A Diffciult decision on Bioengineering in UCSD....please help!

<p>Hi everyone!</p>

<p>I was admitted to both UCSD (Undeclared) and UCD (Biochemical Engineering).
I received a mail from UCSD informing me that for students who applied to those impacted majors (I applied to Bioengineering: biotech), a separate mail would be sent after further screening is done.
Well, today I received the mail from the Jacobs School of Engineering, telling me that they put me to undeclared. </p>

<p>Now I have to make a decision. I'm really passionate about bioengineering and intended to pursue it as a future career. Should I go to UCD so I can take the biochem engineering major (actually I'm not sure is there a huge difference between biochemE and bioE), or should I choose another engineering major in UCSD? I know Bioengineering: Bioinformatics is not an impacted major, should I choose it as an alternative for biotech (Is it even possible for me to choose it)? I'm not sure am I interested it or not, since I'm not those "computer science" type person.</p>

<p>I hope you guys can give me so advice, I'm really lost now...</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>From the general catalog:</p>

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<p>Bioengineering: Bioinformatics has been recently developed, and there is a multistep process into this major for students entering UCSD as freshmen. First, high school students should apply to UCSD for direct admission into the Bioengineering, Bioengineering: Biotechnology, or Pre-Bioengineering: Premedical major. Those admitted should then complete the freshman courses, prescribed in the preceding table for the Bioengineering: Bioinformatics major. After completing BILD 1, Chem. 6A, Math. 20B, and Math. 20C during the freshman year, such students can apply to Pre-Bioengineering: Bioinformatics. Admission will be based primarily on the GPA in the four preceding courses, but also on a written statement, completion of the other listed requirements, and overall academic excellence. Students approved for Pre-Bioengineering: Bioinformatics should then continue with the sophomore courses, prescribed in the preceding table, including CSE 11 and 12 which serve as two additional screening courses. By the end of the sophomore year, these students can then apply to major in Bioengineering: Bioinformatics. Admission to the Bioengineering: Bioinformatics major will be based on the GPA in all six screening courses. The final decision on admission to the pre-major and major will be made by the Bioinformatics Steering Committee, in consultation with the departments. Those students who are not selected for the Bioengineering: Bioinformatics major, will be eligible to remain in the Department of Bioengineering in the status in which they were originally admitted.</p>

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<p>So, the take-home point being, just because bioinformatics is not "impacted" for freshman admissions doesn't mean that it's easier to get into than biotech - it's actually much harder.</p>

<p>Having said that, I feel the same way about BioE as you do, so I can understand how difficult of a decision this is. I think you might want to find out (maybe by asking in the Davis forum?) how similar their biochemical engineering program would be to a biomedical engineering program (which is effectively what UCSD's BioE program is).</p>

<p>Thanks for the response</p>

<p>It seems I missed this paragraph while i was reading the catalog.
When I first filled in my UC application, I put both my major and alternative major as impacted major. Later on I sent an e-mail to the admission department and asked could I change my alt. major. They said yes, so I changed it to bioinformatics. I'm not exactly sure is there such a choice in the application, but if that's what the catalog said, then I guess there's no chance then.</p>

<p>Yeah i think I'll ask in the Davis forum...anyway thanks for the help!</p>

<p>Of course other advices are still welcome...!</p>