I am a freshman at BYU majoring in business. I am unhappy with my major, and started a co major in computer science. Currently, I have a 4.00 GPA in college and just took the SAT in college to get a 1535. I am liking comp sci more and more, and want to potentially transfer to a much stronger engineering program my junior year. In high school however, I got a C my senior year, and 2 D’s my junior year; my gpa was not too bad overall(3.6), but I still got those horrible grades mostly just because of my own personal issues that were my fault. With those high school grades, is it still feasible to transfer to a CS department like UPENN, Columbia, Georgia Tech, U mich, etc my junior year(assuming a maintain above a 3.9GPA in college)? And by the end of my junior year at BYU I will have somewhere around 80 credits in total. So is it feasible to transfer to a top 15 engineering program with my circumstances?
The SAT is scored in multiples of 10 so 1535 is not possible. Setting that aside: transfer into Engineering at another college as a junior may not be allowed at some of those schools, and if it is allowed, you will need Engineering prereqs(ie the classes most Engineers will have completed in their first 4 semesters:
Calc-based physics(2 semesters),
calculus (2 semesters) and depending on the specific CS requirements, they may want programming or intro to engineering or other courses. Really depends. You would need to start working on those now, especially the physics and calculus, and get top grades.
If you are planning to transfer as a college junior, your SAT score and high school grades will not matter. They will look at your college record. However, each college will have its own transfer requirements, so that is something you will need to research. In addition, some colleges give little or no financial aid to transfer students, so you will also need to consider your financial situation and what would be affordable.
i said 1535, because I got a 1530, and 1540 superscore and just averaged it for simplicity. And I mainly asked because If I did decide to transfer, taking all the reqs would be a big commitment next year. Is it feasible with my high school grades, and if I take a couple of requirements like Physics 2 in the second semester of my sophomore year after I’ve already applied, would that be fine?
No. Your high school grades no longer matter. You are in college. And you must fulfill all transfer requirements in order to be considered.
It would be fine to take a couple of the requirements second semester of sophomore year after I have already applied right?
Yes, you can take them second semester, but by the time you transfer they must be complete (if they are not, and you are accepted somewhere, your acceptance will be rescinded).
Are you able to switch to being a computer science major at BYU?
I think that this is important since BYU is pretty good for CS. It is not “top 15”, nor “top 50”. However, I just checked the US News rankings, and it is still listed among other schools which are pretty good for CS.
Transferring into a “top 15” program is tough. Transferring into a “top 50” is probably more likely, particularly if you have 1 1/2 years of very strong grades at BYU (assuming that you would apply during your sophomore year to start at the beginning of your junior year).
Another realistic option, assuming that you can switch to be a CS major at BYU, is to complete you bachelor’s degree where you are, and then optionally get a bit of work experience, and then get a master’s degree at a school that is at least ranked higher than BYU for CS. As one example I know quite a few people (all coworkers or former coworkers) who got their master’s degree at U.Mass Amherst after getting their bachelor’s at a wide range of other universities (most of which are outside the USA).
If you apply to transfer as an undergraduate student they will see your high school grades. However, with three semesters worth of university grades your high school grades will be way less important. If you apply to a graduate program such as a master’s then they will not ask for your high school grades and will not want to know how you did in high school.
I am not sure about what specific courses you need to take before transferring. I do think that doing very well in your university courses is important, which suggests that you should be a bit cautious about overloading yourself.
Do you have any financial constraints?
I can switch to a comp sci major, however considering that I have near perfect grades as of now, it might be worth attempting to transfer. I do not have financial constraints.
You should switch now and you can still attempt to transfer. Make sure your physics in college is the one CS majors take
Rankings aside, BYU is a well-respected computer science school in the industry and has connections to west coast employers. If you’re excited about computer science, it would make sense to focus there, and if you get the opportunity and it’s financially feasible to transfer, that’s a nice bonus.
Most top CS programs are not within the engineering school. They are either part of their own school, or the school of arts and science (or similarly named school). I’m making this distinction because engineering schools usually have different prerequisites and transfer requirements than CS programs so make sure you look up the right details. And remember, many of the top CS programs are at public flagships, not at the Ivies. So do your research.
Now, back to your question: is it feasible? Yes. Is it likely? That is harder to say.
Georgia Tech has increased limitations on transfer into CS.
Columbia has a 3/2 program for engineering (known as the Combined Program). And CS is offered within the engineering school. You transfer in after 3 years, and then finish the last 2 years at Columbia.
I would start off by transferring into CS at your current school. Then you can always put in a few applications and see what happens.
As an aside, BYU is a pretty specific type of school. If you enjoy and are comfortable with the environment there that should be a meaningful consideration.
There are some really important BYU-specific questions here whose answers will influence this decision a LOT.
- Are you a happily devoted member of the church?
If yes, it might be best to stay at BYU. Their CS program is good and aside from that it doesn’t really matter where you get a CS degree. And after you get your first job, no one will care.
If you are not a happily devoted member of the church, then I think you should transfer. Students who try to stay there despite not being happy in the church are not happy at the school (this is a generalization, but I know many of them). Transferring out of BYU can be a real bear, depending on your status within the church and due to the religion credits.
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Are you from Utah? All the publics there will be super familiar with BYU transfers. U of Utah has a great CS program.
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What is your budget? If – and ONLY if – you’re a happily devoted member of the church, it’s darn near impossible to beat BYU in the cost / benefit analysis.
Most programs I looked at like Umich, georgia tech, cornell, Upenn, Columbia have the basic phys, chem requirements to transfer into their CS.
These programs, at the top 15, however, may be impacted. That means that there is finite, limited seating. You have to hope that someone transfers out of the program so that there is a spot for you.
Also, If you take an SAT after high school, most colleges wont consider it because the SAT is meant for high school students as a HS test, of what they have learned up to that point. It is not one that is completed after you’re in a university setting, with a number of students that would blink and get over a 1500 SAT.
Maybe not. You are assuming that all of your courses will transfer to a new college and program.
My free advice…stay where you are and finish your degree…and in CS if that is your desire and interest. There is no need for you to transfer.
And adding…the SAT is a test that is supposed to be taken while in high school, not after completing more than a year of college. Any college you apply to is going to notice that, and not in a positive way.
Really…a computer science degree from BYU is fine. Just get it, and get a job.
Yep, and BYU → other school course transfers are notoriously thorny (I know a lot of people who attended). That’s why the question “are you a happily devoted member of the church” is the most important one in this situation. If “yes”, likely best to stay at BYU. If “no”, likely best to transfer soon before it gets even more difficult. Then cost will become paramount unless there’s a bunch of extra $ laying around.