<p>So, I applied to (and got into) Columbia College without managing to realize the existence of the core or of the SEAS program. Minus the foreign language requirement of the Core, Columbia would be my top choice. Maybe I'm just predisposed because I chose a language in high school I have no love for (Spanish) and my teachers were god awful, but this alone is seriously going to make/break my decision. I recently discovered however that SEAS does away with this horrible, horrible requirement, and the other humanitarian requirements I have some genuine interest in. So, I realize its far too late to call up Columbia and say "Hey, mind sending me to the other school?" but how likely is it that I could transfer after my freshman year and save myself all of the torment? For the record, I plan to major in either math, physics, or computer science, so SEAS is likely a better fit for me anyways (and I have 0 chance of going for a humanities degree).</p>
<p>Also, one side comment. If I do end up swallowing the pain and going to Columbia, are Core classes graded/weighted normally, or are they given some other form of consideration? I can basically guarantee right now I'm not getting over a B- in a language class. I only got a 100 in high school...well, because high school foreign language requirements (for me) are on par with the ability of a toddler.</p>
<p>1) transferring to SEAS is very probable and so long as you have a compelling reason (i.e. a major you want to take) beyond you don’t like the humanities. (note that applied math, applied physics and computer science are all majors in the college.)</p>
<p>2) wow! reading this post really took me for one. you have before you one of the most sought after educational experiences in the world and you stomp all over it in your post. a) the core grades are inflated, like many courses at columbia, so don’t worry about a gpa killer, b) the core courses are probably the most fun classes you will take at columbia or any comparable system at another uni; they really help you see society in a whole new light, encourage you to ask questions and to see things interdisciplinarily. c) tons of students at columbia are not humanities majors, so don’t think you are in a minority, and many of those students make it by and often enjoy taking up a new language that they never considered before.</p>
<p>3) swallowing the pain? dude, if you have so much disdain for CU, it isn’t your only option, please don’t go to columbia. because the last thing the school needs is a bitter kid who has no desire to attend. so if you want to seriously think about columbia…do that because it is an incredible place for people of all majors in CC or SEAS. if you are having jitters because the prospect of college is upon you and it is more daunting than you first thought, understandable. but from what can be gathered in this post is an attitude problem (including the fact that you didn’t even look at the school you were applying for and the fact that there are two undergraduate colleges). </p>
<p>consider something - foreign languages are the basis of a global education in which learning more than one language will give you more job prospects and increase your marketability. </p>
<p>if you were looking for sympathy, you should have considered your word choices in this post. i hope you crack your head back on and realize that you have a great opportunity before you. if you arrive at Columbia and really think that SEAS is better for you, then transfer. but if you have to use words like “pain” to describe your experience, don’t put yourself through it. so start thinking about the right questions and realize that arrogance is never a way to make friends.</p>
<p>wait. I heard that transferring from SEAS to CC and CC to SEAS was just like applying as a transfer student. (i.e. no extra weight given to the fact that you’re a student at the other school)</p>
<p>^yeah, but anecdotal evidence (isn’t that paradoxical, in a sense lols) has shown that it’s rarely denied.</p>
<p>i meant very possible, though as a point of clarification - all three cc kids i knew that wanted to transfer to seas were admitted. two wanted mechanical and one wanted civil engineering. yes you have to submit a transfer app, but usually only students that really want engineering even try to transfer. and so if you make a sampling of people who really know why they want to transfer together then of course the success rate will be high. i imagine it is more of a shut door going the other way because a lot of seas students i hear that want to transfer do so because they are doing bad in their classes; which is not usually giving people a lot of confidence. in my experience - if you have a good reason to transfer schools and have put in a good faith effort in your present school, you have a good shot. </p>
<p>and though they probably say that they treat you as if you are from any other school, that is not quite true. they have the benefit of having your academic adviser on the same campus, they can easily speak with your professors, and they know the requirements for each school. like most things this means transferring could be easier or harder depending on how well you are doing because they will know you better as an applicant.</p>
<p>…applied physics is in the college?</p>
<p>well i heard actually that not anymore, though when i was a ugrad that was the case. now it is just CS and Applied Math. i don’t know why, but it used to span both, good news - the departments are pretty interconnected from what i hear.</p>
<p>There used to be an old Alka Selzer commercial on TV with the tagline: “Try it, you’ll like it.” Give it your best shot, and then move over to SEAS a year later if you find that the curriculum does suit you. As long as you have a average GPA, your transfer will go through.</p>