<p>Hi! I'm a current freshman at Parsons the New School of Design.</p>
<p>I'm looking to transfer out of my current school and graphic design degree to computer science. I chose wrong coming to an art school and can't stand the type of people or the curriculum here. Further, I really burned myself out on graphic design the summer before starting school by doing too many jobs for too many independent people. It's something I'm good at, but not something I want to do. Computer Science however has always held an interest in me and I have past experience with Java and small amounts of HTML and CSS. I'm also deep into the Bitcoin and investing crowd, and would love to take my computer science to Wall Street.</p>
<p>I just really don't know where to apply. My first semester here I've taken a bunch of the mandatory art classes and probably the only thing that is going to transfer is the college writing course. Next semester, as I know I want to transfer, I will be taking Calc 1, a junior level Intermediate Microecon class, Creative Computing (a javascript web coding class), Spanish, and my mandatory Studio art class and writing class. In high school I got 8 dual-enrollment credits for an AP Bio course I took as well as a 4 on the AP exam. I got 4 credits for AP Statistics and 6 credits for micro and macro AP econ. I took the SATs again in November and got a 2060, with a 750 on the math section and a 680 CR and 630 WR. </p>
<p>Obviously not the most transfer eligible person for Computer Science. Possible options on the table are trying to take Calc 2, Physics and Chem at a local community college over the summer, but after calling a couple schools that have transfer requirements, one said that they would be fine with me doing that, the other said I could do it but they wouldn't count it in the admissions process and I'd be way back...</p>
<p>Basically I have no clue where to apply! I've done a lot of research but I don't know what kind of acceptance rates I should be aiming for.</p>
<p>Where are you in-state for?</p>
<p>I’m from New Hampshire. I really want to avoid any of the state schools here as they are primarily party schools and basically high school all over again.</p>
<p>I should mention I had a 3.82 highschool GPA, I currently have tons of extra curriculars, and I’m on my way to all A’s this semester. </p>
<p>What can you afford?</p>
<p>Here is where Facebook hires from (<a href=“Redirecting...”>Redirecting...), and that’s pretty much the list of top CS schools in North America.</p>
<p>The publics there would be easiest to transfer in to, but they likely won’t provide fin aid to an OOS transfer. Also, you may not be able to get in to CS in Engineering, but most have a CS major in the LSA/LAS school that are easier to get in to. For instance, CS in Engineering at UIUC would be hard to transfer in to, but they have CS+X majors that I believe you need only a 3.2 GPA to automatically get accepted in to (<a href=“http://cs.illinois.edu/prospective-students/undergraduates/cs-degrees-offered/cs-x”>http://cs.illinois.edu/prospective-students/undergraduates/cs-degrees-offered/cs-x</a> & <a href=“http://provost.illinois.edu/programs/advising/ICT%20LAS%20-%20Statistics%20and%20Computer%20Science.html”>http://provost.illinois.edu/programs/advising/ICT%20LAS%20-%20Statistics%20and%20Computer%20Science.html</a> & <a href=“http://admissions.illinois.edu/pdf/transfer/handbook/dgs.pdf”>http://admissions.illinois.edu/pdf/transfer/handbook/dgs.pdf</a> & <a href=“Declaring or changing a curriculum or major | College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at Illinois”>http://www.las.illinois.edu/students/programs/declaring/</a>)</p>
<p>Oh, and at Wisconsin, you just need to transfer in first and then do OK in a few CS courses to declare for CS.</p>
<p>Look in to transfer and CS declaration rules at all the publics on that Facebook page.</p>
<p>If a community college near your home offers the needed math and CS courses, it may be better to prepare for transfer there than at an art school.</p>
<p>What kind of cost constraints are you looking at?</p>
<p>Thanks @PurpleTitan I appreciate the list. What do you think of my chances with a school such as Vanderbilt or Emory? As I’m interested in Wall St I’m factoring in recruitment opportunities for that as well. I’m willing to let that sit on the back burner though to go to a really good CS program. U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was one of the colleges to tell me that my lack of prereq’s would hurt my chances. (Even with the CS-X major, the regular CS major doesn’t even accept transfers for sophomore year) </p>
