<p>Hey everyone, I'm currently a sophomore at Brown and during my time here, I just found that Brown isn't as great a fit as I originally thought. I came in as pre-med, for which Brown has an amazing program, and have since changed over to economics. The problem I have here is that Brown's economics department isn't really the best, compared to many of their science programs, not to mention the fact that I just don't feel at home here anymore. My main question and the purpose of this post is that I was wondering if I would be successful in transferring to Stanford from an Ivy League school. I've thought this over for a long time and am just looking for some feedback. Any help is much appreciated.</p>
<p>If you truly want to transfer to Stanford…then apply…but, it will be extremely difficult getting in…</p>
<p>…looking at their historical and recent trends in transfer acceptances…Stanford seeks out those applicants that have followed an “outside the box” route to Stanford…like those from the community colleges who have exhausted all the possible resources available at their institutions…those from the military services (not West Point, Naval Academy, or Air Force Academy) like ex-Navy Seals, Air-borne rangers, etc…and those who may have taken some time off from college…who may have worked out of high school to start a business or help out a struggling family…</p>
<p>…they WANT to give a second chance to those who really seem like they can best benefit from a Stanford education…and those who can provide a different enlightening perspective on life to those around them…so that both the institution and the student can benefit and grow together…</p>
<p>…in many ways…Stanford looks for more mature individuals/students who may have taken a less than traditional path…who have even more focus on what they want to accomplish while at Stanford and how they will effect change in the world once they leave Stanford…</p>
<p>Hope this helps…good luck!</p>
<p>Let me play back to you what you said, in the way I heard it:</p>
<p>I have spent about nine months at Brown, and I decided a few months ago, maybe less, to change my interests from “pre-med” (not an academic field) to economics. I know practically nothing about economics, and have barely taken any economics courses at Brown, but I already know I am too smart for the economics department here, and anyway I just don’t feel as comfortable here as I did the first few months of my freshman year. So that’s why I deserve one of the dozen or so (maybe) available transfer slots at Stanford that aren’t earmarked for athletic recruits.</p>
<p>Guess what? You need a better story than that. I doubt you have a better story than that, though.</p>
<p>Some reality: It is highly unlikely that, as an undergraduate, you are going to exhaust the ability of the Brown economics faculty to teach you. Brown’s faculty may not be as highly ranked as Stanford’s, but you are in no position to be able to tell the difference, and for what you need to learn over the next few years there is no practical difference. If you are serious about economics, you need to be taking math courses, anyway.</p>
<p>The students at Brown aren’t dumber than the students at Stanford. Economics is one of the most popular majors both places. It’s not like you are going to lack peers at Brown.</p>
<p>Brown doesn’t have to feel like home for you to learn and to succeed there. In any event, if you stay at Brown it will, eventually, feel like home.</p>
<p>Go ahead and apply to transfer to Stanford, but your chances of success are minimal unless you are such a dazzling student that anyone would want a piece of you. Your energies would be much better spent adapting yourself to take advantage of what Brown has to offer.</p>
<p>If you really don’t like Brown, you will certainly be able to transfer to some other college–but it probably won’t be Stanford. Unless you’re looking at a broader range of colleges, forget it.</p>
<p>the OP says: “The problem I have here is that Brown’s economics department isn’t really the best…”</p>
<p>What the heck are you talking about? Brown’s PhD Economics program is in the top 20 in the country… but at the undergraduate level, there is virtually no difference in the quality of education among the top 50 university and liberal arts college programs. By your logic, Amherst and Williams must suck because their economics programs are unranked. Trust me, you are not above Brown’s economics program, and you will definitely be challenged and surrounded by your intellectual peers. </p>
<p>In any case, unless you have a very high, near 4.0 GPA at Brown, you are not getting into Stanford.</p>