Star billion: try to imagine if an American tried to get into Russell group universities, wished for Oxford, for into Warwick and King’s. Then seemed to think these two were not worthy of him.
What college did you get into? Did you get Honors College?
After three semesters, you can try to transfer. But you can’t be tweedlinf your thumbs right now: students have been designing their achedule, trying to contact professors to see where freshmen may be needed in labs, comparing H and regular options in classes, thinking of their summer to position themselves for opportunities then an what would need to be done to be eligible. I know this from students who have been doing these things at both universities.
Have you thought of your schedule? What classes from your current curriculum you can ask credit for and you’ll be required to present to get it- if you even want it as you might not want to skip ahead in everything, and must strategize on that account?
According to your posting history you state that you were rejected by Northeastern.
@ aunt bea: Erm, I guess you are not getting it too! I got into Northeastern not Northwestern 
Guys, so for example, what are the chances of transferring into UIUC? BTW its quite tough to express yourself here without seeming cocky or arrogant or condescending. I just wanted to know the transfer chances for myself, and I do not in anyway mean to undermine the credibility of two well-respected universities (Penn state and NEU). I just meant that if there is something better out there, why not strive for it? So please don’t think I am a naive fool who “does not get it” and values rankings and prestige over academics… I am just someone who appreciates the fact that a school like Cornell has a better engineering reputation than say, NEU or Penn State. So chill and take it easy guys
I understand the desire to strive for “something better.” But large universities don’t work quite like that. It is entirely possible that you will get to Penn State, really like the department and the facilities, establish some close relationships with professors, and decide that you don’t want to transfer to a different school that is perhaps a few notches higher in the USNWR rankings. Maybe your department isn’t quite as good at the other university. Maybe courses are harder to get into in your major at the other university. There are a lot of variables. I suspect that some posters here are thinking that you should be drilling down into the aspects that really matter to you, and forget the relatively superficial prestige factor.
Most every state flagship U and top-100 LACs have students–in some cases many–that could be competitive for getting into HYPMS, but are very happy (in some cases much happier) at the schools where they are. This might be because of better research opportunities, a more collaborative environment, a specific undergraduate program that is nationally recognized, or greater postgraduate opportunities because they stand out more so than in a class of Harvard graduates, say. This is why it is hard for some people to endorse your desire to transfer to UIUC without knowing much, much more.
Calm down. If you are a senior and planning to attend college in the fall, you would have either already picked a college and put down a deposit,and therefore, as someone posted earlier, you MUST begin the process to enter the college, or you are hoping that the offers made with a due date in May are still valid.
Where did you hear that Cornell engineering is better than PSU engineering? Ivies are not known for their engineering programs.
There is not “something better out there”. There is a fit for you. If you think that a higher USN&WR ranked college is “better” inherently without even trying out colleges that were on your list originally, you are misguided.
Yes, the average CC poster, especially those who are parents or past HS young adults, finds your attitude of “how soon can I transfer?” pretty frustrating. If PSU and Northeastern were originally on your list (and I would recommend my child go to Northeastern not PSU due to reputation and civilization nearby), then there must be a reason you put them on. Pick one and go with it.
First tuition payment is due July 1 for my son’s school on the payment plan. Orientation in July and pre-college program in August. Buying sheets and other dorm supplies.
Wake up and embrace whatever you choose, and don’t worry about transferring or “why you were rejected”.
When it comes down to it, you will have NO IDEA why you were rejected if you were above 50th percentile GPA and test scores for the schools. It could be something totally out of your control. But planning to put yourself through yet another set of college applications seems rather masochistic, at this point in time.
@rhandco, you’re not in STEM, I gather? Cornell engineering has a very strong reputation.
As for difficulty of transferring in to UIUC, that would depend on the major.
However, you’re not getting what people are trying to tell you, which is that outside of certain areas like Wall Street and MBB consulting, how well you do at PSU or even NEU will matter more than what school you go to.
I am in STEM. PSU has a better engineering reputation where I live.
Then again, I went to an Ivy other than Cornell, and you know most Ivy Leaguers hate all other Ivies…
And another thing, Cornell engineering accepted me, so they can’t have been that good…
USN&WR has Cornell #10, and PSU #18 for engineering.
MidwestDad3, thank you for understanding. I do admit in previous posts I may seem to be an ass and give off the vibe that rankings are everything, but I am just scared for my own future, and want the best out of it! You are right, there is a high chance I will love it at Happy Valley and ignore other schools, but I also want to know more about transferring before totally giving up on the subject.
