<p>ENGINEERING. Keep in mind, I am a girl and apparently female engineers are VERY in demand. Right now I'm a junior and have a pretty great research background (Siemens Semifinalist :D, doing more research this summer, etc...) and thought about being a biochemistry major. I'm also good at math and am doing well in AP physics B (96ish unweighted, physics teacher says I could probably get a 750+ on the SAT II). If I decide to do engineering, I would take Calc BC and AP physics C next year instead of AB and AP Bio. I was thinking maybe chemical engineering? However, I know engineering is the hardest major by far. What makes becoming a chemical engineer worth it? If I LOVE chemistry, and like math and physics but am not insane about them (but still do well), could engineering be right for me? Is it a TON of math and physics once you get out of college, or is it more just general problem solving that depends on your field? Help me decide! Tell me the good, the bad, the everything. Thanks in advance :)</p>
<p>First of all, I prefer to say that all engineers are in demand and the field is open equally to men and women. I think it’s important not think that “girl engineers” have special advantages.</p>
<p>For engineering, I would focus on what engineers do for a living and if you would enjoy doing that. Look at the occupational outlook surveys and take a look at the career information online and with the guidance counseler. Pick something that you’d like to do in the future.</p>
<p>I think I actually found a really nice option! I’m a NY resident and Cornell CALS has a Bioengineering degree that also has a Liberal Studies component. It makes you focus on being a “well-rounded,” I guess, engineer since you supposedly have to learn to work as a team, have the liberal arts requirements (sort of? not as much as a core curriculum but better than a lot of engineering majors) AND you get a $10,000 cheaper tuition as a NY resident since you are doing RESEARCH (my love) for the state! Then I feel like once I get out of school I can figure out what I want to do. I know there are PLENTY of options for engineers; I’m mostly worried about schooling.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that you can certainly do research as an engineer. That is what I am doing. Also, engineering is not necessarily the hardest major. It all depends on an individual person’s aptitudes and passions. For me, while engineering has taken some hard work, it is not necessarily “hard.” I personally would have a much harder time in business because I would hate it so much and be so unmotivated. Most hard sciences are on a roughly similar level of difficulty to their engineering counterparts, though the foci of each degree would be slightly different.</p>
<p>I’m not really sure about what kind of research high school students do.</p>
<p>Also, I don’t think Cornell gives a discount to in state students because they are doing research. I think they give a discount because state tax dollars pay for the school.</p>
<p>@boneh3ad that sounds like some really great advice!
@bigtrees I do research at Stony Brook University during the summer with a professor, so it is basically the same as if you were doing undergraduate research from what I’ve read (I’m actually going to be working under a grad student under a professor this summer. Last summer I worked directly under an adjunct).</p>