I want to start the transfer application process as soon as possible so I want to start my personal statement (reasons for transferring essay). Right now, I plan to major in economics. The college I’m about to attend has a solid economics program however i want to transfer because:
-there aren’t enough e.cs on campus that are economics-related (only ONE activity!) which makes it hard for me to have practical experience in my major
-My current college is pretty well ranked in accounting, finance, taxation studies, etc, but not very reputable or high-ranking in economics so I want to transfer to a college with a stronger economics department.
My question is are the two reasons I listed above valid or compelling reasons for transferring? If no, can you please recommend other valid reasons I should write about that is most appropriate to my circumstances. I know colleges don’t want applicants who are simply looking for prestige, but I feel that the school setting and its opportunities/resources doesn’t support or complement the economics program.
If you really dislike this college so much, why don’t you just take a gap year and apply to a new list of places for fall 2018. Don’t start anywhere that you wouldn’t be happy to finish at.
From your post, it reads as though you have (personal? prestige?) reasons for transferring and are looking for explanations that are more “valid”. If money is no object that is one thing, but if you are looking for financial aid the advice to take a gap year is a good one: first years get lots more finaid than transfers.
And, in case you decide to ignore the above, @TomSrOfBoston is right- actual work placements & internships are the way to get ‘practical experience’, not Econ ECs. That is part of what makes this look like an effort to find a fig leaf.
Most schools don’t really have EC’s dedicated towards economics. You are more likely to find business EC’s which are related to economics such as investment clubs, finance clubs, etc. Your reason for wanting a better economics program is valid, but you also have to explain and research why other programs are better. Is there a certain professor you want to study under? Do you want to conduct research? etc.
While everybody in this thread has provided great insight, I’d like to mention something crucial:
In your personal statement / essays, DO NOT explicitly state that you’d like to transfer to a specific institution due to ranking / prestige.
I suggest you research the Economics department at the school(s) you’re looking to apply to. Look for any interesting / unique opportunities they might offer. Look at their research. See if you can find average class sizes for your major curriculum.
You can also look at the bigger picture: what does (blank) University have that my institution doesn’t? Look at the school’s total undergraduate student body. Look at where the school is at (urban setting, suburban, or rural setting).
After you research each school, ask yourself; overall, are there any genuinely compelling opportunities at (blank) University?
I would actually avoid mentioning your first point because a lot of schools want to see you excel with the opportunities you have. So in your situation they would want you to go out and create student organizations related to econ yourself or to go and get valuable internships. They would look at you saying you have a lack of opportunities as a negative since opportunities can always be created if one is dedicated enough.
The second point should also not be mentioned as you want to stay away from talking about prestige/rankings. However, you could mention if a school has a more active on campus recruiting or some other major resource that your school doesn’t have. But even that would be a minor reason. You still have to brainstorm and look for some solid reasons.
Maybe not applicable to you but a common reasons is you want to study a field not taught at your school (ex. if you had a second interest other than econ and it was only taught at another school)