Major Importance in Admission

<p>Can you change your major after you receive admission into the college? My friend and I have similar stats and are applying to the same colleges. He wants to do Biomedical Engineering and I would do the same except I do not want to look exactly the same to the adcoms. I plan on going to medical school but am not sure I should major in just Biology. How much would it hurt to major in the same subject? Also, in applying to college, would you have to state your desire to go into medical school (pre med) or just fulfill those courses for medical school?</p>

<p>Where are you applying?</p>

<p>HYPS Duke Brown Dartmouth Hopkins are some of the reaches. I'm not sure though whether all of those schools even have BME programs.</p>

<p>Some things to bear in mind:</p>

<ol>
<li>At Hopkins, you have to apply specifically to the BME major</li>
<li>Princeton does not have a BME major</li>
<li>Harvard's engineering program just sucks in general</li>
</ol>

<p>Except for at Hopkins, your intended major will not make much difference. Adcoms know that students are constantly changing their minds about what to study (especially intended science majors!), and they don't give it much weight.</p>

<p>Do you feel you are a strong candidate?</p>

<p>If you want to do Biomedical Engineering, put that down, but keep in mind a lot of students change their major once they arrive at college. And if you do decide you want to do Biomedical Engineering, find out which colleges do and do not have BME programs and if you have to specifically apply to the engineering school itself. </p>

<p>As to what to major in for pre-med... do what you love the most. If you really like your major, you will do well. Likewise, if you major in something you really don't like just because you think that's what med adcoms want, you aren't going to do as well and won't be as passionate about it.</p>

<p>At most schools, you don't have to state that you're thinking of pre-med in your application (at least at the schools I applied to...you can if you want :) ), you just need to take all the required classes for admission into med schools once you're at college.</p>