Transferring from SU to Top Tier University

Transfer Students
1

Hi, let me preface with the fact that I’m typing this on my phone at 4 am on a bus back to work, if there are some spelling or gramitcal errors, please forgive me.

I started out at a community college. I went to school as a full time student and worked full time at a cabinet shop. I worked
hard hoping one day my efforts would pay off. Finally after two years I applied to The University of Wisconsin Madison and
Syracuse University, both for mechanical engineering. I was denied from UW and ended up at SU. After completing my first year at SU, I have realized the engineering program is not what it’s made out to be. The engineering school puts in no money towards
the students. The little research that is being done is really nothing special. The facilities are small to non-existent and the ones that are there are extremely outdated. Worst of all the school seems to care 10x more about
its athletic department then all academic departments combined.
I can’t find many students who share the same passion as I do, and am constantly troubled when a large number of students in my classes strive to get at best a C on an upcoming test.
I’m really not happy at SU and want to transfer to a school filled with faculty and students who are as passionate about
engineering as I am. I kept telling myself I didn’t want to deal with transferring again. But I realize I still have almost 3 years left in college and if I am unhappy with current situation I should change it. I was thinking about re-applying to UW Madison, Cornell, University of Michigan (probably way to far of a reach). I have not made an extensive
list but I am certain that I would like to transfer to a more top tier school that focuses more on its mechanical engineering department.

In Community College I had a 3.6 GPA, I don’t know if that matters much at this point but I figured it couldnt hurt to include it.

At SU I currently have a 3.78 GPA. It would be slightly higher but a got a single B in a writing class.

I have completed 50 credits and after finishing the coop I am doing I will be about halfway through my sophomore year.

I have a job during the school year as a design engineer for the physics department where I design and prototype manufacturing fixtures to assemble several thousand
sensors modules for the CERN LhcB project. The work I do for the department is pretty extensive and I am given a lot of freedom. I am the sole designer for
anything the physics department needs other then one professor.

I am the lead manufacturing engineer for the Formula SAE team at SU. BTW the school will give more money for a single basketball PR event then it will for the
annual budget of the team. Any time the team actually wants to use money slotted to them, they have to battle with the school to OK the purhase. They give us a back closet in a classroom to work on the car. It’s really discouraging to see the school essentially working against its
students.

I am currently doing a 6 month co-op in Ithaca NY for a large automotive design and manufacturing firm where I work in the engine timing components department.

I also do a lot of personal projects. I can learn a lot fixating on something im designing and making for myself and I really like to work in the machine shop to get more of a hands on experience. I am currently designing and buidling a benchtop
CNC machine capable of cutting ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Most of the fixtures I design for the physics department get physically prototyped by me as well. My
most recent completed project, I designed and machined a 1 inch micrometer to an accuracy of 3/10000" over the full 1 inch length of travel.

Anyway, I like to do as much as I can to make myself stand out, but I know when it comes to higher tier schools, everyone is doing the same. If anyone has any input on
my chances transfering to any sub 35-40% acceptance rate university I would love some feedback.

Thank you for any help.

2

I now realize the thread title isn’t the greatest in the world and my 4 AM ranting sounds a little ridiculous. That being said no one has any info to offer?

3

I don’t have much to offer but a couple of quick thoughts.

As a mechanical engineering major, I doubt that a single B in a writing class is going to hurt you. It sounds like you are doing some interesting work where you are, in spite of the limited resources. You can try to transfer to a higher ranked university. However, you might also consider the option of finishing your Bachelor’s where you are, then getting a Master’s at a higher ranked university. Either way you will need to keep your GPA up (which I understand that you are doing).

4

Thanks for the input, I could see how it would make sense to finish up where I am. Considering I am truly miserable and have two and half years left, I figured it couldn’t hurt to apply.

5

A more specific list I would plan to apply yo would be
University of Michigan
Purdue
UW Madison
University of Washington
University of Maryland
Cornell
Northwestern
I am aware that the last two are a pretty big reach. I’m hoping the fact that I applied to UW Madison as a CC student and then again after significantly improving as an overall applicant will help my chances.

6

I also plan to get letters of rec from my co-op mentor, a research professor, and my calc 2 professor.

7

Where do your mentors suggest that you apply? Add those to your current short list.

8

I would personally, for now, cut Cornell and NW off of your list for an expectation. You’re in your first year of school and when you want to go from a 50% acceptance rate school to around 10%, do the math… 40% cut. It doesn’t hurt to apply, but don’t waste your money on schools that definitely will seek more just as of now. Good luck!

