A nested question

Transfer Students
1

I currently attend a top-10 public institution as a declared mechanical engineering major. However, I really want to transfer due to multiple justifiable and reasonable reasons, but my first quarter GPA was completely wrecked owing to a complete overload of courses (typical first quarter first-years take 12-14 units/3-4 courses, I took 21/6 courses): a 2.86.

The courses are as follows:
Math 4A/Linear Algebra - C
Advanced Programming for Engineers - C
Technical Writing for Engineers - A
Gen. Chem 1A + lab - B, A
Seminars - A

Next quarter should be a tad simpler (still 6 courses, but courses that I will deeply enjoy), enough for me to pull all A-.

My college record:
Cycling team captain
Art contributor to school projects (e.g. donating art for exhibits)
Gun team captain
Will become a Marine officer post-college
Intending to double major in art/design
Founder of a bike recycling programme that helps police officers take stripped, abandoned bikes off bike racks, which are then refurbished and donated to students in need
Will become a lab assistant in the Spring

My high school record:
3.63UW, 4.3W
10/273 ranking, inner city public school in a neighbourhood of gang violence
Nearly all honours and AP courses for Years 2-4 of HS
Did independent research in rural China regarding simple water filtration devices
Co-founded a microloan/microfinancing group for poor rural farmers in China
A relatively unusual minority: Chinese Muslim
Commanding officer of a brigade-sized JROTC unit (O-6 level)
A pretty gifted artist
An experimental musician
Really, really poor

  1. Because I'm an engineering major with a school that grades extremely tough on all STEM majors owing to too many students, would any schools [that are listed below] still consider me to be a relatively "okay" applicant?
  2. What reasons did you successful transfer students have that weren't the generic "I wasn't happy here"?
  3. Does it really matter where you go to college?

Columbia/Fu Foundation
Brown
Vanderbilt
Emory
Rice
Duke
UPenn SEAS
Cornell SEAS
JHU
NYU

2

First of all I’m a prospective transfer student like yourself, probably transferring after my sophomore year so take this advice as you will.

  1. All the schools you have listed are pretty competitive (except maybe NYU, Emory, Vanderbilt as there transfer rate hover around 30% but even then it is hard). Your GPA with a 2.86 would unfortunately most likely automatically ding you from the start. There are alot of talented students that are gunning for those few transfer spots and even if you went to a college like UCB (top 10 public) a 2.86 would have nothing to show for unfortunately.
  2. For the most generic successful transfer student it is because of academic reasons (such as your institution not offering the program/major you wanted).
  3. Well...this really depends on what your post graduate plans are and how your GPA is shaping up to be.
3

Why do you want to transfer?

I don’t mean to be harsh, but I highly doubt you will get accepted into any of those schools, given your first quarter’s GPA. It’s probably best to stay where you are.

Also, 6 classes per quarter seems far too intense, especially at a top 10 university. Don’t take so many, seriously. It will most likely have adverse affects on your GPA, regardless of whether you deeply enjoy the classes or not. Limit it to 3, 4 classes, max.

4

I never recommend first year engineering or physics students at my university to take more than 4 courses. The load is already heavy as it is and it only sets them up to be in a GPA hole. You need to back off the load and improve your GPA before applying elsewhere. Plus you need a really good reason to transfer.