<p>I’m currently paying out of pocket probably somewhere close to 28,000 a year for Parsons. Factor in the price of living in NYC and it goes up. So as long as I can beat that, I’ll be happy and so will my parents. Parsons is exclusively merit based and I believe if it factored in need-based as well I would be receiving much more as we are middle class, but my sister just graduated college as well and bills for house repairs keep piling up.</p>
<p>@ucbalmnus, are you suggesting I transfer out next semester (spring) and complete the needed classes at my local community college? Or are you agreeing with my idea of taking them in the summer?</p>
<p>If Parsons does not have the preparatory courses for majoring in CS, but your local community college does, there does not seem to be any point in staying at Parsons, where you will be paying more without being able to take the needed courses.</p>
<p>Emory is not that great for CS, due to having a small department with limited course offerings each semester.</p>
<p>Wall Street’s reputedly favorite schools tend to be super-selective ones, some of which admit very few or no transfers.</p>
<p>I’ve gotten the vibe from many places and counselors that transferring out midyear in my first year is something that’s heavily looked down upon as it looks like I’ve “given up”. In reality, I could not take any of the classes I need for my prereq’s next semester as I will be taking Calc 1 next semester and that is a prerequisite (go figure) for things like calculus 2, and calculus based physics and chemistry. I believe the Creative Computing course I will be taking will be fine as a CS 1 sort of class.</p>
<p>Schools like UNC Chapel Hill, UVA, USC, are on my list, but of course they have prerequisites. Vanderbilt, BU, Emory, Northeastern, Rice, and Georgetown do not.</p>
<p><a href=“NH Transfer | University of New Hampshire”>NH Transfer | University of New Hampshire; lists transfer articulation from NH CCs to NH four year schools. Unfortunately, it seems that only Nashua and River Valley CCs have all of the math beyond calculus 2, and only Nashua has a CS course that is typically useful for a CS major (data structures). Seems like NH CCs are rather poor in comparison to those in some other states.</p>
<p>If your art school does have the following courses, take them if you stay there:
calculus 1
calculus 2
linear algebra
calculus 3
differential equations
calculus based physics</p>
<p>If you transfer without having taken the prerequisites for the major, you will need to take them as “catch up” courses after transfer, which may delay graduation.</p>
<p>Also pay attention to the costs of the various colleges you may want to transfer to.</p>
<p>Georgetown’s CS department has a rather specialized focus on computing in relation to government and political matters, based on the courses it offers (data mining, information warfare, etc.).</p>
<p>Based on the course description at <a href=“Course Catalog | The New School”>Course Catalog | The New School; , do not expect that course to transfer for subject credit to a CS major.</p>
<p>NH has a reputation of having some of the worst, and most expensive, community colleges in the nation. Really unfortunate. I think you’re thinking I would be transferring after 2 years. I want to transfer after this year for the fall. Schools with prereq’s for transfer students who have only done one year are looking for essentially:
Calc 1 and 2 - Can take at CC
4 Credits of Calc based Physics - Can take at CC
4 Credits Calc based Chem - Can take at CC
1 CS course - I can take Data structures at a local CC if I get out of Intro to C++ (a prereq) somehow
This is all at NHTI by the way.</p>
<p>And that’s it. I’m not worried about playing catchup. I’m just worried about admission chances. Honestly it’d be worth it and my time management skills and insane work ethic (one of the reasons I want to transfer, no one can understand why/how I work so hard - just a bunch of artsy rich kids) serve me well. </p>
<p>A few trading/quant finance shops recruit UIUC (the quant majors).</p>
<p>You could always try for MIT.