I think it’s safe to assume that there really isn’t a vast qualitative ocean separating #10 and #18. If the rankings were static, USNWR wouldn’t sell magazines to status-obsessed households. It’s sort of like the NCAA Basketball rankings. Everybody more or less agrees on the top 2 or 3, but the positions will shift around, and a college ranked #10 one week might move to #18 the following week. I would say that a #18 school is of comparable quality with a #10, and anyone who worries too much about #18 being “good enough” has obviously never encountered anything other than “first-world problems.” You might worry about a school that didn’t make the list at all, but any ranked Engineering program will provide a more-than-adequate education.
rhandco, Why do you say northeastern’s reputation is better than psu’s? Did I make the wrong choice depositing at psu? Again, I still prefer the feel of the psu campus, but…
Reputation varies depending on where you are. I don’t know where rhandco lives (maybe closer to Northeastern than I do?) but I live in Western PA and PSU love is prevalent. The college of engineering alone has over 80k living alumni.
Go where you feel happy, not based on what people on the internet feel! You can’t go wrong with either choice.
thanks bodangles! I’m just worried about post graduate jobs and how recruiters might be biased towards “higher ranked” universities… is the worry unnecessary?
^It pretty much only matters for your first job and in any event, I think they will be more interested in the grades that you achieved.
“@aunt bea: Erm, I guess you are not getting it too! I got into Northeastern not Northwestern
Guys, so for example, what are the chances of transferring into UIUC?” That was a typo on my part.
Here’s the thing, if you hop from school to school thinking that you are missing out on something better, you will. Your school might not have a #1 ranking but it might have professors who have really good ties/networking to corporate companies. Location also has a lot to do with that. Many “big engineering” firms are on the coasts. UIUC is in the middle of the country-Champaign. Expect lots of traveling for internships on your part.
The American university system works well. It doesn’t matter where you get your BS as long as you can handle the workload and have good internships, many which come from professor networking links.
My dh is a systems engineer, my dd is a software engineer, my son is at going into engineering and my dd is a neurobiol major. Husband=UCSD and Stanford grad, dd=EE @ SUNY Buffalo and currently at Hopkins for grad in CS, ds=Caltech for comp engineering, dd2=UC Davis. All are receiving or have received great educations! Based on their companies and internships, it didn’t matter where they went/go to school as long as they had a good basis in their major with good grades and internships.
What you should be worried about is the ability to be employed in engineering. If you plan on being employed in the US and are not a US citizen, it will be hard, and hopping from college to college won’t help, so for you, all of the above will be moot.
^He’s a US citizen, born in California.
Thanks again for the replies! Wow, aunt bea, you sure have an amazing family! I guess I will have to cross my fingers and hope Penn State is suitable for me! 4 years sure isn’t short. Any last tips before I go off to college guys? 
Sure. A great place for breakfast is the Original Waffle Shop!
Penn State grads are heavily recruited. Get good grades, spend your summers wisely, and you will have no problem getting a job as an engineer from Penn State.
If you deposited at Penn State:
Have you emailed international admissions about getting credit equivalencies?
Did you get into Schreyer?
Have you started registering? Looking at class options that’d interest you?
Will you be taking ESL 15 (if English isn’t your first language and you want an easier composition course), or the “regular” first-semester class, or the "honors version (or the Schreyer’s honors version)?
Based on your ALEKS score, will you be allowed to “skip” 140E?
Did you find a roommate through Facebook, and did you make a dorm choice?
Did you register for international orientation? any “pre-orientation”?
this is what you should be worrying about, not whether you’ll transfer to Cornell 2 years from now.
A good purchase to keep you company over the summer:
the naked roommate, by Harlan Coben 
There is likely to be little difference in recruiting if you get excellent grades. Kids with the best grades get snapped up wherever they are as long as the school is respected.
If you will indulge an analogy, and using the idea that this recruiting placement only matters for your first job, AND that you will get excellent grades…
Average starting salary for engineering (avg of all types) at Penn State: $63k*.
Average starting salary from Cornell Engineering: about $70k.*
*from school websites, but accuracy unverified!!
At PSU, excellent grades will get you an above average “PSU starting salary”, say 67/68k. At Cornell, presume you will be average…$70k.
So, Would you uproot your life to take a different job after a year to make 2 or 3k more? (hint, the answer should be no! Don’t job hop:)
Go, enjoy. Stop worrying about what else is out there. Otherwise it will be a lifelong obsession. You will know next spring if you need to transfer. Pondering it now will just confuse you.
Maybe the grass is greener…or maybe you’ll hop over the fence and find it is the same, but you are now a semester behind bc you transfered and lost half a year’s salary!
<:-P