Transfer, AP, and IB Credit

Transferring Credits

How to earn transfer credit

Coursework from another college or university: Order an official transcript and have it sent directly to the Registrar’s Office (do not send it to yourself first). Official transcripts can be sent through the U.S. mail, an electronic transcript vendor (such as Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse), or secure online exchange from the sending institution. If you have the option to send an official transcript electronically, send it to registrar@lakeforest.edu.

Dual Credit courses: Order an official transcript from the college or university that awarded the credit and have it sent directly to the Registrar’s Office (do not send it to yourself first). Official transcripts can be sent through the U.S. mail, an electronic transcript vendor (such as Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse), or secure online exchange from the sending institution. If you have the option to send an official transcript electronically, send it to registrar@lakeforest.edu. Transfer credit cannot be awarded from a high school transcript.

AP credits: Order an official score report from the CollegeBoard and have it sent directly to the Registrar’s Office. View our AP Credit Chart here.

IB credits: Order an official score report and have it sent directly to the Registrar’s Office. Credit is awarded for Higher Level (HL) exams only. View our IB Credit Chart here.

Which courses are accepted in transfer?

Review our database of pre-approved transfer courses. Carefully review any notes for more information. FFC guides are available for selected colleges and universities. Access these guides using the "GUIDES" links where available.

All students must submit the Transfer Credit Approval Form before taking courses at another institution to ensure the courses can be accepted in transfer. We cannot guarantee transfer credit for unapproved courses. Transfer courses can be used to complete FFC and/or major/minor requirements with approval by using this form.

In general, most liberal arts-style courses taken at regionally accredited institutions are accepted by Lake Forest College. Look for courses in the humanities, fine arts, natural sciences, or social sciences that are similar to courses offered at Lake Forest. Contact the Registrar’s office directly to check if a specific course will be accepted.

Physical Education, Health and Wellness, technical and vocational courses are not accepted in transfer.

Transfer Credit Policies

  • Incoming transfer credit is converted into Lake Forest College credit. A 3.0 semester hour course is equal to 0.75 LFC credits, and a 4.0 semester hour course is equal to 1.0 LFC credits. See more information in the Credit Conversion Guide.
  • A minimum grade of C- is required for transfer courses. Grades of S/CR/P are not accepted unless it can be confirmed that the grade is equal to a C- or better.
  • Students may transfer in up to 16 LFC credits (64 semester hours), with the following limitations:
    • 12 of the final 16 credits must be completed at Lake Forest College
    • 4 of the final 5 credits must be completed at Lake Forest College
  • Current students must submit the Transfer Credit Approval Form before taking any courses at another institution. We cannot guarantee transfer credit for unapproved courses.
Can I finish my degree by taking my final credit elsewhere and transferring it back to Lake Forest College?

Students may transfer in up to 1.0 of their final 5.0 credits to complete their degree.

Can I earn transfer/AP credit from a course I took several years ago?

Yes! You can submit transcripts or official AP/IB scores at any time before you graduate, even if the coursework was taken a while ago. See above for information on submitting transcripts/scores for evaluation.

Can I repeat a course I’ve already taken at Lake Forest College through another school?

You may repeat a course for credit elsewhere if the original grade was F, W, or WF. This will not remove an F/WF from your Lake Forest GPA. Grades from transfer courses are not included in your Lake Forest GPA.

You cannot receive additional credit for repeating a course that you have already passed at Lake Forest College.

Are the grades from my transfer courses posted on my Lake Forest College transcript?

Transfer grades are posted but are not calculated in your Lake Forest College GPA. Transfer grades are included in Latin Honors calculations. See more information on our Graduation Requirements page.

Can I earn transfer credit for other types of coursework not listed on this page?

A-Level (GCE): Submit official A-Level or GCE equivalent results to the Registrar’s Office. 1.0 credit is awarded for each passing grade (A, B, or C) in the appropriate department.

AS Levels: Lake Forest College does not currently offer any credit for AS level exams.

CLEP: Lake Forest College does not currently award transfer credit for courses for which credit was granted by institutional or CLEP exams rather than course attendance.

Seal of Biliteracy: Lake Forest College awards 1.0 general foreign language elective credit for the Seal of Biliteracy.

Can I earn transfer credit for coursework completed outside the United States?

Lake Forest College does accept transfer credit from non-US institutions. Contact the Registrar’s Office for more information. Students may be required to provide an ECE or WES evaluation of their transcripts.