Looking for CS Schools to Transfer To

College Search & Selection
1

So I’m not happy with my current university and feel pretty academically un-challenged and “out-of-place” here. I’ve come to realize that I really just want to go somewhere with a strong studentbase and computer science program. Right now I have applied to the University of Washington and am thinking of uPenn, Tufts, and uPitt (although I really don’t know much at uPitt’s program). I also know about UW-Madison and UMD College Park, but I really want to know where else people would recommend.

College: Low-ranking state school (103rd according to USNews)
Major: Computer Science, but I switched from Mechanical Engineering last semester
Year: Technically a sophomore right now, but I am in freshman standing in my major
GPA: Only a 3.6, but I have a strong upwards trend of a 3.2 to a 3.5 to a 3.93 last semester.
Dean’s List last Spring, Dean’s List w/ Highest Honors last Fall
Credits: 47 completed, 15 in progress, have taken/am taking Calc I & II, Physics I & II, Intro to CS 1 & 2, a proofs class, a stats class, and general elective classes

Activities:
I’m decently involved in research. I spent a semester last year working with my university’s space science center compiling data on coronal mass ejections, and was listed as a co-author on the research professor’s journal article. Last semester I worked with the university’s center for genomics doing lab work and some bioinformatics programming, but had to stop due to classes this year conflicting my work schedule (which really sucks since I really like the job, it was good resume/work experience, and paid really well). I haven’t started research this semester, mostly due to my class schedule.
I started a club at my current university to work on aerospace engineering projects (like rockets, etc.), but had a falling out with the person I co-founded it with (and my interests changed from aerospace engineering to computer science) so I’m no longer part of that.
I also was a member of my university’s Formula SAE racing team my freshman year, where I did mechanical engineering design of the car’s shifter and built an arduino-based data-logging system for the car. Again, since I switched to computer science (and the team culture wasn’t great), I haven’t really had an interest in becoming active with the team again. I’m not sure how to list this and the aerospace club thing in a good light on my application. I certainly don’t want admissions to think I am flaky.
Finally, I am an associate with a competitive student-run angel investing fund at my university. I am extremely devoted to and active in the fund and currently serve as a liaison with one of our legit angel fund partners. The fund is pretty much the only thing making me apprehensive about transferring, but I know that it’s most likely a worthy sacrifice to leave the fund if I can attend an elite school. I am definitely writing in my essay how I want to start a similar fund if I transfer (or at least to become involved in the entrepreneurship environment wherever I go). I am looking weaving computer/data science into the fund through doing some big data analysis on prior startup funding rounds/exits/etc. since my university has one of, if not, the premiere venture research centers (whodathunk) and thus access to large amounts of that data.
Not that I think admissions will look at it, but I think I have a decent github going with side projects from personal interest and hackathons.
I was also an extremely devoted member of my high school’s FRC team and took a leadership position my senior year.

Internships:
Worked with an electric bike start-up the summer after my senior year of high school doing wiring and electronics work, and worked at an aerospace startup last summer doing mechanical engineering design and testing, among other stuff. I have applied to over 150 internships and companies in hopes of getting an internship in computer science this year, but my mechanical engineering experience is much more impressive than my computer science experience (which isn’t necessarily to say I am a better mechanical engineering than software engineer) and thus I haven’t heard any good news from any of the applications. However, I have applied, through a provider, for an international internship placement (specifically in London), and I think I’ll have a pretty good chance of getting a computer science internship there for this summer.

High School GPA: 3.46 weighted cumulative, but I also had a strong upward trend going from bouncing around from a 3.1-3.4 until my senior year, where I finished with a 4.20 (nice) GPA my first semester senior year and a 3.8 my second semester. I guess like my first year at uni, I didn’t quite “get” working hard at school, but since I’ve switched to a major I enjoy more than mechanical engineering, I’ve found it way easier (and almost more natural) to work hard for a 4.0
Old SAT: 1900
APs: AP Environmental Science, AP Physics 1, AP Comp. Sci

I know for sure I have one strong recommender, my Physics professor from last year. Every day after class, I would spend time in his office hours doing homework and working with the graduate TAs (he held the office hours in the classroom we worked in, conveniently), and I’ve talked to him about a bunch of stuff as well. Pretty sure he’s an A+ as far as recommenders go. Not so sure who I’ll get as my second though. I might ask the professor who I worked with at the space science center for research, or my freshman english/writing teacher.

