiving admissions decisions after November 1st. Students who are accepted for the spring semester need to notify Wheaton of their decision to enroll by December 1st (or within 3 weeks of the admission, whichever comes first).
Students who apply for the fall semester (by the March 1st deadline) will begin receiving admissions decisions after April 1st. Students who are accepted for the fall semester need to notify Wheaton of their decision to enroll by May 1st.
Who should I contact if I have questions about the transfer admissions process at Wheaton College?
Connect with our Transfer Admissions Counselor by email or phone.
Financial Aid
As a transfer student, how do I apply for financial aid?
Using the previous year’s tax forms, spring transfer students may submit their application for financial aid at the same time as they apply for admission (by October 1st). Fall transfer students should file by the priority deadline of February 15th.
As a transfer student, am I eligible for any of the merit scholarships listed on the Financial Aid website?
Yes! Please see our Financial Aid website for details.
Transfer Resources
What kind of resources do you provide to help transfer students adjust to Wheaton College?
Each semester we have special transfer student orientation sessions. We are excited about helping transfer students become a part of the Wheaton community! To see the most current schedule visit the orientation website.
Where do transfer students generally live when they attend Wheaton College?
All undergraduate students are required to live in college housing, whether on the main campus or in one of the college's apartments or houses, as part of Wheaton's mission to foster a community of learning. Exceptions are considered on a case-by-case basis. So, as a transfer, a student would have campus housing available. To look through the different housing options and for other information, you may wish to visit the Residence Life/Housing website.
When do transfer students register for their classes? Is there a transfer student advisor?
Transfer students register for classes after currently enrolled students register but before incoming freshman register. Our Academic Advising Office will send accepted transfer students their registration materials after they have confirmed enrollment at Wheaton College. The Academic Advising Office is available to advise students on the choices of their classes their first semester. Incoming transfer students will also be assigned an faculty advisor from within their department major who will meet with them once they arrive on campus.
Where can I find the schedule of classes for the upcoming semester?
The Office of the Registrar provides a wealth of helpful class schedule, calendar, and deadline information. The Academic Calendar is also available on our website.
How can I access Wheaton College’s catalog?
Wheaton no longer prints out a “hard copy” of the catalog. Instead, all of the most current information can be found in our online catalog.
If I am accepted as a transfer student at Wheaton, where can I find out what my “next steps” should be?
Wheaton’s Accepted Students page will provide you with a new student check list and a wealth of other helpful information.
I would like to visit Wheaton’s campus to see if it would be the right college fit for me. Whom should I contact?
We would love to host you on our campus! If you are able to visit, we suggest that you call us or email us ahead of time so that we can be sure to provide all the assistance you need. If you would like to request overnight housing, we ask that you contact us at least 2 weeks in advance. For more information on visiting the campus, or to schedule a visit online, go to our visit information page. You can reach our Campus Visit Coordinator by phone at 800.222.2419.
