<p>I'm interested in math but I also want to be open to other choices. Can anyone tell me what SEAS is like? Once you're at SEAS are you stuck with the math/science route? what if you want to go into economics?
whats the difference between SEAS and being a science/math major at Columbia college?</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>"whats the difference between SEAS and being a science/math major at Columbia college?"</p>
<p>engineering/applied science vs. pure science (more research, theory / proof based) and there's the college core vs. the seas core (do a search if you don't know what i'm talking about). at seas if you want to major in something other than engineering or applied science you have to transfer to columbia college, which requires a decent (not extraordinary) gpa, i've yet to come across someone who's tried but missed. Same with the college if you want to study engineering or applied science you need to transfer to seas, similar story. at columbia college you can major in anything else, so switching from theoretical physics to econ is a matter of choosing different courses in your first two years.</p>
<p>what would be considered a "decent" gpa? Is it hard to get a "decent" gpa? (can it be achieved if you're willing to work hard but have minimal background knowledge in every course comming into college)
so are you saying that if a person at SEAS with a decent gpa will almost autmatically be accepted into Columbia college as a transfer student?<br>
would computer science/math be considered "applied science?"</p>
<p>"what would be considered a "decent" gpa? Is it hard to get a "decent" gpa? "</p>
<p>Probably a 3.6+ Maybe 3.5. Getting a 'decent' depends on the classes you take and how hard you're willing to work. I took really easy classes my freshman year but slacked...sooo my GPA is not something I'd like to boast about :P</p>
<p>"so are you saying that if a person at SEAS with a decent gpa will almost autmatically be accepted into Columbia college as a transfer student?"</p>
<p>You compete with other transfers from other schools. You don't get into SEAS just because you're transferring from CC and vice versa. Or that's what they tell you. I'm inclined to think they want to make the process fair, but the reality is if you appear competent enough and you want to switch schools, they'll let you. I don't know anyone who tried and hasn't got it. </p>
<p>"would computer science/math be considered "applied science"</p>
<p>In SEAS, yes, your major would be Applied Math or Computer Engineering respectively. In CC, math is more theoretical.</p>
<p>thanks that was very helpful :D</p>
<p>"Probably a 3.6+ Maybe 3.5. Getting a 'decent' depends on the classes you take and how hard you're willing to work"</p>
<p>I'll go out on a limb and say you have a shot at transferring to CC even with a 3.3-3.4 in seas, as long as you have good grades in core classes, and classes in your intended major. If you want to switch majors, you have to demonstrate both a love for and a an ability in your new field, and a love for the core (if going seas-cc). If you're mediocre in your current major and set of pre-reqs which you're trying to get out of, they would understand. </p>
<p>"would computer science/math be considered "applied science"</p>
<p>applied math and computer science are the only two majors offered by both seas and CC, i think the number of majors in each is larger for seas, not sure if the departments too are different. There are some threads on the difference between comp sci in college vs. seas, denzera can probably give you the low down on cs/applied math in seas vs. college. </p>
<p>"You compete with other transfers from other schools. You don't get into SEAS just because you're transferring from CC and vice versa. Or that's what they tell you."</p>
<p>it more what they tell you, because they don't want it perceived as being too easy, and in truth it isn't straightforward if you're failing, but as an above average student, they have significant incentive to keep you at columbia (your loyalty as an alum, their drop out rate etc.) I don't know of a single person who has tried but failed.</p>
<p>I was rejected for seas--> cc transfer with a 3.75. I don't know if they cared, but I took 2801 physics (B+ Fall semester) which I thought would help a little, also thought A+ in Calc III would be a boost. </p>
<p>I'm not sure why I didn't get in; maybe it's not as easy as everyone says or maybe my application was messed up (prof did not send rec until week before decisions came out), but I will try again next year. Unfortunately, my gpa has dropped to a 3.5 overall (almost entirely due to a C in 2802) so I'm not too optimistic given my previous result. It is really frustrating not being able to major in what you want, so choose your school carefully.</p>
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Unfortunately, my gpa has dropped to a 3.5 overall (almost entirely due to a C in 2802)
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<p>Memo to incoming students: don't take 2801/2802.</p>
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I don't know of a single person who has tried but failed.
