<p>If a student was considering an engineering major but was undecided between Chemical or another engineering, would it be best to apply to LAS or engineering? How hard is it to switch either way?</p>
<p>Chemical engineering is in LAS as a result of a quirk in history -- about 100 years ago when chem E was added, the engineering college had no lab facilities for chem E, the chemistry department in LAS did and thus LAS got chem E. Nevertheless, despite being in LAS, Chem E is closely aligned with the college of engineering and is evaluated for admission using the same criteria that the engineering college uses; in other words, you need to have class rank and test scores that are within the range of the engineering college rather than the lower range for LAS (in fact, chem E tends to have a slighly higher middle 50% range than the usual overall middle 50% range for the college of engineering). Also, unlike other majors between the two colleges, when you want to transfer from chem E in LAS to another major in engineering or vice versa, you are evaluated for permission to do so on essentially the same basis as a student who is already in the engineering college and is attmepting to switch from one engineering major to another. Thus, when it comes to freshman admission or later transfer there is no real advantage or disadvantage to applying to Chem E rather than a major in the college engineering or vice versa.</p>
<p>Thank you!!!!!</p>
<p>Just to add another piece of history for those that may be considering something else. If you major in physics you will be awarded a BS by the LAS college. However, the engineering college actually has complete control over physics. The Department of Physics is in the College of Engineering (that college started the physics department back in 1873 before there was an LAS college, a form of which started shortly thereafter in the same year for the stated purpose to provide engineering and agricultural students with some courses in literature and arts) and thus the engineering college's admissions criteria and your ability to transfer to an engineering major apply in the same way to a physics majors. Moreover, the physics department has a specified engineering major called Engineering Physics for which you would be awarded a BS by the College of Engineering and it is considered one of the hardest engineering majors at UIUC.</p>
<p>Drusba - I just LOVE reading your replies; they are so informative. My husband got his MBA from Illinois, I got my teaching degree, and our oldest son is currently a freshman in Computer Science Engineering, however I still sign on to read your posts and get accurate information. Our next son will be applying fall of 2007 so I am very interested in reading everyone's posts and what kind of numbers it takes to get in as it seems to change each year. I sure hope you will still be on the these boards next fall! Thanks for all your info.</p>