Sophmore wanting to transfer into Vanderbilt! What are my chances?

Hi everyone, I am currently a freshmen student in a top 12 LAC. However, I wish to transfer out. Here are my stats:

College GPA: 4.0/Top 4%
Credits: I will have completed 32 credits by the end of this year.

High Schol GPA: 4.4/Top 5%. I have a great upward trend from 10th grade on
ACT: 35,35,34,35/35 Composite
APs: 11 AP classes in HS/Mostly 4s and 5s

College Extracurriculars (my weakest point I feel)
Worked as a tutor/admissions assistant for high school students

HS Extracurriculars
Job (biggest EC)
Athletics
Clubs, etc.

Recommendations
I think that both my recommendations should be decent.

And finally, here are the schools I want to transfer into:

University of Virginia (Top choice + in-state)
Vanderbilt University (Co-top choice)
Emory University
Virginia Tech
Georgetown
University of Notre Dame
Cornell University

Thank you so much for reading this; I really appreciate your input!

@openr215s2
Why do you want to transfer?

Many reasons. Vanderbilt has the major that I want; it has more resources, and I feel that it is much better ‘fit’ for me overall. I apologize if I am being too vague.

@openr215s2 : I assume you have a great chance as VU has decent transfer in rate along with many on that list, but do the others offer your major and are they a better “fit” too (or are you, outside of the Virginia schools which are accessible, looking for close matches to UVA like VU, but larger, better resourced, and still prestigious? If so, I feel the last component could be sacrificed for a better fit as many less prestigious schools are still great and offer tons of resources, likely more than even prestigious LACs)? Virginia and VU are like siblings of a different size, and the others strike me as a little different. Cornell is large, and it and Notre Dame offer lots of explicitly pre-professional majors (if that is the type of major you are looking for that the LAC lacks) so maybe those have similarities with the first two. But most of the others strike me as different socially and academically. You sure you want to apply to all of them?

To me, Emory appears to be the oddball. And as an alum, I like promoting it to folks who I think will fit, but can say that it seems different from the others (perhaps just as good academically, but definitely different and maybe not as good FOR YOU). Unless there is a compelling reason, why not replace with somewhere else with your major, but is more similar in social culture to the others (maybe some other Division 1 school. Does Chapel Hill not have the major? Maybe that, Maryland, somewhere). It is just transfer admissions, so I’m just gonna be honest instead of overly boosting or trying to bring more apps to my alma mater (this is rare on CC, trust me lol) no matter what.

Bernie12, I’m still deciding between UNC and Emory. Based on what you said, I think maybe UNC might be a better fit for me. I’ll have to do some more research

well, Bernie, I will take on supporting your undergrad alma mater Emory and Vandy as similar in this respect: class size and intimacy plus access to full professors. Classes can be very large at UVA, although UVA is very personal and cozy for a state flagship. Secondly, the host cities of Atlanta and of Nashville are somewhat similar in terms of Emory and Vandy campuses being handsome and traditional campuses set in vibrant cities with many institutions off campus serving as big draws for sports and culture, too. Both schools have a lot of pre-professional students plus lots of fine art on campus. My sons did grad schools at Emory. Emory and Vandy are both beloved by their host cities which is always a nice plus. good luck to the OP as this gets sorted out.

@Faline2 : Yeah, but what if they want a major in Peabody or something (that is what I meant about explicitly pre-professional majors, as it seems clear this OP isn’t talking about business or nursing)? Unless psychology or public policy (and this one depends as Emory’s new public policy major is hosted in the institute of quantitative science, so if one wants to avoid math, Emory ain’t the school. Any QTM area is for very serious students not afraid of upper division math and using CS concepts to analyze data. It isn’t just learning about it from a purely political science/theory perspective with little to no math). The personality of VU and Emory are very different IMHO. VU and Virginia are much closer (more social/an extrovert’s dream, “stereotypical” college life. Emory has a clear cerebral, somewhat academic, as well as cosmopolitan bias that clicks for a lot of people, but does nothing for quite a few). Also it could be possible that they could be in a major where the class size drops off dramatically during sophomore year at Virginia so that it is comparable to the other schools. If I would have seen WUSTL, Dartmouth, Tufts, or Brown on their list, then Emory would not stand out as much.

@openr215s2 : I suppose I would need to know what you are looking for major, oppurtunity, and social wise (you need not compare to your current school).

@Faline2 It seems those who want the social feel a campus gets from the big sports and powerful Greek life thing (Emory has many who subscribe to it, but I feel it is less exclusive and less “powerful” on campus) running together at times will feel that something is missing at Emory. This is why I always say approach it with care. Those who are more academic leaning and are coming or transfer in because a major exists AND is done really well, I have seen those really love their decision to transfer whether it be from another prestigious school or a less prestigious one. I have two good acquaintances who transferred for religion and English, and they loved it and got great training and mentoring and integrated nicely into the social/intellectual scene of the school and this is especially if they are from a less prestigious schools. Most of these students knew it would be more challenging, and embraced and enjoyed that aspect. However, I imagine a student largely interested in a change in social scene and simply having a major may take less time to appreciate the academics and if they feel they are being more challenged in such a setting and not getting the social vibe they expected, they may regret the decision because they feel like they entered a “grind”. I just figure it isn’t the place to come to simply because it “has my major” and is “well-resourced”. It needs to be more like: “I want to come here because it is done really well and I do not mind almost completely immersing myself in that and whatever career aspirations I have”. That is what I have seen most successful and happy Emory transfers do. They were not really there for a “traditional” social scene.

When I see people shift from an LAC looking for something different, I am usually more inclined to vote for places like Vanderbilt as well as some amazing public schools.

Really good shot I’d say. Transfer admissions (at least for Vanderbilt) seems to be a lot more academically than extracurricularly focused (relative to undergrad admissions) so your 4.0 at a strong school + good high school stats set you up nicely. I’d honestly be surprised if you weren’t admitted.

If you’re on the hunt for prestige, you could probably add some of the other ivies that take a fair number of transfers (columbia + penn + brown) although that isn’t taking fit/interests into account at all.

I would definitely follow the money if you get more than one offer at a school with a bigger pond such as the schools you have mentioned so far OP. No school will have it all and every transfer student will have to work hard to carve out a niche. When in doubt there is also junior year abroad for schedules that allow. Lots of juniors are sort of thinking ahead and moving on mentally. Avoid undergrad debt.