I have been accepted to transfer to GT for EE. The main reasons I want to transfer is research (KSU does not have the field I am interested in, although I could possibly go for REUs and research not in my field of interest, which can possibly be presented to IEEE), the alumni network, the merger (how important IS name? ABET accreditation should be sufficient, right? Administration is really messy right now), and the price at KSU is now similar to GT’s (*presuming my new GPA is high enough to keep scholarships). I am also interested in study abroad and the VIP or ORS program. I am already co-oping and will have a summer for an internship, so GT will have better options for that.
Or I could stay at KSU/SPSU and keep four leadership positions (professional, academic, and mentorship positions), finish a technical minor, not be stressed about keeping scholarships, and participate in the honors program, complete with honors GPA. Then hopefully attend grad school. I prefer the smaller classes/atmosphere.
I am 75% certain I want to go to grad school, though I have yet to participate in research, so that could change. The programs I am most interested in atm are Georgia Tech’s and Stanford’s.
*If my GPA is not high enough (~3.0) to keep my scholarships, I will have to drop out or take several years longer to graduate because federal aid is not an option for me (my parents won’t fill out the FASFA and I am paying my own way). I have heard several stories of people failing out and coming back, including transfers, though they have reassured me that if I study, I should be “fine”. They couldn’t really define “fine”.
https://secure.gacollege411.org/Financial_Aid_Planning/HOPE_Program/Maintaining_Eligibility_for_the_HOPE_Scholarship.aspx indicates that “All college degree credit hours attempted at any college, and the corresponding grades, are counted toward the HOPE cumulative grade point average, even if those hours and grades are not accepted by the institution to which the student transferred.” So, if you transfer, your KSU credits and grades will count toward your GPA calculation, which can buffer your future GPA if it is currently high. What is your current GPA and number of credits, and that expected at the time of transfer?
@ucbalumnus Yes, the Zell Miller part of the HOPE scholarship.
I would transfer with 70 credits, 48 of which will weigh the GPA towards a 3.56 (I got very sick :(, but other grades were my fault; I have learnt my lesson and the CS minor would pull the GPA back up if I stayed at my current school). Even if I keep HOPE and lose Zell Miller, the price may still be too much.
Oh, and I meant to say one of the leadership positions is a competition team.
You may want to get verification on whether dual enrollment grades count. The wording on the HOPE and Zell Miller page differs slightly but significantly.
The bolded part is the difference, which implies that the dual enrollment courses and grades count for Zell Miller but not HOPE. Verify whether this is true.
Also, check whether the withdrawn 4 credit course counts as 4 credits, or 8 credits (4 for the first time that you withdrew, 4 for the second time).
You need this information to see how close you are to the threshold of losing the scholarship, whether you stay at KSU or transfer to GT.
It is not necessarily a given that GT is harder to get good grades in, but there is some risk in the transfer to a completely new school environment.
It will be 8 credits, since I withdrew midway through the semester. Because I dual-enrolled, those extra withdrawal hours as well as the few hours I lose transferring (three credits) shouldn’t reach the threshold.
“It is not necessarily a given that GT is harder to get good grades in” That is the part I am confused by. Professors and a few people in industry have told me that since both programs are ABET accredited, most of the curriculum will be the same. SPSU/KSU may lean more towards practical application than theoretical. However, current students/recent alumni definitively declare that Tech is harder. Their demeanor becomes completely transformed when the topic comes up, so I tend to believe them. I met a student that had about a 2.4 after transferring, although he admitted to not having the best study habits. I am guessing the caliber of students attribute to some of the difficulty. I will err cautious and thoroughly prepare.
Is it worth it though? My ECs at KSU/SPSU are pretty nice (I worked hard for them, maybe I am just having a hard time letting them go…).
It is hard for anyone but you to decide whether the greater accessibility of research at GT is worth the GPA risk of losing a scholarship when transferring to a new school. But you may want to carefully check how much your existing course work will “buffer” your GPA after transfer. Also check what research is accessible to you in each case (stay or transfer).