Chance Me: Transfer Student

Transfer Students
1

I’m considering applying for transfer and I’m wondering if the schools I’m considering are even in my ballpark, can I please get some feedback/advice?

Some of the schools I’m thinking of applying to are UCLA, UCSD, Cal, Northwestern, Stanford, Cornell, GeorgiaTech. I know that schools like Stanford, Cornell, Northwestern will probably be like reaching beyond the stars for me, but I’m not sure how much of a reach the other schools are. Any thoughts will be appreciated!

Here are my stats:

Female/Asian

Current college: a low ranking public state school (one of the UCs)
Major: Computer Science
College GPA: 4.0
Relevant courses: 3 comp sci, vector calc, discrete math, linear algebra Currently taking: the first class in the physics series, and will satisfy the entire series and other math/writing reqs by summer 2021

High School GPA: 3.8/4.2
SAT/ACT: 1510/34
APs: are they even relevant at this point? Idek but I took 6 AP tests, passed all of them
SAT 2: math 2, english, chem

College ECs:
Undergraduate research assistant in computing lab
Machine learning team leader in Neurotech Club
Course tutor for two comp sci classes in the UC
Founded a nonprofit (wasn’t very successful tho)
Volunteer comp sci tutor at a nonprofit (not the one I founded)
College honors program

Awards: none unless Dean’s List counts

Highschool ECs:
President of film club
Secretary of philosophy club
200+ hrs volunteer work at various orgs
Captain of water polo team

Major concerns:
I don’t really have a hook, and have pretty weak ECs (no internship experience or any open source). Probably don’t have fantastic recs (never really got to connect with profs). Additionally, in my opinion, CS is a pretty competitive major with a lot of amazing candidates. I’ve also heard UC to UC transfer is difficult.

2

Georgia Tech & Cornell may be difficult because both schools accept a lot of students who applied for freshman admission and were given conditional transfer options.

Northwestern is a reasonable target school which is transfer friendly.

This will be an interesting application cycle for transfer students due to effects of Covid-19. Freshmen who deferred may make transfer admissions easier as there will be fewer rising sophomores.

3

UC to UC transfers are not difficult but you are not given priority over the CC to UC transfers. You have a competitive GPA and if you complete all your transfer requirements by Spring, you will be very qualified for UCSD, UCLA and UCB. Make sure you get your UC reciprocity agreement for your GE’s.

Here are the UC transfer GPA admit ranges by major and campus to help gauge your chances.

https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/transfers-major

Just my opinion, but you are doing extremely well at your current UC and CS is a very marketable major so yes a more prestigious school could open a few more doors than where you are currently attending, but after a few years where you get your degree will matter even less.

My son loves point out that he went to a Cal state for his CS degree and works along side many UC grads for the same pay. Not as much from where you graduate, but more about what you know.

Best of luck.

4

@Gumbymom @Publisher

Thanks for all the advice! Transferring is something I want to do because there are schools I would love to attend, but I do agree that finding jobs and internships are more about what an applicant knows than where they graduated from.