Transferring OUT of Vanderbilt?

Transfer Students
1

Hey Guys,
I’m a first-year here at Vanderbilt and have been contemplating whether or not transferring is the best option for me. I came in undecided, taking a broad range of core classes my first semester to try and pin down a major. Interestingly enough, I became captivated by astronomy and have since taken up both an astrophysics and an astronomy research position. This spring semester I am also taking two more astronomy classes and continuing research for actual credit. The dilemma is that I realized late this fall that Vanderbilt unfortunately only offers a minor in the subject. Despite such a short amount of time, I feel passionate about the field and desire to study the subject further, although by the end of the year, I will be a single class away from the minor. I briefly looked into transferring universities, and decided that I would have no problems leaving Vanderbilt, if I could still have the strong academics elsewhere. My fear is that I will not get in anywhere because the admissions officers will see my reason, specifically my essay, as unbelievable and hokey, due to the fact that my interest sparked from a single course freshman year. Would I be better off waiting to apply as a sophomore to look more convincing and accomplished? I was only looking to transfer to academically rigorous schools that offer a degree in astronomy, which included Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard, Columbia, and UChicago. So if I decide to go this route, is there any way to make my reason solid and believable, or would I be better off with a stronger background and an actual minor as a sophomore?

Here are some additional details for reference:
College GPA: 3.87
HS GPA: 3.94
ACT: 33
SAT II: 710,700

Extracurriculars:
Astronomy Research Assistant
Astrophysics Researcher
Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science: team leader
(Adding Pulsar Collaboratory work next semester)
Tour Guide Position
Symphonic Choir in the School of Music

HS Prominent ECs
Extremely rare Boy Scout merit badge achievement
Eagle Scout
Barista

College Academic Honors
College of Arts and Science Honors Program (Very Selective)
Dean’s List

Thank you for any advice!

2

Hi there! Kudos to you on your desire for astronomy, first of all. Perhaps the seed was in you this entire time, a sort of back of the mind wonder that was only brought to the spotlight after an engaging class. I personally don’t see anything wrong with that as a reason to transfer.

Bear in mind that if you do want to major in astronomy, you’ll need to have a PhD ideally to be competitive or if you want to go into academia. It’s an amazing field, and the beauty of it lies in the unknown. The more you learn about the cosmos, the more you realize how little you know.

Funny seeing UChicago on your list. Paying tribute to Mr. Sagan’s alma mater eh? :wink: Good luck!