I’ve been a freshman in the US for about a week now and I’ve been thinking about changing my major to pre engineering. I’m interested in engineering and biochemistry so I thought of this route. And my questions are:
What are the pros of going for this option?
Will this affect my chances of employment?
As an international student, does anyone know the estimated financial aid I could receive as a transfer (to Columbia if I keep a GPA of 3.30)? Has anyone ever gone through with the pre engineering route?
Expect to receive no financial aid from the engineering university in any 3-2 program as an international student. If you cannot pay for the engineering university, you will a different plan.
Columbia University does give need-based financial aid to international students.
However, it does not promise to “meet need” for 3+2 transfer students like it does for frosh and other transfer students (i.e. financial aid may be worse for 3+2 transfer students than for others, or what the net price calculator estimates).
Columbia’s net price calculator would ordinarily be the best way to get a financial aid estimate, but because Columbia does not make the same promise for 3+2 transfer students as other students (whom the net price calculator is designed for), you should assume that financial aid as a 3+2 transfer student will be worse than estimated.
I know a few international students who applied to Columbia as 3-2 transfer students. None of them got any aid.
Hence, my advice to assume that you will receive no aid, period. If you get some, it’s a nice surprise. If you cannot attend without aid, I would make different plans.