<p>I took AP Chem last year and absolutely fell in love. I've done Chem Olympiad, and interned for a local professor where I worked with porous silicon on various projects.</p>
<p>Now is the type of chemistry I've been exposed to so far closer to chemical engineering or chemistry? I really cannot figure out a definitive distinction between the two. </p>
<p>I can't decide if I want to apply to Princeton or Harvard early. Harvard doesn't even have chemical engineering while Princeton's chemE is decent. I think figuring out which I want to major will help me along that line.</p>
<p>Also, if I still can't decide by the time I actually have to apply, is it wiser to apply as an engineering major, and switch out later if I choose to do so, or just apply as pure chemistry major? I've heard that putting engineering may make admissions tougher at some schools but also that it's much harder to switch into engineering than out of it.</p>
<p>Finally, I've been thinking about pre-med but haven't decided if I want to do it for sure. Would doing engineering undergrad while completing a pre-med track be foolish/unnecessary? Would it be better to go pure chemistry instead?</p>
<p>Thanks for the help, appreciate it</p>
<p>As long as the ChemE program at the school you are looking at is ABET accredited, it hardly matters what school you go to. ChemE curriculum for all ABET accredited programs is essentially the same with little differentiation. It does not have to be “prestigious”.</p>
<p>Chemistry is more actually discovering the properties of elements, reactions, how they interact etc. ChemE is more involved with stoichiometry, actually working with the substances to usually manufacture a product. (Think laundry detergent, glass cleaner, dishwashing liquid etc.). </p>
<p>Keep in mind a degree in ChemE will almost guarantee you a cozy job out of BS. They have among the highest starting salaries for all college majors. Chemistry is almost the opposite. Pay is fairly low for chemistry majors. If you want to do actual chemistry research you will need a PhD. For med school, do what you think you can handle. Engineering degrees are notoriously harder than others, so juggling that as well as the pre-med requirements may be too much for you to handle. But get a feel for it.</p>
<p>Yes, switching out of engineering to pure science is easier because engineers have to take their general engineering classes and thermodynamic stuff that pure science majors don’t contain. Switching from a pure science to engineering is difficult both technically and academically. It wouldn’t necessarily be foolish. Also keep in mind engineering degrees have significantly lower GPAs than other majors. Some admissions people at med schools may understand this, but overall the “showing” of a lower gpa could be unappealing. Biomedical engineers are among the highest those who score the best on the MCAT however.</p>
<p>I am sort of debating a similar thing as you. I like physics but I do not know if I want to pursue pure physics or some sort of engineering.</p>
<p>Are chemical and biomedical engineering majors radically different? Harvard doesn’t offer chemE but it does offer BioMedE, and on its website it says students may opt to take BioMedE as a pseudo-replacement for chemE. I really like Harvard overall as a school, and would pick it any day over MIT or Cal Tech, but if they don’t offer the major I wish to pursue I don’t have much of a choice</p>
<p>Biomedical engineering does not have as good career prospects as chemical engineering at graduation, according to some of the surveys:
<a href=“University Graduate Career Surveys - #69 by ucbalumnus - Career Opportunities & Internships - College Confidential Forums”>University Graduate Career Surveys - #69 by ucbalumnus - Career Opportunities & Internships - College Confidential Forums;
<p>Also, engineering GPAs are higher than science GPAs, according to <a href=“http://www.gradeinflation.com/tcr2010grading.pdf”>http://www.gradeinflation.com/tcr2010grading.pdf</a> . However, at many schools, the engineering division is impacted and subject to higher admission standards*, which may account for the higher GPAs.</p>
<p>*This does not appear to apply to some of the super-selective schools which have sufficient capacity in all majors to accommodate all students wishing to declare them, but you can ask the schools directly to be sure.</p>
<p>Biomedical engineering & chemical engineering are very different. They are both engineering, but a vastly different field. For one, as ucbalumnus said they have less bright career prospects at graduation. Most practicing BM engineers need a Master’s. Chemical engineering is a different case. They are completely different from each other and tackle different issues. There is little overlap but bm really focuses on the, unsurprisingly, “biomedical” aspect.</p>
<p>Biomedical Engineering is typically a good major for someone who is able to pay/willing to proceed with the Master’s, also a good way to prepare for med school. They have some of the highest average MCAT scores.</p>
<p><a href=“http://medschoolodyssey.files.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2010/03/composite.png?w=468”>http://medschoolodyssey.files.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2010/03/composite.png?w=468</a></p>
<p>keep in mind of course simply majoring in BME will not give an automatically high mcat score but I’ve noticed they seem to prepare people better for the test than others, if you are considering medical school as an option. What really interests you should be prime if you want to take that route, not the highest scores of course. If you feel you will regret having done chemistry later in life, then do it by all means.</p>
<p>What exactly is making you unsure about which one you want to do? Is it the career prospects, difficulty?</p>
