Transferring into a Ivy League or other top school

Hello,

Thank you for reading my thread

Background:

I am a freshman in college who is looking to transfer to a school with a challenging and respected math program.

College: State School

Major: Electrical Engineering

College GPA: 4.00
Courses: Chemistry, Chemistry Lab, Intro to Engineering, Programming, Calculus I and Jazz. I had to take one other course but it didn’t count for any credits.

College ECs: Robotics Club, I competed in the Putnam and other math competitions, Volunteering, I would like to do some research next semester but had not done any so far

Letters of Rec: should be good

High School stats: ACT: 32 GPA Unweighted: ~3.98 GPA weighted: ~4.2

I would really like to go to MIT, UChicago, of Harvard, but I will apply to some safety schools as well.

Do you think a have a shot? Are there other schools that I should consider? What can I do to make my applications more competitive?

Thanks!

Are you fine with changing your major if you transfer? I don’t think UChicago offers EE?

You should probably look into your list a little more, and consider transferring when you have the full set of calculus (I,II, and III) along with the normal physics coursework.

Make a longer list, include matches and safeties, and look at their credit requirements for their engineering schools. I don’t want to generalize but it’d be pretty hard for any university to accept you without all of the appropriate credits in calculus and physics.

I see now, you’re planning to switch into math. I missed that on my first read-through.

Where do your math instructors suggest you look?

@AGoodFloridian Would you suggest transferring sophomore year?

As for the courses, I will have all of those courses taken the first semester of sophomore year.

Concerning credit requirements for other schools, the program I’m in has 16 credit hours of required courses up until senior year and my academic advisor will not let me go over 18 credit hours. So, I think my options for different courses are very limited.

@happymomof1 I have talked to my calculus professor about transferring.

When I asked him about it, he did not name in specific schools he thought I should transfer to.

I think he does not want me to transfer because, after I talked to him, he talked to other math professors after about working something out where I could take more math courses.

But, because he can’t overrule my academic advisor, who won’t let me take over 18 credit hours, the only way I could take more math classes would be to take them over the summer.

What is your goal? Do you want a Math major, or just to take additional Math in your current program?

Is a Math major available where you are? If it is, why don’t you just change your major, and get a new advisor?

What is wrong with changing to the math major where you are now?

Lots of state schools like Rutgers, Texas, Wisconsin, UCLA, etc. are good for math.