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<p>i'm quite sure that anyone who has tried and failed would not mention it ....i mean most of the time you don't even know if someone is CC or SEAS so for all intensive purposes you can apply for a transfer or even transfer and noone would know</p>
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i mean most of the time you don't even know if someone is CC or SEAS
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<p>I bet that for majority of the students I could tell whether they're CC or SEAS just by looking at them. </p>
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<p>It's "intents and purposes"; you've made this mistake before.</p>
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It's "intents and purposes"; you've made this mistake before.
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<p>the fact that u remember i made that mistake before is .....interesting </p>
<p>...i blame happy hour for this mistake</p>
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I bet that for majority of the students I could tell whether they're CC or SEAS just by looking at them.
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<p>i bet u can't...i often got mistaken for a CC student....though pure probability would dictate that if u guess CC for most non-asian students you'd do pretty well.</p>
<p>"I was rejected for seas--> cc transfer with a 3.75. I don't know if they cared, but I took 2801 physics (B+ Fall semester) which I thought would help a little, also thought A+ in Calc III would be a boost."</p>
<p>what were your average grades in the field you wanted to get into/core classes, were you able to demonstrate an interest in your new field, for the core? it's surprising that they'd turn down a 3.75.</p>
<p>given that they only saw my first semester, my grades were:</p>
<p>1004 intro java: A
gen chem: A-
Uwriting: A-
Calc 3: A+
2801 Physics: B+</p>
<p>i applied to do a math-stat, econ-philosophy "double" major w/physics concentration. and i didn't have time to demonstrate the new interest in my first semester, since i didn't decide to try transferring until well into the second semester (after having taken intermediate micro, intro to electrical).</p>
<p>with regards to 2800 physics: for most people, your grade is not really dependent on your physics ability as it is your capacity to hate yourself.<br>
but there are <em>geniuses</em> who did very well in the class without putting in more than 15 hours a week, which i found very impressive.</p>
<p>"given that they only saw my first semester, my grades were:</p>
<p>1004 intro java: A
gen chem: A-
Uwriting: A-
Calc 3: A+
2801 Physics: B+"</p>
<p>The only thing one can gauge from this is that you were either good or very well prepared for calc. There's no demonstrated interest/ability in philosophy, econ, stat and you didn't blow them away on the physics front. From their perspective you would come off as an over ambitious dreamer (wanting two majors + concentration in fields that you have had little college exposure to). If you can't prove to them why you would fit and benefit from a change to columbia college, I don't see why they should transfer you over someone who has. In your case I don't think the gpa was a hurdle, they probably thought you had no clue what you were getting into.</p>
<p>Litmus test: after two semesters do you still want to do what you had planned?</p>
<p>I think you'll have a better shot at transferring (even with a lower gpa) if what you tell them you want to study coincides with what you've had experience in and done well in. If you've done really well in micro, macro and stat, tell them that you want to do an econ-stat joint major and leave it at that. This way you'll come off as realistic, and in their mind they'll be allowing a clearly constructive change. hope you get in, it does suck to not be able to study your major of choice.</p>
<p>well yes, but i hadn't decided to transfer until the spring semester, when i was taking a stat and econ class and auditing a philosophy class. after all, i thought i was going to do engineering when i chose my first semester's courses - you can't expect everyone to know exactly what they want to do fall semester of freshman year.</p>
<p>note that a b+ in 2801 translates into an a if not a+ in 1601, easily. everyone i know that dropped into 1600 got A/A+s without even trying, and they were generally getting Cs in 2800.</p>
<p>this looks ambitious, but i took 8 classes in the spring and though did not do very well, i think i've learned enough from the experience that i can take another 8 next semester and do well this time. and yes, i still want to do the same plan after my first year.</p>
<p>with regards to showing interest, ii did well in micro and stat last term, and will hopefully do well in the two philosophy and two econ classes i'll take next fall. i guess we'll have to wait and see how this next transfer shot plays out. worse come to worse, i'll try the 4-1 plan in 4 years.</p>
<p>"this looks ambitious, but i took 8 classes in the spring and though did not do very well, i think i've learned enough from the experience that i can take another 8 next semester and do well this time. and yes, i still want to do the same plan after my first year."</p>