9

I just refer to my supervisor as a mentor. He’s been out of the college game for probably 45 years now I’m not sure he would offer much in terms of college selection.

10

I was hopeful some of my EC’s would help but that’s kind of what I figured. I might apply to Cornell just because I think I could write a strong essay about it and it’s about 18%. Still a reach but I figure it can’t hurt. Northwestern being closer to 10% is definitely unrealistic. Thanks.

11

I’m a little surprised to hear you say some of these things about Mech E at Syracuse .
I would think it would be a strong department there. What with places like Carrier Corp in the surrounding area
(don’t know about still, but traditionally anyway). I recall in my last year at Cornell I took an advanced thermodynamics course where the textbook was written by a Syracuse professor.

It sounds like you are getting some really great experiences there. Which may not be the case after you were to transfer. And there is something to be said for being “big fish in small pond”. Being a standout at Syracuse may not put you in any worse position than being run of the mill at a bigger name school… And you might wind up doing worse than that. Getting in is one hurdle, but getting out can be another.

For some other choices you might screen RPI and Case Western. And of course Carnegie Mellon is a great engineering school.

But you might want to stay put.

12

Sounds like you are working yourself through school. In that case, I suggest avoiding public universities where you do not qualify for in-state tuition for cost concerns.

As a sophomore, I would have some heart to heart conversations with the upperclassmen around you. Your peers change in engineering junior and senior year as the kids who slid by with C’s start changing majors because it’s much harder to squeak by in upper level engineering classes.

13

I take out loans and recieve significant financial loans. I was hoping with aid the cost would be reasonable, but I won’t know if I never apply. I am close with a lot of juniors and seniors on campus from the formula team. As I transfer student I am the same age as they are. I don’t want to come off as cynical but the upperclassmen consistently speak negatively about the program.

14

You do not want public universities where you do not receive in-state tuition then. You do not want more loans than necessary. A private university with good financial aid would be a stronger bet. Wherever you are in-state, apply to more than one campus, not just the state flagship campus.

15

I understand, and that is something to think about. I also think going to a school known for its program would hold greater weight in a resume then a research job at Syracuse. I guess in the end it’s really about getting a good job. Although the points you raise make a lot of sense, I can tell you I a truly unhappy where I am. My happiness and perceived quality of education must count for something. If it seems like I’m only arguing with what everyone is saying, I think it’s because my mind is already made up. I do appreciate the fact that people were willing to take time out of their day to offer advice to a complete stranger, but. I’ve thought about this for months and finally made a decision and I really wasn’t looking for people to try and talk me out of it. I was hoping someone would have some input about my gpa and EC’s and how they stack up when applying to somewhere like UW Madison and UMich. (I’m starting to think the reaches are a bit unrealistic)

16

Since you are currently doing a co-op in Ithaca, then strolling across town and chatting up the department at Cornell makes perfect sense - especially if there is any connection at all between that department and the place where you currently are working.

Most of us here don’t have the specific expertise you are looking for. However, your own professors might. Don’t be afraid to come clean with them about your desire to have a different college experience. They have friends and former classmates at institutions all around the country, and they may have excellent ideas for you.

Wishing you all the best!

17

How about Virginia Tech? I understand their program is very “hand’s on” and they accept transfer students. Schools with Co-op programs like Purdue, RPI and Georgia Tech may appeal to you as well.

18

I someone must have forgotten to add Purdue to my list. When I saw Georgia Tech as #4 on the engineering rankings I assumed it was next to impossible to get in. I will have to check it out.

19

It’s not that we’re trying to talk you out of transfering, but an acceptance to a school you can’t afford isn’t worth much. This is your third school in three years, so it’s important to get it right this time, which means making sure we understand all the variables.

For the job market, your research and coop jobs count for more than your classes. Everyone takes classes, what you do in your field outside of required class is what makes your resume stand out from the pile.

Again: where, if anywhere, do you qualify for in state tuition?

20

" I was hoping someone would have some input about my gpa and EC’s and how they stack up when applying to somewhere like UW Madison and UMich. "

It will be hard to get reliable input on this, because, I think, GPAs for admitted transfer students are generally not published*.And no kind of EC evaluation is ever published. So nobody really knows. For sure. Except their admissions officers.
At least this is the case at private universities. Maybe public universities make more information available. In which cas, some relevant statistics might be buried someplace in their “institutional research” pages.

  • or at least I've never sen them published.