American History 1988
Chapter 46 - 43 New Mission

Chapter 46: Chapter 43 New Mission

In America, for many high school graduates, undergraduate applications are not the "final decision."

Transferring schools is a common phenomenon; reasons such as dissatisfaction, poor fit, remote location, or limited school resources, among others, can all be motivators for students to transfer.

Although the acceptance rate for transfer students might be lower than the freshman admission rate, a large number of students still manage to transfer into their dream schools in America every year.

As for the transfer system, every university in America has an open attitude towards it. As long as you meet the criteria, you will be considered for admission.

And when you complete your four-year course or receive your degree through transfer credits, there will be no difference on your diploma from those admitted through entrance exams.

In other words, whether you enter Harvard or Yale through entrance exams, transferring, business sponsorship, or any other means, when you graduate, you are a bona fide graduate of Harvard or Yale.

Dean had planned on going to Stanford for some time; he was skilled in computer technology and was already making money from it.

Therefore, for better resources such as a learning environment, connections, and industry resources, Silicon Valley, where Stanford is located, is undoubtedly the best choice.

The entrepreneurial climate there is different from the increasingly decaying Ohio—Silicon Valley is booming and about to accelerate into the fast lane.

Thus, to catch the first wave of the internet, Dean needed to go to Stanford.

Stanford’s transfer application is open twice a year, for spring and fall admission.

Spring applications are from October to November, with admission results announced in December, followed by enrollment in the spring of the following year.

Fall application is the main admission period, typically from February to mid-March, with results announced in May or June, and enrollment begins in September.

Considering Dean’s current situation, there is no doubt that the fall intake is most suitable for him. It is already the end of January, and in just over a week, he can apply to Stanford.

Of course, transferring is not just about submitting an application and then waiting for acceptance. After applying, he would need to prepare a lot of documentation.

Application forms, teaching syllabi, and course descriptions, completing assigned works for recommendation letters from professors, a personal resume, maintaining a high GPA, and submitting transcripts.

A part of this work would require the assistance of Dean’s professors; therefore, to not delay his transfer application, Dean had already written a letter to Professor Miller a week ago.

He is the teacher for Dean’s major course, and if all goes well, he should be the one writing the first recommendation letter.

Just entering the campus, Dean ran into Professor Miller, which was somewhat unexpected.

"Professor Miller, I’m also very happy to see you on the first day back to school."

"You seem in good spirits, so everything is okay now?"

Miller, smiling, extended his hand indicating Dean to stand for a moment under the porch next to the administrative building, where it was too cold. Every time the cold wind whomped over his shiny bald head, Miller wondered if he would catch a cold tomorrow.

"Yeah," Dean shrugged, "as you can see, everything is going well. My father has also gone back home."

"Good," Miller nodded contentedly, not wanting to see a genius student become disheartened.

Now that Dean was back at school, and things at home had a good outcome, all of this made Professor Miller feel more at ease.

"You mentioned wanting to transfer to Stanford in the letter?" Miller walked slowly away from the administrative building with Dean, books in hand, through the snow-covered garden.

"Yes, after a semester of consideration, I’ve found that I have a greater interest in computer technology. So, I think Stanford might be a more suitable place for me. Of course, this isn’t to say that your class isn’t attractive, it’s just that I..."

"OK, OK," Miller pressed down with his hand, signaling him to relax. "I know you’re a kid with your own ideas, and you’ve always been working towards them. That’s good, isn’t it?"

Miller’s tolerance and encouragement kindled warmth in Dean’s heart, "Yes, I really enjoy them."

"That’s enough," Miller spread his hands and affirmed, "Dean, everyone has the right to pursue advancement. When you told me you were preparing to transfer to Stanford, I even felt a hint of pride.

My student has entered one of America’s top academic institutions with impeccable grades and conduct, and this is also an affirmation for me as a teacher. I believe any competent professor would encourage their students to take the opportunity to attend a better school whenever possible. Don’t hesitate or doubt yourself."

Dean didn’t know if all American professors were like Miller, but at least in this moment, he felt fortunate to have such a professor.

"Professor Miller, your encouragement has made me even more determined in my decision. As for the recommendation letter for transferring, I might need to trouble you with that later." Now that the topic had been broached, Dean didn’t beat around the bush and immediately invited Miller to write him a recommendation letter.

"That’s not a problem at all," Miller readily agreed, "By the way, regarding the transfer, your GPA is already enough, and may even become a highlight.

However, to impress the admissions office at Stanford with a piece of work, you’ll need to plan well."

"Do you have any advice on this, professor?" Although Dean had his own ideas, he also wanted to hear Miller’s expert advice.

"After I received your letter, I started paying attention to all the research projects at the school recently. Just so happens..." Miller pulled out a document from the book he was holding and handed it to him, "The One Cleveland development project, initiated by Case Western Reserve University, is a computer collaboration initiative aimed at connecting all of the nonprofit organizations in the northeast of Ohio and enabling large-scale collaboration among them through broadband networking.

Cleveland State University is one of the members, and our assigned task is to develop an instant messaging tool for the system to facilitate faster and more efficient communication between organizations.

I thought it might suit you, so I recommended your name to Mr. Clark. If you’re interested, you can go to the office to talk to him about it and make a decision as soon as possible. You know, the time to transfer is actually very tight; you need to sort everything out by May."

Honestly, Dean had only asked casually, not expecting Professor Miller to have actually prepared a research topic for him.

Collaboration software? Instant messaging tools? Dean did have some experience in this area, having developed DCAP for the Youngstown Court, which was also a form of collaboration software, albeit on a much smaller scale.

But this time the task was instant messaging tools, which, although challenging, should be within the scope of Dean’s abilities since the work was within a system and not meant for the public.

"Professor Miller, you are an upright, caring, and responsible professor; the college should offer you a permanent position," Dean said, tucking away the document and smoothly delivering a compliment.

"Haha, Dean, perhaps in two months, my wish will be granted," Miller, in high spirits, told Dean about the news of his upcoming promotion.

Once Miller was rated as a full professor, it meant that he would have secured America’s "iron rice bowl." Apart from criminal offenses or academic misconduct, he could keep this job until he retired.

In America, the average annual salary of a full professor is around $90,000, which does not include additional income such as research funding and consulting services.

Now, the median annual salary of Americans is just under $20,000; without a doubt, the profession of professor is a true elite position in society.

"Congratulations, Professor Miller, you deserve it," Dean also offered a word of congratulations.

"Come on, Dean, next target Stanford!" Professor Miller, with a smile, waved his fist at him and then left the campus with his books in tow.

Giving the document in his hand a glance, Dean shrugged. Alright, another task to handle.

But for the admission notice from Stanford, all this work is worth it.

A gust of cold wind howled past, making the papers in his hand flutter noisily. Dean involuntarily shivered; damn, Cleveland is colder than Youngstown.

Though classes had started, not many students were seen walking around Cleveland State University’s campus. Dean guessed most of them were hiding in their dorms; with such dreadful weather, the attraction of the opposite sex plummeted.

Tightening the straps of his backpack, Dean continued heading eastward on campus. The dormitory near Fenn Tower was still a distance away, and as one of the oldest buildings in the school, it looked somewhat run-down from the outside despite several renovations.

Finally reaching his apartment building after braving the cold wind, Dean let out a sigh of relief. Arriving at his floor, before he could even enter, he heard the deafening music.

Dean pushed open the door; his roommate Simon, with his bare chest and a Viking helmet on, was dancing wildly.

"WTF?"

"Hey, Dean! Come on, let’s get lit~" Simon, fully hirsute, excitedly invited him to join the fun once he saw that it was Dean at the door.