I transferred out of state to UT-Austin with a 4.0 GPA. After the fall semester I found that Mechanical Engineering isn’t really my thing, I find petroleum engineering much more interesting to me than mechanical engineering (actually it was my second choice at UT-Austin, but was accepted to my first choice - ME). Last semester I ended with a 3.1442 GPA due to a C+ in GOV310L (American Government) class, so without that class I have a 3.335 GPA in-residence (Calc-3, Physics 2, Physics 2 Lab, and Sustaining a Planet - UGS303). This semester I am taking Diff Eq, Statics, ME design and Thermodynamics for ME. For my application to A&M, although it is not required, I submitted one letter of recommendation, and 1 extra essay in addition to the one required. My questions here are:
What are my chances of being admitted?
How would you compare A&M's petroleum engineering and UT-Austin petroleum engineering? Which one is the best in your opinion?
How are the academics (difficulty, intensity, etc) at A&M? (If you experienced both, please compare it to UT-Austin, if not just in general)
How well respected is A&M's petroleum engineering in the USA and worldwide?
Moderate-low, the engineering program has a notoriously low transfer rate, even the intracollege transfer rate is extremely low, some years no one is accepted.
Texas A&M
I believe UT generally has the harder classes, but TAMU has the best petro program in the nation and thats not my opinion. http://engineering.tamu.edu/about/facts
I don't know about the specific field, but having a Texas A&M degree in itself is respectable, many people see it as a representation of your character aswell as your education. My grandfather used to hire anyone that walked in with an Aggie ring.
Texas A&M Petroleum Engineering, as @BlakeGrhymes says, is ranked as #1 in the nation. Why aren’t you just trying to change your major at UT, which I believe is ranked #2 in PetE? If you won’t get in to PetE at UT as a UT student, you probably won’t get in to PetE at A&M as a transfer. But if you really want to do PetE, you might look at Texas Tech, LSU, OU, and UH, all of which have very good programs (but I don’t know how difficult it is to transfer in to those schools). Good luck!
@Barfly Because I just transferred here last semester, and I don’t have the required in residence hours to apply for internal transfer. In addition, I am not liking that much here, which is a major factor when you are 2+ years studying in a place you don’t familiarize with.
@Babuda. If I were in Admissions, I would be suspicious of someone who recently transferred to Texas and now wants to transfer again. You will need to be prepared to explain why you are not a serial transferer and why you didn’t try to transfer first to TAMU instead of TU. You will be competing against tons of people who have always wanted to go to TAMU and want to transfer from a community college or another TAMU campus.
I have all of that backed up. By this I mean I have my personal and academic reasons, which all of them are serious and valid. For me, Texas A&M kicks ass compared to UT.
What are my chances of being admitted?
Your low grades are in your NON-Core classes. I think you should be fine.
just work hard on your essay
How would you compare A&M's petroleum engineering and UT-Austin petroleum engineering?
for Petroleum, I would say TAMU but it seems like it's easier for you to do an internal transfer at UT
How are the academics (difficulty, intensity, etc) at A&M? (If you experienced both, please compare it to UT-Austin, if not just in general)
UT is harder.
How well respected is A&M's petroleum engineering in the USA and worldwide?
