3/2 program vs. transfer to school with Engineering

Transfer Students
1

<p>I just finished up my freshman year at Wake Forest University, however, I would like to enter the field of engineering, specifically chemical engineering (I went to Wake as a die hard pre-med, but I realized that I really enjoy problem solving, math, and chemistry and not so much health care). Wake Forest does not have an engineering program, so I am struggling to find the best way to go about this.</p>

<p>One option is to do Wake's 3/2 program with Vanderbilt where i go to wake for three years then to Vanderbilt for 2, and receive a BS in physics from Wake and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Vandy. This option obviously forces me to pay for 5 years of school. My family can afford this, but 4 years of private school tuition is preferable.</p>

<p>A second option would be to transfer to another school. I do not know a great deal about the transfer process, but I finished up this year with a 3.8, so I assume i would be a decently competitive transfer applicant. Now I would have to transfer AFTER my sophomore year as I am still enrolled at Wake. I know that the big problem here would be to finish the engineering requirements on time at whatever school I ended up at. This year I took Calc 1, Calc 2, gen chem 1, and orgo 1 (received a's in all) along with divisional requirements. Next year I plan to take Calc 3, gen chem 2, orgo 2, Gen physics 1, gen physics 2, 2 bio courses, and spanish. Will these courses allow for a smooth transition into an engineering program? I would prefer to graduate in 4 years.</p>

<p>Which option do you think would be best for me?</p>

2

<p>Pick up the phone. Call a couple of the engineering programs that you are looking at. Find out about their transfer admissions process. It might be best for you to take a leave of absence from Wake for next year, while you apply to engineering programs. That way you won’t be transferring after two years of college and facing three (or more) at the engineering program you gain admission to.</p>

<p>You also could look at grad programs in engineering. Some will admit non-engineers. A BS in Physics and MEng in Chem E that takes 6 years total might be more useful to you.</p>