I’m currently studying electrical engineering at Union College, and am more than ready to leave after a rough first year. I will likely be ending this year with a 3.0, but possibly lower. I know I’m capable of studying engineering (1510 SAT and got all A’s and one B until this term) but have struggled with motivation, especially this spring as all my other friends were home from college a month before me. I dislike my current school for a number of reasons, but they mostly have to do with the homophobic student body and the general, anti-intellectual “bro” culture.
All that said, I’m looking for potential transfer schools, preferably with less greek life, that have electrical engineering, a more thoughtful/hippie student body, but also have a good liberal arts basis. I was considering Rice (it seems like a near-perfect match, but I still have to visit to know for sure), Tufts (seems less obnoxious than Union, but definitely still full of entitled rich snoots), and Northwestern (more greek life than I’d prefer, but it seems much more intellectual than my current school). However, after this term (I expect to get C’s in all my courses) I’m not sure I have a chance at any of those schools, but I am still looking to apply to transfer this fall and need options that are easier to get into.
Anyone have suggestions? I’m now considering OSU and PSU, but would like to look more into private schools as I don’t have an in-state flagship to turn to and can’t afford out of state costs at most schools.
On the other hand, with 46,000 students, it is definitely possible to avoid Greek life. I focused on my studies, research, and my two chosen extracurriculars, and barely had interaction with the Greek system.
As to OP’s purposes, though – the engineering school at University Park does not take junior-year transfers, so they’d have to transfer to a branch campus as a sophomore and then do the usual internal transfer to UP.
Also, I’m from Alaska, which has no good public or private schools. In fact, the public universities are enormously underfunded and have cut numerous departments in the past few years to reduce costs, which has left them as essentially vocational schools.
In your other thread, I recommended Rochester and Tufts for you. If you want intellectual, these schools ought to do it for you. But if you want to get away from entitled rich snoots, you need to go to a public school.
What about UBC or Simon Fraser in British Columbia? West coast intellectual Canadians have no where else to go without coming east or to the States.
Consider your WUE options, if you can get into the Utah schools you can also go for instate after a year (check the details on that). What classes have you taken and what grades? You can afford full pay OOS? I assume you must have scholarship money at your current school? You have low grades and your current school isn’t competitive, so what is going to make you an attractive candidate for transfer at more rigorous schools? You really should be cruising, did you take credits for core classes?
@Sybylla I got A’s in Chemistry 101, Intro to Engineering (general), Intro to Electrical Engineering, my freshman seminar, Calc 3, and Intro to CS. I got a B in Newtonian Physics, and now I expect to get C’s in Calc 4, Diff EQ, and Electromagnetism (a physics course). I cannot afford to pay OOS, and am receiving significant scholarships where I currently am. I really have nothing that would make other schools want me; I tried to do ECs, but none of the clubs on my campus have any real membership or impact. That’s why I’m looking for other mid-tier schools to transfer to; I know I won’t get into any better schools, but I would at least like to go to a school where students care about understanding and improving the world around them, not just partying. If I’m on a wild goose chase, then perhaps I should just drop out, but obviously this would not please my parents. It’s a tricky situation, and I think it would be smarter if I were to get a degree somewhere, but I would like that somewhere to be a school I fit in better at.
I would certainly look into WUE schools that allow transfers. Many don’t. They have a search function on their site. The highlights that stood out to me were Cal Poly Pomona, Colorado State, and Washington State. All have reasonable programs with far more toys and deeper curricula than Union offers, and will be affordable. The downside, there will be no hand holding. Big state schools for the most part will cast you aside as easily as they’ll pass you. You will need to up your study and organizational game to succeed. Good luck!
BTW, Portland State does offer WUE for transfers, but OSU doesn’t participate at all. Avoid OIT. It’s in the deep boonies. Neither Utah nor Montana State offer WUE for transfers.
@twoinanddone none of those schools is particularly intellectual, and I think I would have far fewer friends at any of them. All of them are located in evangelical right-wing hotbeds, and I already find Union too homophobic.
@eyemgh thanks for your suggestions, I briefly considered Cal Poly San Luis Obispo but don’t know much about Pomona and will be taking a closer look, especially given Cal Poly Pomona’s proximity to so many other good schools.
Well, when you are asking for money and for the school to accept you as a transfer with (maybe) under a 3.0, you have to be less picky. However, I don’t agree with you that these schools are right-wing hotbeds or homophobic. My daughter goes to Wyoming. She’s fairly intellectual, loves to talk about art history and great books and history. Her friend is minoring in Queer Studies. http://www.uwyo.edu/gwst/queer-studies/ I think you need to put away your prejudices. I find the students at Wyoming a lot more welcoming and kind than at most other colleges I’ve visited and graduates much nicer and more down to earth than other coworkers I’ve had.
But if you have a lot of other options and don’t need to consider any schools in the west, you should take one of those offers.
I like SLO alot, but I’m biased…my son goes there. It doesn’t offer WUE exchange though and would be an extreme long shot as a transfer with a 3.0. It’s very competitive.
If you’d consider an East Coast private, I really like WPI.
Harvey Mudd, if you could get in. First time first year admission is very tough and they take very few transfers. 3.2 might not cut it.
Otherwise, some state universities (including schools on the west coast) might work. I don’t know if you’d have a good shot at Colorado Boulder or Minnesota Twin Cities, but if you do then you might prefer the atmosphere of either one to Union’s. Virginia Tech, maybe.
If you want a smaller, private school then check out Rose-Hulman or Gonzaga (Spokane WA).