<p>I just finished my freshman year at CMU SCS, and it was great. Over the summer I've been thinking of maybe trying to transfer to Columbia so I could be closer to home and enjoy the perks the come with living in New York City. I've been living in NYC since I was 2 and Pittsburgh was a real change for me both culturally and socially. Would you say it's worth it for me to transfer to Columbia? I'm a Computer Science major with a strong interest in Math and Physics, if that helps. How good would you say my chances are, given that I have about a 3.5/4.0 GPA at CMU SCS?</p>
<p>Its a normal feeling. There are few places with the vibrancy of NYC. I'm from NYC and went to MIT many years ago. I quickly felt out of place in a small town like Boston. I had HS friends who went to Oberlin (too remote), Northwestern (too cold) and Cornell (too remote) all transfer back to NYU after freshman year. I stuck it out at MIT and I'm glad I did. I eventually grew to love Boston and am still here except for a brief stint in Philly.</p>
<p>You're in a truly elite program and are doing very well. I'm guessing that you'll find the change a huge letdown academically. You shouldn't have a problem finding an outstanding career in NYC when you're done, but I wouldn't give up CMU SCS lightly.</p>
<p>of course everyone is going to tell you to stay at CMU- i mean CMU has the best computer science program in the country right? Nothing its rep in engineering/cmpsc. But if you really(LIKE..REALLLYY) hate pitts and are really unhappy then just apply. I can kinda relate coz i'm an engineering major at penn state(in the middle of nowhere...but ranked 14 in engr. with literally every prestigious engineering firm recruiting our students) but i really want to move to the city so i'll be applying to columbia (among other schools). </p>
<p>As for whether or not you have a good shot- definitely. From what i've seen in 'acceptance threads' it is significantly easier to get into columbia seas than it is to get into columbia college-- i believe the acceptance rate is something like 25%(?). A LOT of kids applying to columbia college last year got rejected while almost all the kids(from this forum) who applied to seas got in. PLUS you're coming from a top notch school and your GPA is really good. What other schools are thinking of applying to?</p>
<p>I transferred from Virginia Tech (#70-something overall, #17 eng, #20 in EE) to UVA (#26 overall, #30 eng, #21 EE) and couldn't be happier. It wasn't like I didn't like VT's prestigious engineering program, but I needed a balance between eng. and other classes, and I hated VT being in the middle of nowhere, in addition to the fact I love UVA's overall lifestyle way more. I don't regret the decision because I know I'll do much better academically because I'll be happier in my life. So I say go for it, you can always turn it down later.</p>
<p>One of the things I worry about with CMU is academic balance. I mean for example next semester my only humanities class is Technical Communication for Computer Scientists. I kinda miss humanities. </p>
<p>I'm also worried about job prospects from Columbia SEAS, do any of you guys know about how much employer like people from Columbia SEAS?</p>
<p>If you're looking for a cmpsc job at TOP firms like google, then you'll probably have a better chance at CMU. Columbia SEAS is ranked no. 25 in engineering. Carnegie is ranked no.8 in engineering and no.1 in cmpsc( i think its tied with MIT, stanford and berkeley). Seriously, if you're truly unhappy at carnegie i would look into schools with cmpsc programs that are as strong as carnegie's- the schools will not be in New York so you wont get EXACTLY what you want but at least it would be in a better location than pittsburgh.</p>
<p>samcold: don't worry about rankings. You'll do much better at a school that your happier at, and that's all future employers will notice. Going from CMU to Columbia is a small jump, so don't sweat it.</p>
<p>Also, I transferred for the EXACT same reasons for you (and the fact I love UVA and was stupid to not apply there for first year admissions) and i'm REALLY happy, and everyone (engineering or not) congratulates me and says it was an excellent move, despite the engineering ranking drop. Rankings in the top 25 don't matter at all because too many things will change before and after you graduate.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses guys. I'll apply like shoebox advised and then if I get in I'll start to weigh things. I still have another year to maybe try to explore more, I'll do that and if I still feel the same and have the opportunity to transfer, I will just have to make that hard choice. </p>
<p>I'll also look into MIT, Stanford, and Berkeley. MIT sounds nice since its near Boston which is more of a city, although I hear they don't take many transfers. I'm guessing the same goes for Stanford, and maybe for Berkeley too. </p>
<p>yeah just apply and figure out if you want to leave cmu when decisions come out..</p>
<p>MIT- i hear you typically lose about a semester of course work- so regardless of whether you complete two years at another institution, you'll transfer as a sophomore. Now i'm not sure how they would treat you since you're from a school that is equally as rigorous when it comes to engr/cmpsc but this is what it says on their website:</p>
<p>Will I receive credit for all my completed course work if I'm admitted to MIT?
No. Transfer students typically lose at least one semester of course work. Credit is assessed by each academic department (not by the Office of Admissions), only after you are admitted.</p>
<p>I have completed two years of college. Will I graduate in two years if I'm admitted to MIT?
Probably not. Since students lose credit in the transfer, most students enter MIT as a sophomore, regardless of the amount of course work they completed at their previous college(s). Further, transfer students are required to attend MIT for at least three semesters to be eligible for graduation.</p>
<p>I think you should give it a shot..i hear you can take courses at harvard as well..</p>
<p>UCBERkeley is extremely hard to get into for out of state students from what i hear but i think you should give it a try..I mean- it's in california.</p>
<p>stanford took 20 this year but i believe they took 60/70 last year. So it changes from year to year. IMO you have a good shot and you should apply there. It's in palo alto but it's only about 30 mins from san francisco..</p>
<p>Would I even have a shot at MIT with about a 3.5/4.0? It'd be nice to go there since it's more urban and it is closer to New York so I can always go home, but I'm not sure if I have a shot. Whereas Columbia SEAS seems in my range and it's in New York. I'll try for both maybe.</p>
<p>Has anyone on this message board been accepted into MIT or Columbia SEAS as a transfer student?</p>
<p>A 3.5 is very good for someone at CMU majoring in cmpsc..and on the MIT website they say anything above a 3.5 is competitive. I havn't heard of anyone from CC geting into MIT..maybe in 05 someone did but not in 06/07--might be wrong. There were quite a few people who got into columbia SEAS- in fact, it seemed like most of the people who got in were SEAS applicants..like i said earlier the acceptance rate for SEAS is like 25% or something like that. I don't think you should worry about getting into columbia..MIT is going to be ridiculously tough though- have you taken a year of chem and bio?</p>
<p>No, I have not taken any Chemistry or Biology classes as an undergrad, but I've done a lot of Computer Science, Physics, and Math. Probably more Computer Science, Physics, and Math than MIT students since they have to take a core first year. I think they do Physics I, Physics II, Calc, 3D Calc, a writing course, Chem, and Bio. I had AP credit for everything on that list besides Chem and Bio so I got to go ahead. The scary part is that they may not count any of that.</p>
<p>MIT admissions is so weird, you never know what to expect. I'll talk to my guidance counselor at CMU and ask him if he thinks I have a chance.</p>