Transfer Student FAQs

Yes! WPI now offers a spring entry option that would have you joining our community in January instead of August. The application for January 2025 entry is now open. You can learn more about the application process here. 

Yes! Candidates are welcome to apply for a second bachelor’s degree at WPI. We generally look for students who have completed calculus and two laboratory sciences within the last five years. 

All transfer students must enroll at WPI for a minimum of 72 credits (eight units, two full academic years) in order to complete a degree, and the majority of WPI courses take place during the day. 

Please note that students pursuing their second baccalaureate degree are not eligible for the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship, but are still eligible for academic merit scholarships and need-based aid. 

No, WPI Admissions does not offer interviews. 

However, if you'd like to meet with a transfer counselor one on one, you can schedule an appointment any Tuesday in the spring (not in the fall), starting March 2024. This meeting will be a great opportunity for you to ask questions about the application and learn more about the WPI community.

No, we are unable to offer advanced academic advising or review/consideration of transfer credit. 

We encourage students to visit WPI to better understand the distinct academic programming and specifics of the WPI Plan as they consider WPI. 

If you'd like to meet with a transfer counselor one on one, you can schedule an appointment any Tuesday in the spring (though not in the fall), starting March 2024. This meeting will be a great opportunity for you to ask questions about the application and learn more about the WPI community. However, it will not include advanced academic advising or review/consideration of transfer credit. 

Applicants are welcome to contact us anytime with specific questions or concerns at transfer@wpi.edu. A member of our Transfer Admissions team will be happy to assist.

As noted on the transfer admissions page, WPI will be offering transfer-specific visit days throughout the spring, though transfer students are encouraged to visit any other day, as well.

To meet with a counselor during your visit outside of a transfer-specific event, you should plan to visit on a Tuesday. One-on-one meetings are available by appointment every Tuesday in the spring (though not in the fall), starting in March 2024. These meetings are a great opportunity for you to ask questions about the application and learn more about the WPI community. 

Applicants are welcome to contact us anytime with specific questions or concerns at transfer@wpi.edu. A member of our Transfer Admissions team will be happy to assist.

WPI does not require or accept SAT or ACT scores for transfer applicants. The Admissions Office does require either the TOEFL or IELTS as proof of English proficiency for international transfer students.

This section is specifically for incoming undergraduate transfer students. For first-year student and graduate student transfer policies, please visit the full Transfer Credit page. 

For incoming transfer students: Effective January 1, 2024, the WPI Transfer Admissions team coordinates with WPI faculty evaluators on coursework for potential credit as soon as possible upon admission. Please be aware that additional information from the transfer student may be required to complete a course review, such as course descriptions, syllabi, or a completed Undergraduate Transfer Credit Review Request Form (PDF) for additional information. If these documents are required, the WPI Transfer Admissions team will reach out to the student directly.

Coursework completed outside of the U.S.: WPI requires English translations and course-by-course credit evaluations from a current NACES member for all non-U.S. transcripts. WPI will also need English translated course descriptions and possibly syllabi for each course you would like reviewed by WPI faculty evaluators.

Information about credit eligibility (Effective January 1, 2024):

• Eligible courses are those taken at a regionally accredited post-secondary institution, are worth 3 credits or more, and were completed typically with a grade B- or better. 
• Early college, early entrance programs, “College in the High School”, or any dual enrollment coursework provided in partnership with a college/university but offered in the high school classroom and taught by certified high school teachers are not eligible for credit at WPI. Examples of these high school to college partnership programs include some Running Start programs, ECE, EEP, SUPA, SUNY UHS, and others.  
• Credit is offered for Project Lead the Way coursework. Please review information about Project Lead the Way credit for more information on eligibility. 
• Credit is not offered for mathematics coursework below the calculus level.
• Credit is not offered for laboratory science coursework completed online.
• Credit is also not available for non-credit CEU courses or adult enrichment or refresher coursework. CLEP examinations are not recognized for transfer credit.  
• WPI does offer AP credit and International Baccalaureate credit as well 

To view transfer credit equivalencies to date, please view the WPI Transfer Equivalency System.

See above. Vocational, correspondence, pre-college or review courses are not transferrable to WPI. Also, WPI does not accept non-credit CEU courses, adult enrichment or refresher courses, or CLEP examinations. Early college, early entrance programs, or college coursework provided in partnership with a college or university but offered at the high school taught by high school teachers are not eligible for credit at WPI, with the exception of Project Lead The Way (PLTW): Project Lead the Way | Worcester Polytechnic Institute (wpi.edu)

We will evaluate AP and IB testing for credit. Generally, WPI awards credit for a 4 or 5 on AP exams and for a 6 or 7 on higher level IB exams with some exceptions. Please have your official score reports forwarded to the Registrar's Office.

