Should I stay or should I go?

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>I'm currently finishing up my sophomore year at the University of Washington. I'm not currently in any major because the one that holds my sole interest (Computer Science & Engineering) has not admitted me. My first opportunity to apply was last spring, and obviously I wasn't admitted. I suspect the issue was probably with my above-average, but not excellent, physics & math grades. The entry level physics classes are a brutal amount of work and curved to ~2.6, I was lucky to get off with B's. My overall GPA was respectable, around 3.5, but inflated by my other, non-core classes.</p>

<p>Since my rejection, I've given this past quarter and this one 110%, and it's paying off. Last quarter I got the highest cumulative GPA I've ever had so far and completely demolished the curve in my science & higher-level math classes. </p>

<p>My next opportunity to apply to the CSE department will be this coming June. Despite my academic improvement, I have a nagging feeling I might not make the cut again. If this is the case, I will have no other recourse at this school other than to work towards another major. This is completely unacceptable to me, and I know I wouldn't be able to keep up my grades pursuing something as difficult as engineering in a discipline that fails to hold my interest.</p>

<p>Basically, my question is what my backup plan should be if this turns out to be the case. I really don't feel like wasting my money, hoping to get into a major, while halfheartedly pursuing another. The other in-state options for CS in Washington state somewhat suck. Additionally, between myself and my parents, we don't have the means to pay out of state tuition unless I got some supremely generous financial aid.</p>

2

<p>You need to go have a talk with the person or a person in the CSE department who makes such decisions. You need to 1) make yourself a real person to them, not just a piece of paper/transcript. 2) give them the opportunity to ask you questions about the areas they have concerns. And if all else fails you need to consider going directly to work. I know everybody on this board thinks you have to have a BS and that you are nothing without an advanced degree. But the truth is not everybody is done at age 21-25. There is nothing wrong with going to work full-time perm in the industry and finding out what you do and don’t like. Growing up a bit. Gaining some motivation. Then consdier going back to college. There is nothing wrong with getting off the ride when you realize it is not going where you want to be. Take a year if they won’t let you in the program you want to study.</p>

3

<p>Consider a backup degree like EE, the requirements for EE are similar to CSE</p>

4

<p>Or what about a degree in software engineering?</p>

5

<p>From the school’s own newsfeed: [The</a> Cost of Engineering’s Capacity Problem | <a href=“http://www.engr.washington.edu%5B/url%5D”>www.engr.washington.edu](<a href=“http://www.engr.washington.edu/news/trend/spr12_capacity.html]The”>The cost of engineering's capacity problem | UW College of Engineering)</a></p>

<p>Last year, in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering – the most over-subscribed department in the College – only 30 percent of qualified applicants could be accommodated.</p>

<p>Among the overall engineering applicant pool, Lazowska said, 40 percent of the students who were rejected carried G.P.A.s of 3.25 or higher. In computer science, it climbs to 60 percent.</p>