I was a Physics major at a liberal arts school (Carleton), and I went on to pursue a Masters degree in Engineering. After working for years following my Masters degree, I went back to school to get a PhD at Michigan in engineering. I recently graduated. While I think bh3d gave some good advice, I have some more thoughts/advice…
- You will get accepted into a Masters program in engineering that is ranked between 10 to 20 with your GPA upon finishing a full degree at Amherst. Your opportunities to study engineering are certainly not over. I agree with bh3d, your science/math grades could be a bit higher. Depending on the major requirements at Amherst, one idea is to stop taking physics courses and take lower level Chemistry, Math, and CS courses that might better prepare you for engineering and where you could get better grades. This is what I did at Carleton for my last year after finishing the course work for a Physics degree.
- On the surface these dual degrees are a decent idea....just so long as they are 3-2 degrees. They are good ideas for exactly the reasons you mentioned.
- Liberal arts colleges advertise these 3-2 programs more than they should. In other posts, I have called the concept kinda like a gimmick for exactly the problems your are facing. Students don't get accepted into the other dual degree; they are discouraged by faculty members from pursuing the dual degrees; at Carleton our senior comprehensive requirements made a 3-2 program almost impossible, etc. What often happens is that students end up pursuing a 4-2 dual degree program, and I think this is deeply unfair to the student. I do not recommend this. That extra year could be used to pursue a masters degree where you might have a shot at funding (tuition and stipend) opportunities.
- If I were you, I'd speak to your dean...seriously. You have legitimate concerns. 1) You'd get accepted into a good masters program 2) Why can't I get into the advertised 3-2 program, when, no doubt, you'd succeed at Dartmouth 3) Why wasn't I advised to apply to more than just one dual degree programs...I know Columbia, Upenn, U Wash st. Louis will consider being part of a dual degree program. Your dean might have some sway on getting you admitted to Dartmouth