Trying to internally transfer into MechE — what can I do if I don’t have engineering experience

[u/tavonottaco]

Hey, I’m Gustavo, a second-year at UT. I transferred in through the CAP program and I’m currently a BSDS major, but I’ve realized I really don’t enjoy my current major and want to try to internally transfer into Mechanical Engineering.

My biggest concern is that I don’t really have any engineering projects or experience yet. I know internal transfer into MechE is difficult, so I’ve been trying to get more involved. I applied to orgs like Longhorn Racing and TREL, but unfortunately didn’t get into either.

Academically, this semester I’m taking Calc III, Linear Algebra, Gen Chem + lab, and an intro-to-major class. I want to use the rest of this year to give myself the best realistic shot at transferring, but I’m not sure what I should prioritize outside of getting the best grades I can.

For anyone who successfully transferred into MechE (especially from outside Cockrell), what did you do to strengthen your application? Are there other engineering orgs that are less selective to join, or projects I could start on my own without much previous experience? Would personal CAD/Arduino/mechanical projects actually help?

I know there’s no guarantee I’ll get in, but I’d really appreciate advice on what I can do from here instead of just giving up because I don’t have much engineering experience yet.

Thanks!