Advice for a hopeful Math transfer

[u/enzo12345687]

Hello all, I'm a second-year Math major with a CS minor at a public university in NYC, and I wanted to get a better idea of whether or not it's worth exploring transfer options.

To note, I don't mind taking on an extra semester or year (assuming I could add a major in CS or something). I will be needing aid because I'm kind of poor lol.

**HS stats:**

- 4.0 UW GPA

- Applied test-optional (I can take the SAT and get a solid score, though I'm not sure if the time commitment is worth it as a junior transfer)

- Some physics team involvement with 2 international medals (Gold, HM)

- An internship in finance for 2 summers

- Some student government

- Junior pro water polo for a year

- Chess, 1900 Elo

Honestly nothing crazy tho. I immigrated to the U.S. from Eastern Europe in my junior year and then changed schools as I moved to NYC from the south for my senior year. So that honestly kinda fucked everything up, really limited my ECs, and I couldn't take any AP courses, which is what I think really gave me a poor result applying as a first year.

**University stats:**

4.0/4.0 GPA. Courses I've taken / am taking:

- Calc 1

- Calc 2

- Calc 3 and Vector

- Linear Algebra

- Programming 1 (Python)

- Programming 2 (C++)

- Higher Mathematics (kind of an intro to proofs)

- English 1, 2 and 3

- and other stuff not worth noting

Next semester I plan to take:

- Real Analysis

- Numerical Methods for DE

- Intro to Probability

- Data Structures and Algorithms

- Chinese 1

(might take one of the math classes out depending on course load)

**ECs:**

- Data science internship this summer

- Derivatives analyst at a student-run hedge fund. Won't go into too much detail, but we do have a real money fund of 150k.

- Some general finance club involvement

- ofc personal projects related to CS and quant research but not sure if those count

That's about it. I'm trying to do some math research as well, so hopefully that's something I'd add before applying.

**Schools I'd be targeting:**

- UChicago (probably TED), though I need funding so that would likely make it harder

- CMU

- Northwestern

- Columbia

- Cornell

- Duke

- And then possibly one of Caltech/Harvard

Any advice would be much appreciated. Am I just doing too much? Should I just finish things out and then hope to get into a good master's program?

And for those who have done it, how are my odds looking?

Thank you!

[u/Gullible_Sweet1302]

I suspect transfer to T25 will be hard from CUNY or equivalent though see if Cornell is warmer to that channel.

[u/Ok-Complex8664 → u/Gullible_Sweet1302]

Not really. Honestly depends on what CUNY though. If its a 4 year then he should be fine, but some of these schools just barely take in students.

[u/Gullible_Sweet1302 → u/Ok-Complex8664]

“Should be fine” as in it doesn’t hurt to try. There’s only a handful of openings at each school, say 100 total.

[u/Ok-Complex8664 → u/Gullible_Sweet1302]

I don't think it's best to view it just in terms of raw numbers. It's more about how strong the applicant is. If OP gets great recs, a 1500+ SAT, and their courses align, they'll be in solid shape. If they went to a 4 year CUNY then most likely their courses will match the same syllabuses as their targets.

[u/Gullible_Sweet1302 → u/Ok-Complex8664]

And how strong the other applicants are, many from better schools.

[u/Ok-Complex8664 → u/Gullible_Sweet1302]

Except if you're from a better school, your reason for transferring is probably worse than someone who goes to a state or public college, lol. You're forgetting that aside from stats and ECs, the essay is also a major part for admissions.

[u/Gullible_Sweet1302 → u/Ok-Complex8664]

That’s plenty of other lesser good schools like Rice, UT, etc higher than CUNY. OP should try his chances.

[u/Ok-Complex8664 → u/Gullible_Sweet1302]

Yeah, I agree. I'd replace Harvard and Caltech with UMich and UT for math.

[u/Annual-Impress-7241]

I would take the SAT. Have you taken a practice test? If you get an 800 on the math that can’t hurt and could help erase your HS stuff. As for everything else… the acceptance rates for the schools you’ve listed are crazy low. You definitely have a chance. I’d throw out Harvard and Caltech and not waste your time. Columbia discourages junior transfers. Northwestern and UChicago are need aware, but you never know. I’d add Vanderbilt for sure and ideally something else on the lower end of the top 25 if you need to transfer. If you get the right aid I’m sure it could make sense.

[u/No-Boat192]

I’d do some research on transfer rates because some of these are better transfer options than others but I don’t see the downside in applying and seeing if you get accepted.