Guidance regarding potential engineering transfer applicant

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
1

Daughter came home this week after first semester of her sophomore year at Lehigh. She is a Materials Science engineering major. She announced that she wants to consider transferring to a school where the students and professors are more “focused and engaged”, and the program is more “hands-on,” "like Cornell or Michigan.”

She thinks Cornell or Michigan would provide an environment where more professors are more interested in engaging students (i.e., showing up at their office hours, and replying to email, lol) and would also have a higher percentage of students who have a more serious interest in their academics. She also believes Cornell and Michigan have high quality Materials Science engineering programs, and more access to research in areas related to polymers and nanotech, which are developing areas of interest for her. She also thinks that these two schools have more hands-on programs which she prefers.

Lehigh has a middle 50 of a 30-33 ACT which is slightly lower than Cornell’s 31-34 but not a huge difference.
She has taken a very rigorous course load at Lehigh and has 61 credits currently and 17 more scheduled for next semester. (Yes, I know she can only transfer 60 credits).
She will have completed the Freshman and Sophomore engineering requirements: Calc 1, 2, and 3, linear algebra, Physics 1 and 2 w labs, Chem 1 and 2 w labs, Organic Chem, 2 CS Java courses, 2 more basic Engineering courses, a few materials science courses, 2 English courses and Econ.
Her Lehigh GPA is a solid 3.45 (for Lehigh anyway, where the engineering avg. is in the 2.8 - 2.9 range).
ACT was 32 (Math 34, Science 33)
Cornell Legacy
Numerous ECs.

Realistically, does she have a decent chance to transfer? What guidance should I be providing to her?

2

I have no expertise upon which to base a response to “chances” questions, But IMO if she wants to go there it would be reasonable for her to apply.

I think the admissions people are smart enough to consider not only GPA, but from where that GPA was obtained. And COE is thought to give a “bump” to women.

Given academic qualification, I think the personal statement, detailing why one is transferring and why Cornell is the logical place for her, can be very important. As an alum child she should have insider insights into what the place is really like that can filter into her essays.

At the same time, claims about what Cornell is like that are wrong are likely not helpful. Either in terms of admissions or as to her expectations vs. experience if she goes there.

To wit: Lehigh is a respected engineering school. Is Cornell, to a material extent, really "a school where the students and professors are more “focused and engaged”, and the program is more “hands-on”, vs. Lehigh ??

I’m not saying it isn’t. I really don’t know. I just think that if these are really the criteria, a transfer list should be made after exploring/investigating the prospective candidate schools vs. these criteria.

From a selfish alum parent perspective, I can tell you it was great that D2 transferred to Cornell. It gave me an excuse to go up there, and re-establish my connection to Ithaca.
But I remember being concerned that she might feel bad if she got rejected, despite legacy. Fortunately she was accepted. But she did say afterwards that she was glad that she was also accepted at other selective schools, so she did not feel that she was only admitted due to legacy.