Transferring for Computer Science

Transfer Students
1

Hi, I am currently a sophomore at the University of Connecticut and have a large interest in transferring to a higher caliber computer science school.

UConn is a good school and I wouldn’t mind staying here but I really want to try and push myself and get the best education possible. I am posting here because I am seeking some advice on which school would fit my needs, but also my chances of being admitted to these schools, any info is appreciated. What makes me nervous is my first semester here was not too stellar, some troubles at home were a drag and grades were not my focus, I finished with a 2.8 (Fall 2014). But mid way through the next semester I was able to focus and was motivated and I finished with a 3.3 (Spring 2015), and finally last semester a 3.6 (Fall 2015), with a 3.3 cumulative. Side question, does anyone know if schools I apply to would ask for my grades at the completion of this semester (Spring 2016)? I have finally figured out how to study and stay organized and think I should be able to achieve around a 3.8, which I assume would help.

I am currently active in a few clubs and an athlete on one of our division one teams; I think athletics would help give me a slight pull, but I am unsure of the athletics culture at more prestigious schools, especially Ivies . Last semester I also attended office hours quite frequently and built good relationships with several of my professors so I believe I would be able to get very solid letters of recommendation. I also currently have been offered an internship for the summer as a software engineer at a major insurance firm, something that I think would help boost my resume.

The schools I am currently considering in no particular order are the following:

-University of Pennsylvania
-Cornell University
-Stanford
-University of California - Berkeley

I chose the first two because they are the top two schools in the northeast (where I live) for computer science that also have division one programs (I would like to play for the remaining two years I have). And the last two I picked because they are ranked as the top two schools for computer science nationwide that also have division one programs. I also figured that all of these schools would have some pretty significant ties/connections to the big tech companies, UPenn and Cornell being Ivies, and Stanford and UC Berkeley being out in California where practically everything technology is based.

To sum up:
What are the best computer science schools that offer good job opportunities and have division one programs?
At a best guess do you think I would be able to get accepted to these schools?
Any tips for transferring?

Thanks in advanced!

2

Berkeley will not give good financial aid to out-of-state students, although a few academic or athletic scholarships may cover the out-of-state costs. What kind of cost constraints do you have, and have you checked the net price calculators on all of the schools?

However, a 3.3 GPA does not make transfer admission to any of these schools very likely. Only 10% of fall 2014 transfer applicants to Berkeley with GPA from 3.20-3.59 were admitted, according to http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/transfer-admissions-summary , and EECS is probably more difficult than overall to be admitted to.

Stanford admits very few transfer students (typically a few dozen per year). Of those few, it looks like many come from community colleges and non-traditional backgrounds (e.g. military veterans).