Well not really sure I am an expert but will to try to help @sushiritto.
Engineering is 3.93 with like 33/34 Act. Yes kids get in with less. Being instate 1460-80 but yes anything over 1500 is where you want to be. My son applied LSA with a 3.95 and 34 Act just because getting accepted to engineering for OOS is tough and he was looking at Actuary also.
A misconception on your part. Transferring is pretty easy and you don’t have to take a language if you know your transferring. My son applied like now last year and was accepted on the due date of February 1st.
You have to take a level one writing course. Look at the cross transfer for engineering
https://www.engin.umich.edu/admissions/undergrad/cross-campus-students/
Do those classes. You just have to complete them before your sophomore year but can transfer also as a sophomore… Warning… My son took full boat 18 credits a semester and took two classes at a community College over the summer… It’s not easy…
LSA is 3.83 with like 32 instate and 33/34 out of state as a random idea. So it’s not that much easier going just LSA.
If you stay in LSA for computer science then yes I think you have to take a language. The program are like almost identical with very few exceptions.
http://www.eecs.umich.edu/eecs/undergraduate/cs_lsa_vs_engr.html