Hey guys,
I have always planned to study computer science and econ together, whether through double majoring or taking a minor in one of them. However, after experiencing a “horrible” admissions cycle, I am now having to commit to a school that doesn’t have computer science major/minor, or even just courses. I cannot take a gap year because of my parents, so would this be a sufficient enough reason to transfer to schools that would allow me to double major or minor in both econ & CS, or should I just not bother transferring?
Any perspectives would be greatly appreciated
Thank you so much for your time 
Are you saying that this place has no comp sci classes at all, or rather that is only offers clases butnot a majoror minor? Does it offer a formal “concentration”? What do those computer science courses add up to? Do they make the equivalent of what would be a minor somewhere else? If they are equivalent in breadth and depth to other places’ minors, or if they are close and could be further supplemented with a couple of summer school classes, then there might be no need to consider transferring.
If there are too few classes and/or they lack sufficient breadth and depth, and you continue to be interested in the field of study, then you probably do need to consider transferring.
@happymomof1
Thank u for responding. My school does not offer any computer science major, minor, or courses. The ONLY tech-related major that the school offer is computer information systems, and even for tha, the number of tech-related/cs courses is limited (as it consists of alot of business courses).
Huh. It’s strange that your school doesn’t offer ANY CS programs.
In any event, you should consider transferring. What’s your current major? Economics, I assume?
@TransferStalker
Well, I’m an incoming college freshman so I haven’t officially declared a major but, until I transfer, I will probably just focus on taking some general econ/business courses as my school doesn’t have, or has very limited, cs/tech courses.
Sounds like a plan. Although, another option is to withdraw from that institution, and maybe enroll yourself in community college. It will get some prerequisite courses out of the way, and you’ll be able to pursue a more relevant major. Plus, it may be cheaper.
Keep in mind, if you do go into this institution with the intention of transferring, you won’t be able to do ANY CS courses. This means, if and when you do transfer to another school, you’re going to be scrambling to get your CS classes done. You’ll be doing first-year CS in your sophomore (or even junior) year.
You should check to see if the nearby community colleges offer frosh/soph level CS and economics major courses that could help you transfer without being as far behind on CS courses. That may be a better and cheaper option than the college you are considering that has no CS courses at all.
Was this the only affordable college that admitted you? What was the reason that you applied to it in the first place since it was missing any course work in one of your main interests?
@ucbalumnus I made the mistake of applying to very few (only two) affordable safety state schools, and I am choosing this one mainly because it is close to home (the other is upstate) and my parents recommended me to go here as they want me to pursue business, which is what this school is known for. Thank you for the suggestion though. Will consider cc’s with cs courses for now, but either way, I guess I have to transfer anyways.The cost of the CCs is essentially equivalent to my current schools so affordability isn’t really a big issue.
The other affordable safety also does not have CS courses?
@ucbalumnus I know that the other school had more tech-related course offerings but, like my current school, it still didnt offer any CS major/minor.
Wow, well in any case, that’s definitely a legitimate reason to apply to transfer
As I said, you should definitely consider a CC. In my opinion, it is much more detrimental to your overall education to stay at that university rather than going to CC.
I think that taking the transfer route might actually be great for you. Assuming you do well wherever you decide to go, many new doors may open for you. You’ll have more time to think about where you want to continue your education.
@TransferStalker Thank you for the suggestion. I will def take into consideration going the CC route then transferring
Right now I am considering transferring colleges. How many colleges do you think I should apply to?
Don’t get too ahead of yourself. See how you do your first semester / year.
Usually, a healthy amount would be 5-10 in my opinion; 5 being the bare minimum. 10 is a good point to stop; a lot of students don’t want to deal with all the paperwork and essays involved with applying to more than 10 schools. (But it is totally up to you if you want to apply to more!)
Remember, it really comes down to quality over quantity. The average student can’t do 10 essays equal justice. When you apply to 10+ schools, you’ll likely need to compromise.
If you go to a CC that has a formal articulation agreement for your major with a place that is affordable for you, you might not need any other options. Happykid didn’t.