You would be a first-year candidate. Transfer candidates to WPI are those who have fully completed high school and then pursued college as a degree-seeking student after high school graduation. Students who have not yet graduated from their high school program are considered first-year candidates; more information for you is here. Once a student enrolls at WPI, we will begin the transfer credit review process (see information below on the transfer credit review process).

You would be a first-year candidate. Transfer candidates to WPI are those who have fully completed high school and then pursued college as a degree-seeking student after high school graduation. Students who have not yet graduated from their high school program are considered first year candidates; more information for you is here. Once a student enrolls at WPI, we will begin the transfer credit review process (see information below on the transfer credit review process).

You would apply as a first-year candidate. WPI transfer candidates are applicants who have fully graduated from high school prior to applying for admission to WPI and are/were enrolled for any length of time as a degree-seeking student at another college or university.

You would apply as a transfer candidate. If you were enrolled as a degree-seeking student at any post-secondary institution for any length of time, you are not eligible to apply as a first-year student. Please contact us at transfer@wpi.edu if you need additional guidance.

You would be considered a first-year candidate; more information for you is here.

The Housing and Residential Experience (H.R.E.) Center does identify and reserve a section of WPI housing to be used as a transfer student housing environment based on the anticipated number of transfer students for the year and the historical percentage of transfer students that opt to live in WPI housing.

Transfer students that are enrolling beginning in the Fall (A Term) will be able to complete the Transfer Housing Application inside the WPI housing portal. This application opens in late May (after Commencement) and stays open through June 30 – this application allows students to select their own roommate(s) and housing assignment. Students that miss the June 30 deadline may still apply for housing through the Standby List in the WPI housing portal to receive a housing offer in late July, after other transfer students have made their selections.

Transfer students that are enrolling beginning in the Spring (C Term) will be able to complete the Spring Housing Application inside the WPI housing portal. This application opens in late October, and the H.R.E. Center will begin sending housing assignment offers in early December.

Visit the H.R.E. Center website for more information about living on-campus including information about the housing application and selection process, the various WPI residence halls, and resources available to residential students.

For students who are considering living off campus, many neighborhoods surrounding the WPI campus have options to consider. The most common lease is a 1-year lease from June – May, however there are other options as well. While the H.R.E. Center is not directly involved with off-campus landlords or leases, we do maintain a resource page designed to support students Living Off Campus.

Please contact the H.R.E. Center (housing@wpi.edu) directly with any specific questions or concerns related to housing.

The timeline varies for each student depending on the type and amount of coursework each applicant has successfully completed. WPI has a minimum residency requirement of 72 credits (eight units, two full academic years) for any student pursuing a degree from the University. 

Reminder: The WPI Plan includes two large projects as part of a student’s degree requirements. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with all aspects of The WPI Plan, including the academic calendar and IQP/MQP requirements.

WPI offers several forms of merit scholarships and need-based aid to transfer students. 

Admitted transfer candidates are automatically evaluated for academic merit scholarships based on college level academic performance specifically, as well as professional and learning pursuits, leadership experiences, and extracurricular involvements. These scholarships vary in amounts and are renewable for up to four years.

The Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship of $10,000 per academic year is offered to all PTK scholars each year prior to the enrollment deadline. No additional application is necessary to be considered for this award, and the award can be combined with any awarded academic merit scholarships. You can learn more about our available merit scholarships here. 

WPI encourages all students to apply to scholarship programs not affiliated with WPI and will accept those awarded monies. WPI does not match scholarships awarded by other colleges or universities.

As a transfer student, you may be eligible for need-based scholarship and loan funds from a variety of sources. Additional information on how to apply for need-based aid is available through the Office of Student Aid & Financial Literacy. Need-based financial aid is not available for part-time transfer students.

Once a student declines acceptance to WPI as a first-year student and re-applies as a transfer candidate, the student is reevaluated for need-based financial assistance as a transfer student. Transfer students may be eligible for need-based scholarship and loan funds from a variety of sources including WPI, the federal government, and some state and government agencies. WPI does offer the PTK Scholarship and limited WPI Transfer Honors Awards as noted above. Need-based aid is not available for part-time or international (non-citizen) transfer students. Additional information regarding scholarship opportunities and financial aid for transfer students is available through the Office of Financial Aid as well.

WPI currently has transfer agreements with the following community colleges and two-year programs:

• Quinsigamond Community College

• Mount Wachusett Community College

• Framingham State University (two-year pre-engineering program)

• Manchester Community College (NH)

• Middlesex Community College (MA)

→ See more about transfer agreements

WPI is also a member of the Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts (HECCMA).

Our transfer agreement framework for community college students is simple. If you achieve all of the below at one of our partner institutions, you are guaranteed admission as a transfer student:

• Minimum GPA of 3.3* 
• Associate’s degree in any academic program
• Successful completion of one (1) college-level precalculus or calculus I course
• Successful completion of one (1) laboratory science course

*If your GPA is 3.0 or higher and you meet the other requirements, you are still encouraged to apply and will be considered for admission.

→ See more about transfer agreements