<p>This most might be a bit dense, so bear with me! </p>
<p>I only recently realized my aspirations for Chemical Engineering after working on my applications for Carnegie Mellon and Northwestern (both for chemE).</p>
<p>Hindsight is 20/20. About a month ago, I applied to UCB, UCLA, UCSD, UCI, and UCD.</p>
<p>I feel like such a moron. I didn't check the box for UCSB, the beautiful campus that I visited and grew enamored with during my CASC leadership campus last summer, and the campus with a highly regarded chemE program. As for the schools such as UCB and UCLA which could accommodate me just as well, I know for a fact that the nose-dive that my grades took during junior year 2nd semester(circumstances explained in additional comments) and the discovery of a glaring typo won't lend themselves to my acceptance. Statistically, just judging from GPA/SAT graphs on naviance, I see that I have a solid shot at the big three, and that is all that's keeping me sane.</p>
<p>So, I'm trying to keep my question simple, here, even though I feel there's a lot that I don't know regarding this process. </p>
<p>Say I was looking to bail from Northwestern or CMU - for reasons unforeseen, but realistically I know there is a whole spectrum of circumstances that could affect me, from a stale social life to the feeling of desolation combined with the academic pressure. Would it be a rational decision to transfer into UCSB for chem E, given I'd be paying in-state tuition? What are the implications of transferring midway through, if that'd even be possible? If it isn't UCSB, what kind of schools would I consider transferring into?</p>
<p>I know I'm a worrywart, so if you've taken the time to read through my post, I commend you!</p>