<p>this isn't going to prove anything to anybody, take six which is already above average and get close to a 4.0. You'll walk into columbia college with that and a decent essay of why you want to transfer. In general classes tend to get more difficult sophomore year, but perhaps you aren't taking classes at a higher level. </p>
<p>"worse come to worse, i'll try the 4-1 plan in 4 years."</p>
<p>I thought about doing this, but they don't let you do this unless you finish your BS and nearly all of the core in 3 years. I would have been able to do this (scheduling and all) had I not taken so many econ courses my first few semesters. I would have had to kill myself junior year to finish the BS in 3 years. for 4-1 you want to finish as much as possible of the college core, and your engineering classes. for transferring you don't want to waste too much time on engineering classes.</p>
<p>Hi, I hope it's not too inappropriate to ask here, but I'm a rising senior and I was wondering if applying to Columbia would be a right choice. I am stronger in math/science but want to apply to C. college because I am not completely sure of a major. If I change my mind to engineering, would it be easy to transfer to SEAS? Or would it be easier to apply to a school with more freedom?</p>
<p>"If I change my mind to engineering, would it be easy to transfer to SEAS?"</p>
<p>I think it'll be straightforward, just maintain an average - above average gpa. </p>
<p>"Or would it be easier to apply to a school with more freedom?"</p>
<p>changing from college to engineering isn't hard at all, the early few courses in the college will count towards engineering requirements (lit hum, and any humanity classes count for the non-tech requirements), only frontiers of science will be wasted. you won't be at a disadvantage and the basic math / science courses over lap for college and engineering students.</p>
<p>Guys, I hope this is helpful, but Columbia stood out when I was applying for two reasons:</p>
<p>(1) I've always been good at math/science, but I have never loved it. I know people who wake up in the morning and can't think of anything more interesting to think about than math. I'm not one of those people. Anyway, Columbia's engineering curriculum would let me get good grades at things I'm good at (the math/science), while also letting me take classes from world-class liberal arts departments, just as much as I want, nothing too extreme. I found this very appealing - I didn't have to be a liberal arts major to get a great liberal-arts education.</p>
<p>(2) The core is proof that Columbia, as a major research university, highly values and spends great resources on its undergraduates. The same cannot always be said about the major research universities among its peers.</p>
<p>I think reason (1) is most relevant to the discussion here. Whether or not you can debate the merits and odds of a SEAS -> CC transfer, the original poster wanted some assurance that being a SEAS engineer and doing something like applied math wouldn't restrict them to writing equations all day. I'm exactly that sort of person - I was App Math major, CS minor - and I had a blast taking history classes and some polisci and some econ and so on. I didn't run out of fun stuff to take, I ran out of time. You can have just as much of an intellectual blast - in either CC or SEAS. Just depends on how much of what type of courses you want to take.</p>
<p>To answer the specific question, "what if you want to go into economics?", the answer is you have two choices:</p>
<p>(1) Do a major in something and get an Econ minor - perfectly respectable
or
(2) Take a major in the IEOR department. I believe they now have 4 majors, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Financial Engineering, and - something else, too lazy to look it up. But many people do IE or OR if they're of an economics bent. You take a lot of the same classes as econ majors (particularly 1st and 2nd year), but you're approaching things from a much more quantitative background, which can only stand you in good stead when thinking alongside the math-lightweights that populate CC's econ department undergrad population. Yeah, I said it - the lot of them basically suck at math. OR will let you learn about actual, real-world modeling, and give you the basics of running a business (or, say, a supply chain) that you'd never get sitting around debating the Efficient Market Hypothesis. Think of the IEOR dept as your source for Applied Econ.</p>
<p>Rant over. Go 'bout yo' bizness.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info about 4-1 in 4 years - looks like I won't be able to do it, since I'm planning on applying to graduate school in economics and won't be able to postpone econ classes til senior year. Guess I'll just have to hope for a transfer then.</p>
<p>btw Denzera, IE/OR aren't quite the same as applied econ, since you're basically just learning techniques to solve problems (which will often relate to econ). you're not actually taking "real" econ classes like micro/macro/econometrics as part of the major, though you are of course free to do so anyways.</p>