<p>I'm an international student from china, currently a sophomore at Purdue IE honors program with a GPA of 3.74. I am about to change my major to ECE, focus on Computer Engineering. And I'm looking forward to transferring to UC Berkeley or Cornell majorring in Computer Egineering. My questions are:
(1)Is it worth transferring to those colleges when I submit transfer doccuments next fall, thus I'll be a junior then('cause I think it is too late to apply for a transfer now as I haven't prepared anything for transfer yet and most colleges accept their most transfer student in fall) as I could only spend two years at those school and maybe takes totally 5 years for me to get a BS, since transfer credits isssues.
(2)what should I do to get the recommendation letters from professors? I have no small class this semester and I don't think they know me well to be willing to write recs for me in this case. So, what do you guys suggest me to do?
(3)Is it a better alternative for me to finish my BS here at Purdue and then go for a Master at one of the top schools in the nation( I mean, I want to go some really good school like MIT or Stanford. I know transferring to those schools is nearly impossible but probabbly I could make it applying to a graduate there) and what do you guys think my chance of making those schools?(I actually am confident with my ability of getting good grades on GRE, so let's assume that my GRE grades meet the requirements of those schools, what do you guys think my chance of making those schools as for GPA and background stuff and what do you guys think that I need to improve upon in order to make those school?)</p>
<p>My questions are kinda long, but I really hope you guys could help me out here. Thanks!</p>
<p>Purdue has an excellent reputation in the engineering world. I wouldn’t go through the hassle of transferring. Have you talked to your advisor? Why do you feel that you need to transfer?
Do you know how long it will take you to complete an ECE major at Purdue since you started in something else?</p>
<p>I would stay put and do really well in your courses and the GRE. Then see where you get in for grad school.</p>
<p>Thank you for replying. As for the reason for transferring:
(1)A lot of people told me that the undergrad education is very important to a person. Not only the knowledge he learned in undergrad but the experiences he gained in undergrad that make him mature. So, I think maybe a better overal univeristy will give a better underg experience.
(2)From a foreigner perspective, most of the successful American people graduated or at least attended some very good universities. Some of them even were transfer student, like Barack Obama. I mean, I’m not saying that I will be as successful as those people, it just make think does it mean a top school average student will be more respected than an average school outstanding student?(Because when you talk about a person, you probabbly will just say, Oh, he graduates from Harvard. The stuff that you did in college can hardly be known by everyone but your alma mater, right?) I don’t know if this is true or not in America. But it is true in China.Even a student with a failling GPA from a top university will be more respected than a top student from an average univerisity.</p>
<p>Again, Idk if my opinion is right or not in America, also, I ain’t offense at all. I just tell you what I think. Certainly, I’ll appreciate if you tell me how does the school reputation works in America. Thanks!</p>
<p>School reputation has some effect, yes. But in Engineering circles, anyone worth anything will tell you that a graduate from Purdue is among the most degrees in the field. In any serious conversation of top Engineering schools, Purdue will surely be mentioned (along with MIT, Caltech, GaTech, UMich, Berkely, RPI, Rose Hulman, etc.).</p>
<p>I believe fully one-sixth of engineers in the US has a degree from Purdue. That trivia fact sticks in my mind.</p>
<p>“I think maybe a better overal univeristy will give a better underg experience.”</p>
<p>I think your undergrad experience and maturity is important. But it is not necessarily better at the higher-ranked school. What aspects of the experience do you feel you’re missing out on at Purdue? Are you taking advantage of the campus life there – are you going to the concerts, scientific colloquia, sports events, etc.?</p>
<p>“it just make think does it mean a top school average student will be more respected than an average school outstanding student?”</p>
<p>If you are a sophomore now, you still have time to complete transfer applications for next fall. Check the websites of the universities that you are interested in. In many cases, the cut-off date for transfer applications is in February or even later. If you don’t need aid, you can apply up until the very last date that transfer applications are accepted.</p>
<p>If you are going home to work after graduation (and one would expect that you are, because it is almost impossible for international students to find permanent work in the US, even with engineering degrees), then it doesn’t matter one bit what we think about Purdue or UC Berkeley. What matters is what potential employers in your home country think. If a UC Berkeley degree will get you a job, and a Purdue degree won’t, then you had best get your act together and transfer to UC Berkeley.</p>