Which is better choice for pre-med student, Biomed Eng or Chem Eng ? My son is good at Math and Science subjects ( AP 5 in Calc BC, Chem, Bio, Physics) but confused over which engineering major to take. How difficult is to maintain good GPA in Biomed and Chem engineering ? We are thinking about engineering because of the impression that pure science major like Bio or Biochem may not provide good job outside of academics, if Med-school doesn’t get work out.
Hello!
Your son may want to reach out to the Swanson School’s Engineering Ambassadors to get a current student perspective on the programs that interest him: http://www.engineering.pitt.edu/ambassadors/
Best,
A Pitt Admissions Staffer
I think all Pitt engineering students take the same classes in the first year, except for electives.
So they have a bit of time to decide which engineering specialty to choose.
Engineering gpa is tough - I believe yr 1 avg gpa is around 2.8-2.9. My dd who was a hard working student, very focussed has a 3.8 gpa in her sr bioE yr. My ds who graduated Pitt in 2015, and was one of those who coasted thru HS and hit trouble with the demands of chemE…graduated w a 3.2. If someone is premed, focused on maintaining gpa, bioE is seen as the most intense, and majoring in something outside of engineering would be the more possible to achieve a 4.0.
And the GPA for retaining merit scholarship is 3.0