Hello guys, I am currently trying to decide which major I should apply.
My SAT aren’t outstanding enough for engineering(2220), so I am trying to figure out the “weakest” major in engineering.
From the Berkeley website,
ElecE admitted 1228. The largest body in engineering, but ranked 3rd, extremely high.
In the other hand, Bioengineering is ranked 9th, but admitted only 327.
So, my question is, if I am aiming for a admission to engineering, no matter what major I am admitted to, what would be the “lowest” major I can shoot for? ElecE or BioE
1228 and 327 represented the total undergraduate enrollment (freshman through senior) for EECS and Bioengineering respectively. So based on these info, you can’t really tell which one is easier to get in.
Berkeley doesn’t reveal much in the way of statistics; all I know is:
overall admit rate: 16.9%
engineering admit rate: 8.6%
and Berkeley engineering says the hardest majors to get into are EECS, BioEngineering, and Undeclared Engineering.
Back in 2005 Berkeley reported that Nuclear, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering were the easiest engineering majors to get into. I don’t know if that’s still the case.
2220 isn’t horrible. The difficult part of applying for easier major is writing the application essay. If lying isn’t allowed, then it is about maximizing your admission chances, but no one writes likes that.
SAT scores and GPA and acceptance rate are important part of the admission criteria, but another very important criteria is your statement of purpose. A candidate that is good enough for MechE but not good enough for EECS is non-existing borderline case in my opinion. I often say with my buddies that the easiest part of engineering was applying for engineering, and there is a general agreement for that. I think the least thing that one can do for him/herself is apply to something they wouldn’t mind studying for the upcoming 4 years.
If there is a particular engineering branch you find more interesting than other branches, then that should be the bulk of the essay. You will have much easier time writing since you’re not making up a reason. And of course, in the long-term, you’ll have better chances taking classes that you will enjoy which is directly related to doing well in the class.
Look, no matter what engineering you apply to, it’s gonna be tough to get in. For example, civil engineering, which might traditionally be considered a ‘softer’ target, had an acceptance rate of 6.1% in my first year. I can’t speak for the other ones, but looks can be deceptive. Apply for what you want and play up your strengths, an SAT of 2220 is an excellent score, and trust me they will be scrutinizing the other parts of your application more closely.
@gabla6 The only thing I a, concerned is that I took the SAT 6times lol. In my junior year, I just thougt I could get 2200 but ended up 2080-2100 in Nov Dec Jan March June. But in my senior year I studied a lot and got2220. I hope they just don’t think me as a impulsive test taker,. I decided to apply for Material E.