I am a double major MechE/Comp Sci. I go to the university at Buffalo SUNY. I have about a 3.8 average as of two years. I have over a year and a half of relevant research under my belt pertaining to my interest which is robotics. I am in two clubs, both robotics. I am unsure on whether I should transfer out or not. I know that I might have a good chance at Cornell. My problem is, is that they will ask for my high school transcript. Thing is, is that I was homeless for about two years in my Junor and senior year. My mom makes just about 20-30 thousand dollars. I want to become a professor with a doctorate degree. I want to teach at an amazing university, but I come from SUNY UB. I don’t think any professors ever went to a state school for their undergrad. This has pressured me to want to transfer. Should I wait and go to a prestigious grad school or should I try to transfer to a great school now? I am very torn, on the one hand I think I am to poor to transfer to Cornell and wouldn’t mind staying in Buffalo, but on the other, I DAMN RIGHT WANT TO SUCCEED IN MY DREAMS. What should I do?
Plenty of professors went to state schools and were very successful - one of the most respected professors I’ve had actually went to my own school (I go to a non-flagship state school). SUNY Buffalo is a perfectly respectable university, one of the most underrated in the whole country IMHO. You’re obviously killing it academically and it seems like its going to set you up for greatness. Stay there and graduate with an excellent GPA.
@LBad96 I feel the need to compliment you on your post 
@CallousAndCool my daughter attends a state flagship and one of her favorite professors attended a NJ state school for her undergrad degree.
Is that really what you think? How about a couple from your own college (which you could have easily looked up)?
http://engineering.buffalo.edu/civil-structural-environmental/people/faculty_directory/john-atkinson.html
http://engineering.buffalo.edu/civil-structural-environmental/people/faculty_directory/scott-weber.html
I meant proffessors from cutting edge research universities. State schools have great proffessors in them, but I would like to work at a university with cutting edge research. I love Buffalo, but its research endowment is nothing compared to other better universities. From what I have seen, proffessors who work in places like MIT, UCB, UCLA, Vanderbilt and other similar universities fo not go to regulars state schools for their undegrad.
@CallousAndCool my daughter attends a top ranked state flagship university which is well known for research, and as I noted above, one of her favorite professors attended a NJ state school for her undergraduate degree.
I guess I may have been a bit harsh. I rescind my statement. I am just paranoid about my place within the field that I am attempting to break through. I probably shouldn’t transfer away from my university. I should focus on graduating with ahigh degree and attempt to get into a top graduate school within my field of interest. Thank you for your reassurance.
At this point, you have nothing to lose. Apply in the Fall for Cornell’s COE (not sure if you’d be allowed to double major but their CS program is strong with lots of interesting options and COE is world-class). I’m not certain they’ll even allow it though, because you already have 4 semesters’ worth of credits. But if you can try it, why not? Apply for Spring admit.
If they admit you AND it’s affordable, go.
If they don’t admit you, you’re still a stellar student at a terrific public university. It will NOT hold you back with grad programs. Choose the PHD program carefully and you’re good to go!
It sounds like you could benefit from a mentor (faculty member or graduate student in your field). I’m not sure how you might do that, but perhaps the dean’s office at your school might be able to advise you on that.
My dd graduated from UB in 2013. She is from California, and was accepted to multiple UC’s. She is doing very well in her profession. She was admitted to Johns Hopkins for graduate work and her company is paying half of her tuition.
I don’t see a problem with your staying at UB.
@twogirls thank you
Seriously OP, stay at UBuffalo. It really is a terrific school and you have nothing to lose from staying.
Just exactly how bad are those grades from high school?
Your grades now are excellent, and I expect your letters of recommendation will be excellent too. Go ahead and apply to Cornell. If you don’t get in, or the aid package isn’t good enough, stay where you are and apply to top programs for grad school.
Doesn’t hurt to try. But if you get a 3.8 from SUNY Buffalo and do research, you’ll have a shot at some of the very top grad schools.
" From what I have seen, proffessors who work in places like MIT, UCB, UCLA, Vanderbilt and other similar universities fo not go to regulars state schools for their undegrad."
I’m glad you rescinded that statement…=). UIllinois is head and shoulders above Vandy (and arguably UCLA) for engineering.
You’re young though. Lots of years ahead of you. I got my engineering Ph.D. at Stanford. I had tons of classmates at Stanford that excelled at average state schools (including your own SUNY Buffalo, UT Arlington, Vtech, etc etc) for undergrad. And guess what? A lot of my grad school classmates with Ph.D.s that wanted a faculty teaching position had to settle for worse schools than what you would deem regular state schools (including absolute podunk non-PhD schools like Cal State Chico). Getting a faculty position at a top school is incredibly incredibly tough and requires a bit of luck too.
A top graduate school does not guarantee that job nor does a slightly “lesser school” preclude you from such a faculty position either.
My grades from he are really freaking bad. Like I ended pre calc with a 70 and my sat score was a 1630. Again, I didn’t really have the means to get good grades.
Thank you. I have a friend who has a 3.3 as a mechE who goes to an ivy and he has very little research done by him. He doesn’t try very hard and always makes sure to put me in my place when I say that I can do just as good as him. He says stuff like he isn’t even trying and how he is more likely to go to a top school than me because he goes to an ivy. He kills me. Yesterday it boiled over and I guess I just wanted to go to an ivy to shove to him.
Drop him as a friend. He’s obviously toxic to keep around.
It just isn’t true that professors at research univs didn’t go to state schools. There is no reason for PhD programs to prefer accepting students who went to privates.
<<<<
Thank you. I have a friend who has a 3.3 as a mechE who goes to an ivy and he has very little research done by him. He doesn’t try very hard and always makes sure to put me in my place when I say that I can do just as good as him. He says stuff like he isn’t even trying and how he is more likely to go to a top school than me because he goes to an ivy. He kills me. Yesterday it boiled over and I guess I just wanted to go to an ivy to shove to him.
[QUOTE=""]
[/QUOTE]
This reminds me of when my S2 was a sophomore in college. I ran into an old classmate with a son the same age. My son was a state flagship and premed. Her son was at Yale and premed. She made some comment about how important it was for a premed to go to an elite school, strongly hinting that my child wouldn’t have a chance to get into med school. Well, fast forward to now, my son just started his 4th year of med school (he applied to 6 med schools and was accepted to 3), and her son wasn’t accepted to any.
Keep on keeping on…
Wow this really helped me, thanks! Seriously, reading this makes me feel stupid about my thinking earlier.