Hello all,
I am currently a Carnegie Mellon student (major: computer science) and I am seeking to transfer somewhere either fall '16 or spring '17 (as it may be a little late to do all the paperwork for the fall).
I’m worried that I will not be accepted anywhere due to my academic history. I am seeking advice on what would be the best schools to apply to for transfer (preferably within Pennsylvania) and how to increase my chances of getting in anywhere. I don’t expect to transfer to a “top” school.
My history
High school: 4.0 gpa (weighted), class rank 6, I think 11 AP classes (most 5s, like two 4s), 2320 on SAT
College: Here is where things go downhill. CMU computer science, cumulative GPA is 2.0x and I am on academic probation. I was full-time for one year, then took a semester off (leave of absence), then returned part-time for 2 semesters (only taking 1 class each semester). I am currently at the beginning of a leave of absence that will be at least one year long.
My grades in college have been pretty bad. I have gotten mostly Cs, a few Ds and Bs, and one semester had two failing grades (which is an R at cmu).
Due to the leave of absence and being part-time, I’m not even sure what year I count as… this past year would have been my junior year had things gone as planned. But, academically, I’m definitely not a senior. If I transfer I’d probably be entering sophomore or junior year.
My questions
My questions are:
- What would be some good colleges to look at, where it would be feasible for me to transfer, to eventually get a degree in computer science? Preferably within Pennsylvania, because it will be cheaper, but I'll consider all my options.
- Will it be bad if the only prof recommendation letters I can get will be from professors not in my major? My computer science classes were very large, therefore I did not get to know those professors at all.
- Is there anything I should do in my applications concerning the bad college grades? For instance, could I write a letter or essay explaining why my grades dropped, and why I feel I will be more successful in the future?
- If you have any other advice or thoughts about my situation please share. As well as if you have any questions I will do my best to answer.
My goal is to get a degree (BS) in computer science someday. Please help if you can. I wish that I had been able to foresee this, and picked a different college when I was in high school and could still get into any college of my choice… Now, I fear I don’t have options anymore.
It looks like you have only one year of credits.
Since you are in PA and want affordability, why don’t you take a look at the community colleges within easy commuting distance. Surely one of them offers pre-CS courses and a guaranteed transfer program to a CS degree at one or more of the public universities in PA. You wouldn’t need any letters of recommendation to enroll at a CC. If you follow the guaranteed transfer program, you could have a direct, smooth transition into the junior year of that program about a year from now.
Thanks for the suggestion. I looked into this and found the Community College of Philadelphia… It says on their website that the primary goal of the CS program is to prepare for transfer to a 4-year college for a BS. If I do that, will I be guaranteed to be able to transfer into junior year at the 4-year college? Or is it possible I will have to do the full 4 years even after the 2 years of community college?
You should be able to transfer in at a Junior level if you take all the appropriate pre-requisites. You might have to repeat some of the courses you have taken at CMU to demonstrate that you are capable of doing the work at a reasonable level.
^Community Colleges in PA aren’t a good solution at all (overall and in this case). :s They mostly lead to PASSHE schools, which are really not good for STEM and poorly recruited.
If you want to attend a flagship, you have to attend a branch campus (Penn State branch or Pitt Branch). Branches will take you with your current grades from CMU. They won’t require recommendations.
Penn State is still accepting transfer application to its branch campuses for Fall 2016 - the two best ones for you would be Erie (the Behrend College) and Altoona. Some branches, like PSU Greater Allegheny, are open enrollment. After 2 years at the branch campus (or after completing 60 credits), you move to University Park.
You should apply for Erie with Altoona as alternate (or the reverse, depending on which campus you like best), indicating what classes you’ve completed.
They’ll ask your college GPA, high school GPA, SAT score, courses taken, what major you’re interested in. There’s an option for an essay: do it. Explain what interests you in computer science. DO NOT dwell on what happened at CMU. Say you were lucky you were admitted to CMU CS but now have to switch gears after working full time/attending part time for a year.
Note:
Colleges don’t evaluate status (freshman, junior…) based on how many years you were enrolled, or when you started freshman year. They count in terms of credits achieved. If you have fewer than 30 credits you’re a freshman, up to 59 credits you’re a sophomore, etc.
Due to getting D’s, which won’t transfer, it sounds like you have about 30 credits (8-10 classes), so you’d start as a sophomore. You’d have to do well for one year at a branch campus (and, after CMU, this should seem fairly easy), then you’re off to UP.
Now, what happened?
Bad study habits? Lack of parental supervision? Realizing you went to CMU for the wrong reasons? Partying? Mental breakdown? Finances/loans? Parental pressure?
Thanks for the advice. I am looking into the Penn State option now and will discuss it with my parents. (By the way I am having difficulty finding the right webpages with information about branch campus applications and such… if you could share a link it would be great - otherwise I can always give them a phone call.)
My parents seem to like the option of becoming a non matriculated student somewhere. But, I wonder if that even has any advantages to just transferring.
As for what happened… I wish I were clearer on this myself. In brief, mental health problems, but I wish I had a better understanding of what caused them. I was very depressed, to the point where I made a suicide attempt (well, it clearly did not work, but I wish it did).
I’m trying to do everything my parents are asking me to do right now (figure out college, work every day, find an additional job)… But, I wonder if this is all misguided… I am on a leave of absence because I need to figure out my personal health, my mental health. That means prioritizing stuff like finding me therapy here, a good treatment program, proper medication. But my parents don’t seem to understand that, and I don’t know how to make them understand that…
http://admissions.psu.edu/info/future/transfer/apply/
http://www.admissions.psu.edu/academics/majors/4year/?displayBy=interest&aoi=INF
https://admissions.psu.edu/my_admissions/tas/othersToPsu_2.cfm
https://www.admissions.psu.edu/MyPennState/index.cfm/login/index
works for all programs and campuses.
Deadlines:
Rolling basis at PSU Behrend and Altoona (the earlier the better)
July 15 at PSU Harrisburg
For instance:
http://psbehrend.psu.edu/admissions-financial-aid/undergraduate-admissions/transfer-students
If you get registered at a college and have housing, immediately look for a therapist. Don’t register for your parents, but rather to get them off your back and focus on yourself. Your parents may not understand (are they first gen? immigrants?) but you understand how serious this is. I sense that if you’re enrolled in college, they’ll leave you alone, and that’ll relieve some pressure. Then, spend a LOT of time in counselling. During the summer, talk to a pastor or rabi or imam and ask for a therapist recommendation, or see if you can attend “in network” sessions somewhere. You don’t have to tell your parents, this is confidential. Do what you must to make you feel better.