Frequently Asked Questions
0. What’s the basic idea?
You attend Geneseo for 3 years as a science major. Then, you transfer to an engineering school. When you complete your engineering degree after 2 more years, some of your engineering coursework will be transferred back to Geneseo to count towards a Geneseo degree. In the end, you get a science degree from Geneseo and an engineering degree from the engineering partner school.
1. Which tuition do I pay?
You pay the tuition for the school you are attending.
2. What’s the difference between “official” and “unofficial” partner schools?
Most “official” partner schools have policies in place that can result in a guaranteed acceptance to the engineering school. For the “unofficial” partners, your application is processed by the partner school like any other transfer application, without guarantees. However, Columbia is an exception to this rule. While Columbia and Geneseo do have a written contract outlining the details of the agreement, guaranteed admission is not part of this contract for students matriculating after January 2019.
3. What majors can I choose at Geneseo and then at the partner school?
Here are ALL the options:
Geneseo: Physics → Any major that uses the word “engineering”, and which can be reasonably viewed as an extension of applied physics (but not chemical engineering; see next line instead). So, majors in "operations research" or "industrial design" or "industrial engineering" won't be accepted, even if the engineering school houses those departments in its "school of engineering".
Geneseo: Chemistry → Chemical Engineering
4. What if I don’t attend Geneseo for the full 3 years (for example, I transferred to Geneseo from somewhere else, or have sufficient AP credits to complete the Geneseo portion in 2 years)?
Not attending Geneseo for the full 3 years voids all the guarantees from the official partner schools. However, you might still be accepted by the engineering school, depending on your GPA and similar factors. Generally speaking, the engineering partners are eager to get the best students, even if the student hasn't exactly satisfied every criteria.
5. My major was “undeclared” at Geneseo for my first year, but now I want to change my major to 3-2 engineering. Now what?
Unless your coursework was identical to a student with a declared major in physics or chemistry it is likely that you will not be able to complete the Geneseo portion of the program in 3 years. Since you’ll probably be at Geneseo for 4 years, you will probably complete your science degree outright during your time here. In that case, you might consider entering a graduate program in engineering after your 4 years at Geneseo instead of using the 3-2 program.
6. At Geneseo, I want to double major in physics and math. Can I still do 3-2 engineering?
Probably, but it depends on your pre-college credit (like AP tests). We cannot guarantee that you will be able to complete the Geneseo portion of the 3-2 program in 3 years.
7. What about financial aid?
While at Geneseo, you apply for and receive aid through Geneseo just like any other Geneseo student. While at the partner school, you apply for and receive aid through the partner school just like any other student at that school.
8. Columbia requires a lot of courses. Can you tell me the equivalent Geneseo courses?
Columbia classes
→ Geneseo classes:
Calculus I (V1101)
→ MATH 221
Calculus II (V1102) → MATH 222
Calculus III (V1201) → MATH 223
Calculus IV (V1202) → MATH 326 (differential equations)
Physics (C1401) → PHYS 123 (and you have to take the PHYS 124 lab, too)
Physics (C1402) → PHYS 125 (and you have to take the PHYS 126 lab, too)
General Chemistry I (C1403)
→ CHEM 116 (and you also have to
take CHEM 118 & CHEM 119)
Computer Science (many options at Columbia)
→ INTD 121 (or MATH 230)
Principles of Economics
(ECON W1105)
→ ECON
110
English Composition (ENGL C1010 )
→ INTD 105
9. How do I apply to be part of the 3-2 engineering program?
You don’t. You apply to Geneseo. Once you are a Geneseo student, you just choose your major accordingly (for example, “3-2 engineering: physics), and you take the necessary classes. Then, during your 3rd year at Geneseo, you apply for acceptance at the engineering partner school. There is some other paperwork to be done before you leave Geneseo.
10. What are the partner schools?
Formal partner schools include Columbia, Clarkson, and Case Western Reserve. Currently, we have an informal relationship with SUNY University at Buffalo.
11. Didn’t Geneseo have other formal engineering partners in the past?
Former partner schools included Alfred University, RIT, SUNY University at Binghamton, Syracuse, and the University of Rochester.