Transferring to HWS Is Easy

Melanie Sage

Contact

Melanie N. Sage '95, P'25, P'27
Senior Associate Director of Admissions, Director of Transfer Admissions
(315)781-4499
msage@hws.edu

Hobart and William Smith is a liberal arts and sciences institution known for consistent success in preparing students for meaningful lives and fulfilling careers through an outcomes-based focus on their futures - an ideal place to complete your studies. Our partnership with Finger Lakes Community College makes for a seamless transition into our relationship-rich community. 

Applying to HWS

Students are encouraged to apply for admission to Hobart and William Smith at the start of their final semester at Finger Lakes Community College. There is no application fee and applications in accordance with the articulation agreement will be given priority status. 

Application Checklist

  • Common Application
  • Final high school transcript
  • Official college transcript/transcripts from any college ever attended
  • Academic Evaluation/Recommendation Letter from someone who has taught you in the past 2 years (HS Teacher, College Professor)
  • College Report form from current college/university
  • If interested in need-based Financial Aid, please submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Deadlines

  • July 1
    Applications due for Fall Semester admittance

  • November 1
    Applications due for Spring Semester admittance

 

HWS & FLCC Articulation Agreement

Recognizing the academic preparation and achievements of FLCC students, HWS and FLCC have entered into an articulation agreement that ensures a streamlined process for evaluating transfer credit and choosing a course of study at HWS.

TRANSFER AND GPA REQUIREMENTS
  • Students must have a minimum of a 2.70 cumulative grade point average for acceptance to Hobart and William Smith.
  • Individual courses in which the student earned a grade of C- (1.70) or higher will transfer for credit toward HWS graduation requirements. 
  • Any student who transfers to HWS having completed their General Education requirements at FLCC will receive credit for our General Education requirements.
  • Any student who transfers to HWS having completed a General Education course at FLCC will receive credit for the equivalent General Education goal at HWS.
  • If a student has finished an Associate degree at FLCC, they will have completed their General Education requirements.
  • Students who complete an Associate of Arts degree or Associate of Science degree at FLCC and who have followed the recommended guidelines as stated below may enter Hobart and William Smith at junior status. However, depending on intended major and previous program of study, it may not be possible to complete a bachelor’s degree in two years. 
TRANSFER GUIDELINES

To earn a degree at Hobart and William Smith, a transfer student must pass minimally 16 courses at Hobart and William Smith with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. Students must pass at least 28 courses (between FLCC and HWS) with a grade of C- or higher, and take at least 30 full-credit courses prior to graduation. A minor or a second major must be completed in addition to the primary HWS major. In addition, candidates for the bachelor’s degree must address each of Hobart and William Smith’s integrated and aspirational goals:

  1. The essential skills which serve as a foundation for effective communication
  2. The essential skills which serve as a foundation for critical thinking and argumentation 
  3. The ability to reason quantitatively 
  4. An experiential understanding of scientific inquiry
  5. A critical and experiential understanding of the artistic process
  6. A critical understanding of social inequalities 
  7. A critical understanding of cultural difference
  8. An intellectual foundation for ethical judgment as the basis for socially responsible action

Upon enrollment, transfer students will meet with a HWS dean and a faculty advisor to decide which courses (FLCC and HWS courses) address these goals. Aspirational Goals 3-8 underscore the imperative of a liberal arts education to provide a breadth of knowledge and the means to express that knowledge effectively. Integrated goals 1 and 2 (effective communication and critical thinking) are embedded in the curriculum through First-Year Seminars, a writing-enriched curriculum, and the senior capstone experience. Transfer students (with guidance from the Deans and faculty advisors) will use other courses to satisfy the First Year Seminar portion of these integrated goals.

 

 

Programs of Study

Students apply to Hobart and William Smith (in general) and not to specific programs or majors. The below list of Associate Degree programs offered at Finger Lakes Community College and correlating bachelor’s degree programs at HWS is to be used as an advisement tool only. All students will need to collaborate with an HWS Dean and HWS faculty advisor to complete an official major declaration form upon enrollment at Hobart and William Smith. The below list does not replace this evaluation process. 

FLCC Major HWS Major
Accounting, AAS Economics or Management and Entrepreneurship, BA
Architectural Technology and Building Sciences, AAS Architectural Studies, BA 
Biotechnology, AS Biology or Biochemistry, BS
Business Administration, AS Economics or Management and Entrepreneurship, BA
Childhood Education, AA Educational Studies (non-teacher cert.), BA 
Childhood Education, AA Variable (not Ed Studies) + teacher cert., BA/BS
Communications, AS Media and Society or Writing and Rhetoric, BA
Computer Science. AS Computer Science, BA?BS
Environmental Studies, AS Environmental Studies, BA 
Fine Arts, AS Studio Art/Art History, BA
Fish and Wildlife Technology, AAS Biology or Environmental Studies, BA/BS
Horticulture, AAS Biology or Environmental Studies, BA/BS
Human Services, AS Psychological Science or Sociology, BA
Computer Information Systems, AS Computer Science, BA/BS
Computer Information Systems, AAS Computer Science, BA/BS
Literature Comparative Literature or English and Creative Writing, BA
Mathematics, AS Mathematics, BA/BS
Music, AS Music, BA
Natural Resources Conservation, AAS Environmental Studies, BA
New Media, AS Media and Society or Writing and Rhetoric, BA
Theatre, AA Theatre, BA
Writing, AA English and Creative Writing or Writing and Rhetoric, BA

 

Come Meet Us By the Lake

Visiting campus is one of the best ways to decide if HWS is the right fit for the rest of your college years. Enjoy the view of Seneca Lake while getting to know the vibrant community that lives on its shore.

The Office of Admissions offers tours and information sessions Monday – Saturday as well as special events throughout the year.

Can't make it to campus? Our virtual tour is available 24/7, as are our photo galleries.