Undergraduate / "There are no wrong turnings. Only paths we had not known we were meant to walk." CommonApp Transfer [5]

Hi there EssayForum! I'm currently a freshman at Parsons the New School of Design looking to transfer to a school like Vanderbilt, Emory or USC for computer science. A rather unique situation.

Please be harsh as possible (I'm used to critiques!) and let me know if I'm being too grandiose or general about things.

Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve. You can type directly into the box, or you can paste text from another source. (250-650 words)

Starting my college career at a prestigious art and design school such as Parsons the New School for Design has been an educational experience. I have had the opportunity to play and live in New York City, all the while learning new things outside of my comfort zone such as how to provide constructive effective feedback, draw the nude figure, illustrate things in a three dimensional perspective, and gain a greater appreciation of the arts and culture. Most important of all my discoveries however is that I've learned what I don't love. What I once thought was an amorous relationship with graphic design I've discovered only to be a passing entrepreneurial fancy. It's always been easy for me, as are most tech-related skills. But did I enjoy it? Or did I just want the money and respect I could acquire that my peers couldn't yet achieve? With the help of knowledgeable professors and creative, diverse classmates I've substantiated that graphic design is not something that I would enjoy doing for a sustained career. One of my favorite quotes is from Pixar President Ed Catmull who promotes in all aspects of life to try to "be wrong as fast as you can." Rather than stick out a BFA in a major I know I wouldn't be happy in, it's time to apply what I've learned about myself and refocus on a more appropriate goal.

The path I finally see clearly for myself involves my interest in how our world revolves around complex systems and computational algorithms. I've been attracted to these systems and this logical way of thinking for a long time. Before I even started using Photoshop in 8th grade, I was coding custom themes for my internet forum. When the iPod Touch was first "jailbroken" I put one on my christmas list (I had about 3 songs in my iTunes library, trust me, I didn't want it to play music) and made my own basic "tweak" in Objective-C. I joined the FIRST Robotics program freshman year and despite all the previous coding members leaving the club, taught myself a basic understanding of Java and successfully coded for my team's robot solely on my own. I want to turn computer science and its mathematical aspects into a career for myself. Instead of falling back on graphic design, a skill that has always come easy to me, I'm hungry for challenge and to achieve something satisfying and difficult. I want to be managing and making more efficient databases, creating new systems and programs, and using technology effectively to solve problems.

It's not all just because of past experiences or because I've "failed" in picking a major I'd like and I'm trying another, the fields are in fact extremely related. Computer science and graphic design are integrally tied together. Websites are boring and functional at best without a good graphic designer and software doesn't do anything but look nice if the programming isn't there. In my work as an independent graphic designer I realized I've more enjoyed the technical background of my websites and work rather than the superficial front-end beauty. This discovery has been a progression of discovery through my current field and not a random epiphany.

Quoting Guy Gavriel Kay from his great sci-fi novel Tigana, "There are no wrong turnings. Only paths we had not known we were meant to walk." I've tried the particular fork on my path of graphic design at an art school, and I've figured out it's not for me. This was not a mistake, but a learning experience on many levels. I have broadened my cultural horizons living in NYC and learned the value of discipline and stoicism. Most importantly, I have come to the realization of what I truly wish to study and pursue as a career, computer science.