I got accepted to Baylor a couple months ago and is planning to visit the school next weekend. The thing is, I’m majoring in Mechanical Engineering and I plan to either transfer from Baylor to UT Austin/A&M after a year OR proceed with the CAP program at Arlington and then transfer to UT Austin.
I’ve heard pros and cons of doing the CAP program. On one hand, Arlington isn’t exactly the safest area in the world (especially for a 16 year old girl such as myself) - but if I work hard enough (and the classes shouldn’t be extremely difficult I hope) and attain a near 4.0 GPA, I can probably transfer to UT Austin Mechanical Engineering. The cost is also doable, and this seems like a great option since I really want to get into UT Austin but the location and the risk of me not being able to get into the major I want after completing the CAP program still looms overhead.
On the other hand, Baylor seems like a lovely school with a small student body. Yet I’m worried about the ‘religiousness’ of the school (I’m not very religious) as well as the cost factor (even with the scholarship and financial aid, it’s still a bit expensive). If I work hard and attain a high GPA, I might be able to transfer to UT Austin/A&M - but even if I wasn’t able to transfer, Baylor is still a very respectable school to graduate from. However, it might be difficult for me to attain a high GPA since I’ve heard the academic rigor there is more demanding.
I was just wondering if it would be better to go to Baylor for a year and then transfer, or to proceed with the CAP Program and try to attain a near 4.0 GPA. My parents are pushing for the CAP Program, but I’m also quite interested in Baylor. Has anyone successfully transferred from Baylor to UT Austin/A&M? Is it generally hard to attain a high GPA on your first year there? Has anybody done the CAP Program at Arlington? Is it worth it?
Sorry, I’m just very confused. I’d love to hear everyone’s opinion. I’m not afraid to work hard and I’m ready to commit my first year to studying and doing whatever it takes to get into A&M and UT Austin.