<p>My son is interested in biomedical engineering, and has a sudden interest in Northwestern. I would like to know if a freshman is admitted directly into his engineering program of choice, or into the engineering college at large, from which he applies to BME, ChE, etc?</p>
<p>I suspect there is weeding out at Northwestern but am not certain.</p>
<p>Thank!</p>
<p>NU admits students into the engineering school at large. Engineering students declare their majors during their sophomore year. </p>
<p>There’s no weeding out (not that I know of).</p>
<p>I was in the biomedical engineering program a while ago (20+ years…) I do remember having quite a few pre-med students in the program. So, while the engineering school is not trying to weed out the students, there is a lot of competition in the early classes.</p>
<p>If you don’t mind, what did you think of the programming and why choose biomedical engineering? (I’m going to be one of those pre-med types but still I’m curious)</p>
<p>Amos, I know you’re asking this of MImama but I’ll answer from my son’s perspective. He’s interested in BME with POSSIBLE pre-med declaration on the theory that BME on its own is an employable undergrad degree (ie, back up plan) while biology, for example, wouldn’t be. Many pre meds don’t think this makes sense, however, as you’re taking a pretty tough program and your grades may suffer making entry to med school harder. I think it makes sense for my son because his interest seems to be stronger for engineering than for medicine.</p>
<p>As for my original question, it sounds like you DECLARE BME but don’t APPLY to get into BME. In some schools you need to apply to your program and sort of float around for another semester to try again. Not too cool, IMO.</p>
<p>Amos, I chose biomedical engineering because I loved both biology and math, and I was hoping to get into either cancer research or some technical innovations for handicapped people. But I ended up overwhelmed by the intensity of some of the classes (came from a very small high school with no AP,etc.) and I really did not want to take Orgo! Also, it seemed like I would need some grad school to become employable, and I was not ready to take on any more loans. So, I stuck with engineering, but moved into Electrical eventually. I’m sure the program has changed since I was in it, but I do remember a freshman BME class that was excellent! It taught us all the different opportunities in the field. Good luck with your decision.</p>
<p>beastman and Amos Van Hilt,</p>
<p>If you browse the engineering website long enough, you’ll probably notice Northwestern’s engineering puts more emphasis on creatitivty and design than most other engineering schools. The first year curriculum is VERY different (Engineering First). You won’t easily find another school that has invested so much in the undergrad programs. Also, Northwestern has a tradition of cross-discipline collaboration. Faculty across different departments and schools are encouraged to work together. It’s part of the culture. It’s no coincidence that NU pioneered interdisciplinary programs like material science (first in the world), biomedical engineering (one of the earliest), MMSS & ISP (both were found in the 1970s and still unique until this day). The emphasis on teamwork in MBA programs actually started at Kellogg.</p>