Transfer Admission

The average grade point average (GPA) for students transferring to SUNY Potsdam is 3.0 (on a 4.0 grading scale). Consideration for transfer admission to SUNY Potsdam is given to students who have earned a minimum of a 2.0 cumulative GPA at all previously attended colleges. A minimum GPA of 2.25 is recommended for admission to the majority of majors at Potsdam; a 3.0 is required to declare an education major.

You automatically receive an official transfer credit evaluation upon acceptance to SUNY Potsdam. Your evaluation will include course work documented on each official college transcript we have received. It will also indicate degree requirements you still need to complete. As new transcripts arrive, your evaluation will be updated and sent to you. Be sure to have official transcripts sent from each college you attended. When you receive your evaluation, please look it over carefully. If you feel that one of your courses satisfies a particular requirement and is not so designated, please provide additional information (a course syllabus can be very helpful) so that we can give further consideration to course content. We want to grant as much transfer credit as we can toward your Potsdam baccalaureate degree.

If you have questions prior to your acceptance, we would be happy to evaluate your transfer credit on an informal basis. Simply check with us and we'll let you know how your courses will transfer and apply toward SUNY Potsdam's degree requirements.

Specific transfer credit questions can be addressed by calling the Office of Admissions at (315) 267-2180 or emailing transfer@potsdam.edu.

Potsdam's course equivalency tables are also a great resource!

Requirements and appeals for transferring credits are detailed in the SUNY Potsdam Academic Policy and Procedures guide.

Articulation agreements and advising guides are available on the SUNY Potsdam Articulation Agreements & Advising Guides page.

We offer a variety of campus visit options. Find visit information, including event registration forms, on our Visiting SUNY Potsdam page.

Campus visit events of special interest to transfer students include:

• Transfer Visit Days - offered in November, March and April
• Transfer Overnight Visit - offered in February
• Open House – offered on multiple Saturdays during Fall and Spring semesters
• Individual Visits - offered Monday to Friday throughout the year
• Virtual Tour

If you were a matriculated student at an accredited college or university following high school completion, you are considered a transfer student.

SUNY Potsdam recommends a 2.25 cumulative college GPA for admission. A 3.0 GPA is required to officially declare a teacher education major.

SUNY Potsdam has rolling admission so we review applications as they are completed. While we typically enroll new transfer students up to the beginning of each spring/fall semester, we recommend applying for the spring term by December 1 and the fall term by March 1.

You can apply using either the SUNY Application or the Common Application.

We will need official transcripts from all colleges you have attended and proof of high school completion (Final HS transcript/TASC/GED results). Please have transcripts/score reports sent to the Office of Admissions.

Detailed information for international transfer students interested in applying to SUNY Potsdam is available here.

It is also important to connect with the International Education Office.

Official high school and college transcripts should be sent to:

SUNY Potsdam Office of Admissions
44 Pierrepont Ave.
Potsdam, NY 13676

Official Electronic Transcripts are accepted by SUNY Potsdam.

Other documents can be emailed to transfer@potsdam.edu or faxed to (315)267-2163.

You can use our course equivalency tables to see how your courses will transfer to SUNY Potsdam. For courses not listed in the course equivalency tables, please contact us at transfer@potsdam.edu.

An official transfer credit evaluation is mailed with the offer of admission. An unofficial transfer credit review can be requested at any time.

Yes, to both questions! In order to grant transfer credit, we will need official documentation from the source where the credit was earned.

For example: You can submit: official AP, IB, or CLEP score reports; Joint Services Transcript (JST) or Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) reports for most military credits; or official transcript(s) for credit earned at another college; click here to view undergraduate transfer credit policies including AP and CLEP transfer equivalents.

October 1st is the date we begin sending admission decision letters to students that have completed their application. Admission decisions are processed once we receive all required application materials. An official transfer credit evaluation is mailed with the acceptance letter.

Transfer students can apply as undeclared/exploratory students. For financial aid purposes, students transferring with junior standing (at least 57 credits) will need to declare a major when it comes time to register for first-semester Potsdam classes.

You can be considered for EOP if you were previously enrolled in an EOP, HEOP, SEEK, or College Discovery program.

If your previous college did not have EOP or a similar program, you may be considered for transfer eligibility and should notify the Office of Admissions of your interest in EOP.

There are a limited number of spaces available in EOP so applying and submitting all application materials in a timely manner is very important.

If you are a Veteran or a Dependent, you should connect with Potsdam’s Military & Veterans Student Services Coordinator, Scott Schulz, schulzsf@potsdam.edu, (315)786-2449.

No. Any undergraduate student that previously attended Potsdam and wants to return goes through the process of undergraduate readmission through the Registrar’s Office.

Potsdam will need official college transcripts showing any coursework completed while you were away.

Admitted students that choose Potsdam and decide to pay the enrollment deposit will get an email with access to a Potsdam Campus Computer Account (CCA) and a web link to detailed instructions explaining how to proceed.

These informational emails start being sent at the following times:

• Spring semester students: mid-November
• Fall semester students: mid-March

You will use your CCA information to log into BearPAWS and follow your New Student Checklist to complete the required orientation steps. Then, after you complete these steps, you will be able to schedule a class advising/registration appointment which is done over the phone or virtually.

After you complete the required orientation steps, you will schedule a virtual or phone meeting with an academic advisor who will help you select and register for courses and answer any questions about academics you may have!

You can use the Undergraduate Catalog to see the required courses for each academic program, as well as the general education requirements.

A transfer credit evaluation is provided with the acceptance letter. A transfer professional in the Admissions Office will be happy to discuss your path to baccalaureate degree completion. Contact us at transfer@potsdam.edu.

Yes! If you have a cumulative college GPA of 3.0 or higher, you are encouraged to apply for transfer scholarship funding.

Visit our Scholarships page for more information, including the scholarship application.

Yes. Over 80% of SUNY Potsdam students receive Financial Aid. Please be sure to submit the FAFSA (if applicable) in a timely manner.

Students receive an email (to their Potsdam email account) from the Student Accounts Office when the semester bill is available.

The bill can’t be generated until a student registers for classes.

The E-bill is located in the Student Services & Financial Aid section of BearPAWS.

Student Health Services and the Counseling Center are located on the first floor of Van Housen Hall.

Both areas provide a ton of support for Potsdam students.

Transfer students can make all the same housing requests as any new Potsdam student. Residence Hall information is available here.

Additionally, the Transfer House in Lehman Hall is special campus housing just for transfer students!

It is very easy to get involved on campus and meet new people. There are almost 100 clubs and organizations on campus, and if there is not a club that sounds interesting to you, you can create your own!

There are also lots of athletic events, music/dance/theatre performances, outdoor activities, three other local colleges, and much more.