Maybe UMich. Would cost a lot. Actually, all of them on your list would cost a lot. Tough, man. You can try all the schools on your list that don’t require pre-reqs. BU and NEU are probably the ones of those easiest to get in to, but they’re the least prestigious. Wall Street does recruit G’Town, but more the business school and for IBankers. Don’t know how the CS program is there.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus, I don’t believe all CS majors at all schools require all those courses. . .</p>
<p>True… the first three courses (calculus 1 and 2, linear algebra) are most likely to be required for any CS major, while the others are mainly needed at engineering-based CS majors. Forgot to mention discrete math, but that seems unlikely to be found at an art school or NH’s rather limited community colleges.</p>
<p>BTW, of the schools on your list that don’t require prereq’s, in terms of reputation in CS, I would say Rice would be best followed by Vandy.</p>
<p>Received this reply from Vanderbilt after submitting a similar question to the one I posted here:</p>
<p>"Hi Mac,</p>
<p>Thanks for your e-mail! Here is a link you might find helpful that lays out the course requirements and maps out the typical 4-year plan for a Computer Science major: <a href=“http://www.vanderbilt.edu/catalogs/undergrad/UGAD.pdf#page=327”>http://www.vanderbilt.edu/catalogs/undergrad/UGAD.pdf#page=327</a>. Since you would be coming from an art school, we would certainly take that into consideration as we evaluate your file knowing that your school doesn’t offer all the courses you need to take. As for if it would be helpful for you to take those courses over the summer and indicate that on your application, that certainly wouldn’t hurt as that would help you catch up. However, before doing that, I would recommend being in contact with the School of Engineering about those courses as they are the ones that officially determine what transfers in.</p>
<p>When evaluating your application as a transfer student, we are certainly wanting to make sure you are a good fit for the program you are transferring into. Since you are making a pretty drastic switch from an art school to an engineering school, I would make sure to address that somewhere in your application."</p>
<p>That’s positive news. I’m thinking that’ll pretty much just apply schools without prereqs (unless they have otherwise good acceptance rates such as UIUC) and really try to make it clear why I want to switch and how I’m going to be doing everything in my power to prepare and make myself a competitive applicant and student.</p>
<p>@PurpleTitan, lets be real I think MIT might be a waste of application money haha. Columbia and CMU as well. Based on where friends have gone with certain GPA’s and test scores I think around 20-40% is a reasonable acceptance range to sort of focus on. I’m kind of not considering cost of schools in my applications not because it’s not important to me (believe me, it is), but everyone’s #1 regret seems to be that they didn’t apply to more places.</p>
<p>I suggested MIT only because you have a fairly unique profile, so if they take a chance on someone, it would be more likely someone like you.</p>
<p>Check to see what prereq’s UW-Madison wants. Once you get in, declaring for CS is pretty easy.</p>
<p>Would you suggest I take the SATs again? I took it twice in high school, got a 1910 both times (superscored got a 1990) and my third time taking it, just this November, got a 2060 and improved on every category. I would take it at the end of January. MIT seems to have a sort of strict 800-on-the-math-only policy.</p>
<p>UW-Madison doesn’t seem to list anything but “24 credits of transferable classes”. I’d imagine between my high school dual enrollment credits and classes I have take at my current school I should be fine for that. But @PurpleTit you still think not to apply directly to engineering?</p>
<p>Where? CS at UW-Madison is in CLS. There’s no CS in Engineering.</p>
<p>You may want to check with them on transfer requirements, however (whether the AP credits count).</p>
<p>Only school I’ve looked at that specifically say they don’t accept dual-enrollment high school/college credits for transfers is Columbia. MIT seems to indicate that they will accept these credits.</p>
<p>Looking closely (it’s annoying to dig this info out, transfers seem to be something not many schools care about) UW-Madison requires “Comp Sci 240, Comp Sci 302, and Comp Sci 367 or equiv. Minimum GPA 2.6 in those three courses” but it is a declaration only major meaning you don’t apply to it, as I think you previously alluded to, and that those courses you’d just have to do before declaring. Not really sure what I’d be applying for then</p>
<p>You’d be applying just to get in to UW-Madison.</p>
<p>Many schools do it this way, where you have to jump through hoops to declare for a particular major after getting in (and they also have some majors where you just need a 2.0 GPA–basically, not get kicked out–for you to declare for, so that everyone eventually ends up with a major). And some schools have a “General Studies” major for those who can’t get in to any major. </p>
<p>Okay great definitely adding them to the list.</p>
<p>Would you think taking the SAT again could be possibly beneficial? I’m really hesitant whether I should divert some focus on studying for that from essay writing and picking good schools. </p>