Finally, and I hate to admit it but, I suck at essay writing. I think I am pretty analytical writer (I like literary analysis and technical analysis when we do research for the angel fund), but that translates to a pretty bland writing style. I’ve always struggled with personal narrative type essays, so my transfer essay so far really isn’t as good as it could be. I think it does a good job highlighting things I am proud of, but it’s not necessarily the most engaging or vivid essay. It moreso centers around me highlighting myself as a good applicant rather than highlighting a specific story like other strong transfer/college essays that I have read do. My essays will most likely be based off the essay I wrote for the University of Washington’s transfer application. I’ve gotten it reviewed by a good amount of people, and it’s certainly come a LONG way since I first wrote it, but it’s still not great in my eyes.

2

Cost constraints? State of residency?

3

@ucbalumnus Oops, I’ll add those in right now.

Actually, I’m not sure if I can still edit the original post, but I currently go to school in the Northeast, am a California resident, and don’t have cost constraints (although cheaper is always better if it’s still a good school).

4

There are multiple schools in the California state system that have very good CS programs. You should try to find out which of them you can get into (I am a northeast guy), but even somewhere like San Jose State would be quite good for CS, and might save you a bundle compared to other schools that you have mentioned.

I have worked with CS graduates from UNH, and they have been good coworkers who knew their stuff. I am only guessing you might be there now since I see it ranked 103 in one of the US news rankings.

UMass Amherst is also quite good for CS, and IMHO is probably somewhat stronger than UNH in this area.

5

Yeah, it’s UNH. I have really mixed feelings about the school, but most of desire to transfer comes from how I feel out of place at UNH. I came from a very competitive high school, and I definitely don’t feel the sense of challenge and being surrounded by hard workers that I did in high school, if that makes sense. I wish that I had applied to San Jose State out of high school, but it’s probably not worth transferring there over UNH. I’m not really looking to get a CS job on the east coast, so I assume transferring to a more prestigious school would open up more job opportunities back in Silicon Valley.

6

SJSU would have a recruiting advantage over UNH for computing jobs in Silicon Valley due to proximity to employers – more convenient for both the employers and students when there is no air travel or long distance driving involved.

However, CS is one of the most selective majors at SJSU for both frosh and transfer admission. For transfers for fall 2017, the threshold was 3.50 GPA with all five major prerequisites (in addition to general transfer course requirements) completed: http://www.sjsu.edu/admissions/impaction/impactionresultstransfer/index.html#ComputerScience

If this is your second year (with 47 credits completed and 15 in progress), it is already on the late side to start writing transfer applications for junior level transfer; you may have to take a gap year if you really want to transfer. Many colleges do not want senior-level transfers. This includes UCs and CSUs, although if all of your credits are lower division (frosh/soph level), then they will be capped at 70, so that you would not be seen as a senior level transfer.

What was the reason for choosing UNH in the first place? Are you looking for a school with some similar characteristics?

7

The tough thing with UCs and CSUs is that almost all of their transfer guidelines are for students transferring from community colleges, so I’ve had trouble finding information for transferring from another 4-year-university. I’ve looked into Davis and Berkeley, but both transfer applications have been closed for a while now.

Honestly, I chose UNH because it was was the least-worst of the schools that I applied to. I didn’t really know what I was doing when I was applying for schools, and ended up not liking any of the schools I applied to when I toured them. I also applied as medical laboratory science major, which is a pretty niche major so I didn’t have a lot of options. I decided to switch to mechanical engineering after I applied though.

Over time, I’ve found things about UNH that I like, but I don’t think they’re worth me not transferring. It’s a small point, but I really like the architecture and new-ness/niceness of the buildings and dorms at UNH. It’s a really pretty campus, and it’s laid out pretty nicely (it’s no more than a 10 minute walk really to get anywhere on campus). However, it’s kinda out in the middle of nowhere and I’ve also realized that I miss being in a large metropolitan area. I like the winter weather, but I wouldn’t mind being back in California weather either.

I don’t think I’m so set on transferring that I would take a gap-year (last year I might have given a different answer). I’ve already delayed my graduation by a semester or two by switching majors, so I don’t really want to delay any further.

8

If none of your courses so far have been upper division, you could transfer to a California community college next year, complete the needed courses as listed at http://www.assist.org for your transfer targets, and apply to UCs and CSUs for the following year (junior transfer in fall 2019).

https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/Pages/application-dates-deadlines.aspx says that the CSUs in Bakersfield, Humboldt, and San Marcos are still open for upper division transfer applications for CS in fall 2018. UC application deadline was 11/30.

Or you can just finish at UNH, assuming that money is not an issue.