Chemical Engineering Difficulty, Salary and Jobs Prospects?

<p>How hard is it to maintain close to a 4.0gpa in college for a chemical engineering major. I'm really good in chemistry and math, haven't taken physics in a long time. Reason I'm asking this is that if I don't get into medical school I'm going to need a backup, and I hope chemical engineering won't be too much of a hindrance to my gpa. Is this a good major for medical school? Also If I do end up becoming a chemical engineer how is the job prospects and pay? I'm currently a senior in high school. And can you also tell me what exactly IS chemical engineering? Do I apply any sort of chemistry, Do I use a lot of math? How are the chemical engineering classes?</p>

<p>It is not an easy major to aim for a 4.0 GPA.</p>

<p>Yeah I know. In fact any major would be hard to get a 4.0 GPA. But my question asks “close” to a 4.0, so I’m guessing is a 3.8 3.9 gpa possible?</p>

<p>You have to be one of the best students in your department to have anything close to 3.7 in a reasonably competitive engineering school since engineering classes usually get graded on a curve. If there is a school out there where ChemE graduating median is 3.6, then you have a good shot at 3.9 without being in the top 10% of the class.</p>

<p>So check with the colleges you are applying to.</p>

<p>3.8+ is probably only going to be in the realm of 5-8% of the class or so. Not impossible, more than 5% of your classmates will do it, but not easy either. It will require both that you are at least fairly smart and work very hard. </p>

<p>Chemical engineering is one of, if not THE, hardest undergraduate majors. You will not get a 4.0. Period. In my program at University of Florida, the best and brightest students (the ones with Exxon, BP, and Chevron internships and jobs) have around 3.7 GPAs. You can definitely gain acceptance to med-school with these grades and an impressive resume.</p>

<p>It actually depends on whether you will do research or design/operations/field work. Research tends to be more theoretical and requries an MS/Ph.D. Design/operations requires good understanding of the basics + lots (and lots) of experience. In the field, particularly in design/startup , employers will top dollar for those that are able and experienced enough to deliver complex technical solutions on time and on budget, often in difficult climates. This usually requires solid experience as well as good mechanical/technical aptitude to interface with other disciplines to deliver functional solutions. </p>

<p>The chemical engineering degree is a condition of employment yes but it is maybe one third of the ticket. The other bits are professional training and development (usually from large employers with the budgets) and plenty of experience. The importance of this cannot be understated. </p>