<p>Which major is harder overall?</p>
<p>Also, how is Columbia SEAS in these majors? Is it worth going there over Berkeley?</p>
<p>I think Zacker’s right; depending on your strengths, difficulty will vary.</p>
<p>I’ve heard, though, that it’s better to not do BME and to instead do a degree that has more general applicability, such as ME, ChemE, or EE. Most professionals in the BioE field today don’t actually have a BME degree; they have a traditional engineering degree, which they built upon as needed. Personally, I’m planning to do either ChemE or EE as a major and BME as a minor, and then probably get an MS in BME.</p>
<p>Columbia SEAS is definitely nothing special in engineering. Berkeley is >>>> Columbia SEAS in terms of program strength. However, Berkeley has its own issues that make undergrad life sometimes suck, such as impacting, which restricts major-switching. It also depends on what you want to do with your engineering degree. If you’re set on doing actual engineering, Berkeley will be better. If you’re thinking of finance, perhaps Columbia will help you more.</p>
<p>Berkeley’s programs in both fields are definitely stronger. However, if you’re out of state, the decision becomes more difficult.</p>
<p>Speaking as a Berkeley engineer, it’s no secret that classes can be difficult to get into, the curves are brutal, and it’s tough to get personal attention from professors (although this all changes when you hit upper division classes…if you survive until them).</p>
<p>As for program difficulty, here at least, bioE is much more difficult, not because the material is more complex, but because the people in your classes are more competitive. It’s a very popular premed major, so your peers will be putting a lot of effort into their studies in order to get their 3.7+ gpa.</p>