<p>Okay so I am applying to UPenn, but I can't decide between CAS or SEAS as I am torn between wanting to major in biomedical engineering and a biology major (I want to be pre-med). </p>
<p>Which is a better idea for being undecided between the two majors?</p>
<p>Which school is easiest to get into? (Not the main factor in my decision, but it'd still be nice to know so please no criticism for the question)</p>
<p>The biggest difference, academically, between these majors is math.</p>
<p>If your a basic biology major looking to go to med school its unlikely you need any math beyond calc 2 because quite frankly in medical school, and day to day work as a physician or surgeon, those skill are superfluous. unless you plan on doing heavily quantitative research, in a field like bioinformatics for example, more math could be considered a waste of time.</p>
<p>but if you want to go into biomedical engineering its a fair more work. be prepared to do Fourier transformations in your sleep and get real friendly with your calculator. </p>
<p>Personally I like either major. But unless your going into a medical field where serious mechanical skills could be useful such as orthopedic surgery (I know a couple of bio engineers who went into orthopedics and made some considerable money designing prosthetic) or a field where wave form analysis would be frequent (i.e. medical cardiology or neurology) I don’t think the engineering aspect would be necessary. </p>
<p>But hey, you might end up loving it. Have fun and explore, that’s what college is for. Just be aware of the academic differences and the need for different skill sets.</p>
<p>*I forgot radiology. An engineering background would be very helpful in radiology</p>
<p>A biomedical engineering degree doesn’t really become too useful till at least Masters mostly because biomedical subjects are quite broad. I’m not too sure about biology majors so they might be better or worse.</p>
<p>I would say go to CAS mostly because both of your interests intersect in the science department. And you can take classes at SEAS to fulfill requirements or electives, so you wouldn’t be missing much. </p>
<p>Also, you may want to research if you could go from a bio bachelors degree to a biomedical engineering masters degree or vice versa. :)</p>
<p>EDIT.
Premed is basically 10 courses that probably overlap bio and biomedical engineering classes. So they are both fine :)</p>
<p>Thanks a ton magnonymous and kurobear.</p>
<p>I was considering BME because I also have an interest in engineering.
Anyone know which school is easier to get into?</p>
<p>It really depends on the nuances of your application. Generally speaking the engineering school has a higher acceptance rate but most applicants have stronger resumes with regard to test scores gpa mathematics background (AP calc BC) and research projects ect.</p>
<p>While CAS has a lower overall acceptance rate the applicants are still extraordinary, but much more diverse in their backgrounds. Of course everyone and their cousin want to get into med so its highly competitive. Not only that but penn dosent have a specific pre med major but rather a “track” with a few core courses as kurobear mentioned so you have a bit more flexibility in the college as far as majors, although Biological Basis of Human Behavior is probably one of thr more popular pre med majors. </p>
<p>Either way admissions is extremely competitive and the ADCOM is used to evaluating pre med kids. So when deciding what school to apply to and what major to declare on your application make sure to play to your academic and EC strengths to optimize your chances for either school.</p>