<p>Is Duke Engineering significantly harder than engineering at schools such as UCLA, UCSD, and Berkeley? Would it be easier to get into med school if I was to take engineering at an easier school to attain a higher GPA?</p>
<p>I am a physician. I went to UCSF then UCLA for residency. If you have to ask the above....don't go into medicine. You should challenge yourself and get the best education possible to better yourself. If you start cutting corners in your life now...you will continue to do it the rest of your life. My son is in the same boat and he will be attending Harvey Mudd...no grade inflation there unlike Stanford and the Ivys. If money were no object, I would go to Duke...one of the top ranked universities in biomedicine. The benefit however is not their ranking..but that you will attending a private university...and at the UC system few really care about you. At Duke, you will be a person not a stat. That said...engineering in any of those schools will be challenging. You did not select an easy major and thats good. But you should select a school for other reasons than which one is easier or if your GPA will higher in one vs the other. Four years from now...do you really want to ask yourself what if? At least your not the typical boring biology major.
good luck
life is a challenge...keep it that way and you shall be rewarded</p>
<p>Medical schools know where grade inflation is and is not. Duke is not the least bit grade inflated (which can be a drag at times), many classes curve to C+/B-. Visit the school and go where you belong. You wont cruise through college no matter what and you probably wont get a 4.0 so dont worry about it. You get what you put out. Cutting corners is lame, dont go somewhere because its easier, pick your school for the right reasons.</p>