<p>I was wondering if anyone could list the Cornell engineering majors by difficulty... e.g. amount of work involved, challenging material.. etc.</p>
<p>I was accepted to the engineering school, but hearing so many people say that Cornell has very tough engineering curriculum is intimidating me a little.
I am not an exceptional math or physics student... </p>
<p>So any thoughts would be appreciated..</p>
<p>I know this is going to sound corny, but...</p>
<p>The easiest major will be the one you like the most. The hardest will be one you hate.</p>
<p>To the OP:
If you're not an exceptional student in math and/or science, you probably will have a very difficult time in engineering. Tons of people every year drop out of engineering simply because they can't hack it. Now that's not to say that you're doomed, but engineering is basically all math and science. Maybe you'll have to work harder but as the previous poster said, you have to like the material to succeed. </p>
<p>Most people would say that civil is the easiest.</p>
<p>honestly, dont be intimidated because that is based on THEIR experiences here. i was so nervous to come here after hearing about the intensity of the arch program, but once i went through it, i realized that its not that bad. again, dont try and go the easy way out and pick a major thatll "guarantee you the most As". if you love chem, go for chemical engineering. if you like bio, go for bio engineering. and if you are ever having problems in math or physics, dont ever ever be ashamed to go to office hours and utilize the professors and TAs' knowledge to their full extent. they are definitely here to help you, not to watch you crash and burn. with any engineering concentration that you choose, there will always be people to guide you and help you along the way. dont worry, everythign will work out ;)</p>
<p>oh man... lol.
gosh.. how good are the students at Cornell? are they like all math and science geniuses?
now I am thinking.. maybe I should switch? I placed first in math in grade 10 in my school, 800 in math I and II and 800 in Bio, 760 in chem... but that's about it.
I didn't win national awards or participate in major competitions...
But I like engineering... so I am asking about the level of difficulty of each engineering so I can start researching more about each of them..
gosh... now I am thinking maybe I should've done biochem lol.</p>
<p>Niceshrp -- You are definitely above the average incoming engineer with those stats. Unfortunately the SATs don't differentiate above a certain level, so it's impossible to tell how above average you are until you get to Cornell.</p>
<p>That said, 75% of your grade is how much effort you put into your studies.</p>
<p>I'm nervous about the rigorousness of engineering, as well. </p>
<p>I'm not exceptional at math or science, but I figure that since I love them both, I'll give it a shot. </p>
<p>Now what I AM worried about is doing well enough to be competitive for premed (my parents' requirement in order for me to attend Cornell :))</p>
<p>There are a few who are clearly brilliant (many international students, I might add!), but most people are pretty smart but not geniuses. If you like what you're doing, and you work hard, you will succeed.</p>
<p>My stats placed me above most incoming engineers too. But I'm clearly around the middle of the pack here in terms of intelligence. And not surprisingly, I do well in classes I work hard in and enjoy, but not in ones I don't like. And I know people who didn't have as good numbers in high school who are pulling off 3.9s and 4.0s. (And they are very smart and extremely motivated.) Your numbers suggest that you probably won't have any problems making at least the mean, though, so you shouldn't have to worry that much.</p>
<p>I am glad I am not the only one who's nervous about the difficulty of engineering at Cornell lol.
I don't even know what I will be majoring in yet... but I think i am leaning towards bioengineering, just because I like biology and physics.
How difficult is bioengineering? I hear that bioengineering is extremely competitive due to the large number of international students in the major... is this true?</p>
<p>@ niceshrp:
I'm sorry that my post might have intimidated you. But your original post insinuated that you weren't very good at math and/or science. Considering your scores and previous accomplishments, that is clearly not the case. With those, I assure you that you have a very good shot at succeeding. Of course, it is also dependent on your work ethic. Some people also find college level work to be much different than high school (I know I did). But please do not be nervous. If you work hard, you'll do fine.</p>
<p>My advice: Don't stress out. Come to Cornell. Have a positive attitude and do the work without stressing out about the curve, upcoming work, or any other unnecessary thing. </p>
<p>When I transferred to Cornell I thought everyone would be a genius and that I'd struggle to beat the mean. I ended up graduating very close to #1 in my class and my high school stats were horrible compared to yours.</p>
<p>thank you for all the encouragements.
I appreciate them lol.
Yeah...i guess i will give it a try. After all, when I decided to apply to Cornell I was looking for a chance to challenge myself and to compete with some of the best students in the world...</p>
<p>Going back to the question though.... It would be nice to know which majors are harder than the others. I agree it varies greatly on a personal basis due to one's tastes but all things equal some majors are <em>bound</em> to be harder than others.</p>
<p>I understand Applied Physics Engineering is very tough followed by ECE, is this true? what about Operations Research Eng?</p>
<p>stop being such a pussy, pick one and grab it by the balls. </p>
<p>AEP is usually considered the hardest. ECE (my major) is tough for people without a prior knowledge of some of the material and has projects that take ages. ORIE and CivE are probably the easiest. </p>
<p>o and to hell with ChemE :p</p>
<p>what's AEP..?</p>
<p>cornell</a> aep - Google Search</p>
<p>Behold, the power of Google!</p>
<p>To make your transition to engineering easier, be sure to take the offered placement exams that you will get information about over the summer. Cornell's expectations are much higher than high school expectations so don't be surprised to be placed in a lower class than your AP scores suggest. </p>
<p>Take the AEW courses that supplement math, chem and physics (at orientation they told parents that we were to become advisors but our last commandment to our kids was to be "take AEWs"). </p>
<p>Remember the school grades to a curve. Some classes have B- average, some B+. Your near 4.0 in high school (average for most Cornell students) is not likely to be repeated. A B- is a 2.7. </p>
<p>We were in general shocked by the # of students who came in with differential equations and organic chemistry from high school. Their advantages wears off with time if you have good work habits and seek the help you need. </p>
<p>Time management is the mantra of engineering students. We heard that phrase about once a minute during Big Red Days and orientation.</p>
<p>so do I HAVE to take these placement tests? Or can I just be put into the lowest class possible by default?</p>
<p>Because I sure as heck do not remember my calculus (and I can't use my AP credit since I took AB) and I would have to review like crazy over the summer.</p>