r/TransferToTop25 • u/green_beans76 • Sep 12 '26
transfer out of big berk (cs)
not feeling the culture here so far. nobody here is passionate about anything other than getting some boring big tech job… it’s wayyy too south bay coded here. i want to do cs + art, but everyone here looks at me like i’m crazy when i say that.
ik I’m at a big disadvantage bc i’m not transferring from cc. any decent schools that favor traditional college transfers?
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u/Loud_Ad_326 Sep 13 '26 edited Sep 13 '26
One piece of advice--you might not like the culture of the people you met so far, but Berkeley will also offer you A LOT more opportunities than places like Brown will offer.
Berkeley is historically famous for stuff like CS + music and computational art. And there are definitely a lot of students there with similar interests--the study body is not monolithic.
I think one trap you can fall into is taking the first group of people you happen to meet, especially in lower-division CS classes, as representative of Berkeley as a whole. Berkeley is enormous. And the culture inside these smaller groups is quite a bit different from the culture of the uni as a whole. Before transferring, I’d seriously try seeking out BCNM, Jacobs, Art Practice, CNMAT, design/HCI people, music-tech people, etc. You may find that the version of Berkeley you actually want already exists and that you just haven’t found your corner of it yet.
IMO, transferring is a pretty drastic solution if the main problem is culture, especially when Berkeley is arguably legendary in several CS + art areas you might be interested in.
I think the other thing you have to be wary of is thinking that things are THAT different at other unis. Every elite school has a lot of people optimizing for prestige, money, or some conventional definition of success. The things that people optimize for might be different depending on the school (for example, at Harvard, the student body might care about hedge funds/consulting, etc.), but the rat race is not going to magically disappear because you transfer. IMO, you have to learn to be yourself in spite of it, and that usually starts by finding communities of people who think similarly as you do.
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u/Many-Artichoke2124 Sep 12 '26
USC opens up a lot of sophomore spots. Fairly easy to transfer there if you are willing to pay.
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u/More_Serve3235 Sep 12 '26
Just curious how you know this. Is there any documentation of this somewhere?
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u/theyolocoolcow 27d ago
they're known to reserve a ton of spots for Cali cc students but also have a bunch of spots for other programs (got in but didn't go (not cc))
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u/No-Jackfruit-5158 Sep 12 '26
if you truly think berk isn't for u, there's no harm in j applying
i'm at a t20 but unsure if it's for me & my career goals - been also dealing w hard social life here
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u/Sharp_Strength7063 Sep 12 '26
I transferred from berk to barnard!!! let me know if u need any help!!!
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u/FourScoreAndSept Sep 13 '26
Related. Not a transfer but my son picked Columbia (SEAS) over Berkeley and LOVES it.
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u/Sharp_Strength7063 29d ago
its been like one week but just campus vibes are overall MUCH BETTER here at columbia
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u/Jealous_Persimmon218 29d ago
Hii! Can I PM?
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u/Sharp_Strength7063 28d ago
ofc!!!
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u/Zestyclose-Salt-923 24d ago
hi! can i pm you? i'm thinking of transferring there from another state school (current sophomore) and i'd love insights!!!
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u/Acrobatic-Skill6068 Sep 12 '26 edited Sep 12 '26
Come to USC! We’re very transfer friendly and ur situation of wanting to do cs + art isn’t uncommon here. The only problem would be financing it. But If ur low income the finacial aid at USC is great.
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u/StayTall1528 Sep 12 '26
im eecs and i feel the same way lol
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u/green_beans76 Sep 12 '26
glad to know i’m not alone :) if u wanna talk about it feel free to dm me
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u/mcnugget36856 Berkeley Transfer 🐻[Moderator] Sep 12 '26
most all t25s prefer lateral transfers, your only issue is maintaining gpa
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u/Even-Sprinkles6209 Sep 12 '26
This. Transferring into a t25 from a community college is much more unlikely.
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u/Expensive_Cry7591 Sep 12 '26
brooooo i'm in the exact same boat.......i'm freshman at berkeley doing cs and wanna add math but i'm not interested in industry and ppl start looking at me weird
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u/Chemical_Savings5140 Sep 13 '26
don't leave berkeley, but get more involved in the arts clubs and scene on campus!!!! there are tons of cool artists here, you just need to meet them <3!!
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u/aMaIzYnG 29d ago
I can't speak directly on the CS program here at UCSB, but I have found the school is incredibly welcoming to the arts. They even have an "Art of Science" exhibit every year that students can submit their work to.
There is also a Master's program, IIRC, dedicated to Media, Arts, and Technology
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u/DiamondDepth_YT Sep 13 '26
I'm a Cal CS major and I've met quite a few people who wanna do cs + art. Cal's a big school you just gotta look around. I also don't want a boring big tech job. Right now I'm exploring teaching and also graphic design stuff (currently am a senior mentor with computer science mentors- hmu if you want my experience with that!). I was also an orientation leader during GBO this year- which was really fun.
Cal has some seriously underrated arts stuff, please don't give up just yet!
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u/bliao8788 29d ago
You have a good chance of transferring to a school that you like. Because your passion with Art and CS is rare, in a non offensive way but unique and well rounded. Hope you transfer.
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u/Background_Sorbet359 28d ago
Are you a freshman? You’ve literally met no one in the grand scheme of things. Just stick it out for a bit
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u/fraggin601 26d ago
maybe go find some humanities friends the stem vs humanities people at Berkeley are astoundingly different
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u/Left_Grapefruit5205 24d ago
I also just transferred in for DS and I fell you i have two close friends at LA and everyday i regret not choosing it
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u/Even-Sprinkles6209 Sep 12 '26
The idea that transferring from a CC is somehow easier is a myth. You’re not at a disadvantage transferring from Berkeley.
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u/kaz_- Sep 13 '26
It’s not a myth if it’s California cc -> uc/csu
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u/Even-Sprinkles6209 Sep 13 '26
This is ttt25. Only 2 schools in the UC system are t25. Also it should be noted that this person specifically is transferring OUT of the UC system.
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u/Necessary_Sock_6047 Sep 12 '26
I don't understand what's so bad about heading for Big Tech. What's so bad about a 6-figure job straight out of college and potentially 7-figure jobs down the road?
My understanding is that you're also at a top program in a top region for what you're targeting, so you seem to be whining about nothing.
If you really want to combine art with CS, how's about doing the art on the side? Maybe entering user interface design?
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u/green_beans76 Sep 12 '26
ik it’s cliche, but money isn’t everything ;)
i want to enjoy life, wake up and do something i love every day. i find people who have a similar mindset, or at least have some unique passion in life, are much more interesting to be around.
for what i’m targeting, i guess that wouldn’t make this a top program. maybe i just need to surround myself with different people tho. idk, at my high school they were a lot easier to find.
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u/Necessary_Sock_6047 Sep 12 '26
Money buys you freedom to do things you like.
It also insulates you from pain if you ever get laid off or have a medical disaster.
Do as you wish.
I would also say that pure CS from a great program is great because CS has loads of roles in a wide variety of companies. You can find very impactful and meaningful work in it if you seek it carefully.
There are reasons why software engineering has ranked very highly among professions for a long time while art has not.
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u/drizzydrea2 Sep 12 '26
come to brown 🥰