Which is the More Compelling Case?

sapphirem93
Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:05:43 +0000

Hi, guys. I’d be very grateful for some quick and serious advice. Last July, I began a severely limiting, rigid English program in India; now I’m applying to some incredulously selective American colleges - Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, and Amherst - as a transfer student. I’ve always loved English, but being given no options whatsoever in as liberal a subject as literature is really frustrating me, as is the lack of emphasis on writing, my main interest within the discipline. I’m so deeply unhappy with the system here that I’m questioning the point of an English degree for me. I feel like I should switch over to environmental studies instead, while indulging my literary passions according to my own liking outside the scholarly sphere.
I’m really confused about what I should tell the admissions officers. What would make for a more compelling case for transfer into sophomore year: my discovering that I only want to minor in English, specializing in a new area, environmental studies, for which I have no relevant coursework (thanks to the narrow scope of my current program), or me wanting to continue focusing on English in a much freer, interdisciplinary context, while pursuing an environmental minor?
I’d really appreciate your opinions. I’ve been trying to figure this out for a while; it’s driving me nuts! Thanks a lot!

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