<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>I'm applying to Cornell University regular decision, and I know I want to major in Computer Science B.S. for sure, but my questions are:</p>
<ol>
<li>Is it easier to get into C.A.S. for the B.A. degree in CS?</li>
<li>If I go that route, is it easy to transfer into COE for the B.S.?</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Probably not. CAS has a lower acceptance rate, but COE has a stronger average applicant, so all in all it’s probably about the same difficulty either way.</p></li>
<li><p>Yes, if you keep a high GPA.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Our S is applying the CAS/BA route because he wants to include a lot more non-CS, non-engineering courses, particularly in digital/game design and (non-computer) languages. Since he has a fairly specific path in mind do you think that will be well received by the admissions reviewers in the BA track - will they get it, or will they just assume it’s a dodge? He’s not avoiding the BS track, it’s that he doesn’t want/need the ABET-accredited more highly proscriptive program for what he wants to go into and he’s really into languages which it looks like he wouldn’t have room for in the BS required curriculum.</p>
<p>I thought at privates (especially Ivy Leagues) that it’s ridiculously easy to transfer between colleges, especially freshman year? I have a friend at Princeton who applied for some multilingual/communications major at Princeton and transferred into Computer Science as soon as he got there.</p>
<p>What sorts of application material would be distinguishable from the B.A. vs B.S.? I have done a good amount of coding/computer science things already, but Speech & Debate is also a big part of my application (ranked #1 in the nation in my event). Would they see Debate as a C.A.S. qualification and not so much C.O.E.?</p>
<p>coolio: don’t generalize about how easy it is to transfer colleges at “privates” or even in the Ivy League. Cornell’s internal transfer process is a bit more involved than what you’d find at a lot of other schools. do specific research about each separate university.
I would say you shouldn’t apply to the place where your unrelated extracurriculars are better, but to the school which actually has the requirements you’re more interested in. do you want a more general education, with foreign language, or do you want to be trained as an engineer. </p>
<p>eric: I think your son’s plan is good, but I just wanted to add that it is possible for something going for a BS in CS to take languages, at least it was for some people I know. (it’s probably not too common, though.)</p>