<p>Hi, I've been struggling with this decision for a while and I still have not figured out what to do. I am currently a Sophomore at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and am "undecided" in my major, although I am 100% set on what I want to do, which is computer science. Unfortunately for me, I have been rejected from the Engineering School here, which is top 5 in the nation for CS and top 10 overall for engineering and very hard to get into, leaving me with only the option of choosing a major in Liberal Arts and Sciences such as Economics and then minoring in CS. My dream has always been to work in technology and start my own business later on and that is why I came to Illinois because I knew they had a strong CS program and I was hoping I would be able to transfer into it after 2 years, but unfortunately this isn't the case. I have tried to convince myself that staying here would make sense, but I just can't see an Economics major with a CS minor getting hired by a good tech company as an engineer or programmer. For this reason, I have applied to several schools closer to home in Chicago, namely DePaul, Loyola and UIC for CS (I would've applied to better schools but the Engineering track here is extremely rigorous and has really brought down my GPA and my parents have little money, so out of state isn't an option). I have already been accepted to DePaul and Loyola for CS and am waiting on UIC. I think there are many positives to going to those schools including being in the city with access to startups (which is what I am very excited about) and the ability to major in the area I am passionate about, as well as the fact that I would be living in Chicago, which has always been something I've missed since moving to the cornfields of Champaign. The biggest thing I am wrestling with is whether the "prestige" of a school like UIUC is worth me hating my last two years of school and going into a field that I won't enjoy at all, with the hope that I'll be able to spend my nights when I get back from work coding nonstop and trying to find a tech company that will hire me with an Economics degree, but I have also been told by many friends and people I know that DePaul and Loyola are third-tier schools that can never even hope to reach the level of UIUC and that going there would be a waste of my time and money because no one will want to hire me even if I do get a CS degree. The last option that I am considering is possibly transferring to one of the schools in Chicago and after a year attempting to transfer again to a much better school for CS. I have heard that once you transfer schools, the GPA at your previous school doesn't transfer over, only the credits do, so if I was able to transfer to DePaul let's say, and get close to a 4.0 (which I am very intent on doing now) and since probably not all of my credits from UIUC would transfer, I could still be a sophomore academically and try to transfer to another university with close to a 4.0 at DePaul after a year. Is this feasible and is my 4.0 at DePaul the only thing that the other university I would be attempting to transfer to would see? Which one of these three options is the best? Would I be able to spend a year at DePaul and get close to a 4.0 and then try to reapply to CS at Illinois again? Sorry to write so much but this is a crucial decision in my life so I just wanted to make sure I got as much feedback as possible. Thank you very much.</p>
<p>bumpppppp pleaseeee</p>
<p>The funny thing is that I have been told by numerous sources, people, this site, and other sites, that Depaul and Loyola are both 1st tier and highly respected, especially in the Chicago area. This has been backed up when I tell friends and family that i got into both and they are genuinely impressed. Though I am not sure about the reputation about UIUC.</p>
<p>I admit I am a little unclear by your questions, so I hope that I answer them fully. It is true that when you transfer your GPA does not transfer with you, though your credits do. It seems feasible that if Depaul or Loyola does not take all your credit you could still be a Sophomore when you try to transfer again, but then there is the chance that you would be a junior. I would double check the transfer policy for UIUC to see if you could still transfer in this case. However, you also want to ask a question for yourself. If you transfer each time as a Sophomore you are losing credits. That is a loss of your time (years) and money (thousands) for the name of a university and what that gives you. Is that worth it?</p>
<p>Also, look at the individual department’s programs that you may want to transfer into. Some departments are better then others in terms of academics. For instance, I picked Depaul over Loyola because their history department has more chances for internships and a concentration in Public History. This is something that I want to go to Grad School for and (I hope) will give me a better chance to get in. If I wanted to go into nursing I would probably go to Loyola. Get what I am saying?</p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>
<p>Hi myleekey and thanks for your response. I know that DePaul and Loyola are well-respected in Chicago and I am leaning towards transferring to DePaul right now, but the jobs I want to get are almost exclusively in the San Francisco bay area where I’m not sure anyone would recognize DePaul or ever even have heard of it. I would be up against kids from Stanford and Carnegie Mellon, etc. so that is why I am thinking of transferring again after I get to DePaul, because a degree from a bigger name school simply gives you more opportunities and is more important in some fields than others.Like you said, however, it will probably just come down to money and time; the amount of money I receive from DePaul and the time it will take me to graduate. I have not received my award letter as of yet, but do you know how good DePaul is about grants and things like that? My family would be in the 0 EFC category, so I’m trying to figure out if there is at least a decent chance that DePaul would be able to cover all of my tuition. Thanks.</p>
<p>Of the three, UIC is probably the strongest for Computer Science. However, you should make your decision based primarily on finances. Don’t choose an option that will leave you with a lot of debt. You can get a good CS degree at any one of those schools and if you make the most of opportunities that are presented to you will find a good job. My recommendation is not to transfer again. Make your choice and then complete the B.S. You can look for a different school later on if you decide to pursue a Masters degree after you have worked for a few years.</p>
<p>if you haven’t I go to UIC currently, and UIC is ranked muuuuch higher than either loyola or Depaul in CS-- i know this bc i was considering transferring to CS major within the school.</p>
<p>The support is absolutely great for CS majors-- im an earth science major and we have this cute little group – but compared to CS majors, i’m soo jealous!!</p>
<p>Everyone there is so cute and into CS and has cool hangout/coding spaces. Also the opportunities are so vast-- i’ve heard Juniors who have taken semesters to do internships and are in seattle, pullin$25 an hour and have their place paid for by the company they work for…
So with a CS major your options are endless either way</p>
<p>also consider $$$ – if your a “diverse” student, you will be handed $$$ opportunities left and right, so take that into account…</p>
<p>well i hope this wasn’t too late!!</p>
<p>Please use old threads for reference only, do not post and revive them.</p>
<p>If you click on the member name, you will be given an option to see the posting history, the OP has not been active on CC since April.</p>