<p>Right now, I am stuck between two majors: Chemistry and Electrical Engineering. This isn't a problem when I'm applying to smaller colleges like Caltech or MIT. When I looked at UC Berkeley, however, I found that the two majors were in two different colleges (apparently chemistry has its own college). Do I need to have my major set in stone before I apply or can I transfer to another college during my freshman year if I change my mind?
Another issue was costs: I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to pay off my debts if I was a chem major, especially after grad school. </p>
<p>It’s hard to transfer between majors in the UCs, particularly if they are impacted. </p>
<p>You need to check each school out on a case by case basis. Often to be an engineer you need to apply for and be admitted the engineering school/program and start on that track right away or else it could be hard to graduate on time as many of the classes in that discipline are sequential in nature. Again, you need to look at each school individually, but it would likely be easier to switch from engineering to chemistry than the other way around. (also if you love chemistry and are interested in engineering, maybe look into becoming a ChemE).</p>
<p>For Berkeley, it’s a ton easier to transfer to Chemistry than it is to EECS. It’s easier to get in for Chemistry, though.</p>
<p>It’s true that chemical or electrical engineers are in greater demand than chemistry majors. the amount of debt you have will determine whether or not you can pay it off: if you have a total debt of $50K or more, it will be hard to pay off no matter what your major is. Not only that, it will be hard to get an apartment and even harder to buy a new car or eventually save for a house. The most YOU can borrow is about $27K. Anything more than that will have to be co-signed by a family member, and this is not something you want to do in any case. Today’s newspapers are full of stories of students who defaulted because of their loan debt and the burden that placed on family ties and the credit ratings of the student and the family members. </p>
<p>keep your debt as low as possible and apply to schools that make it easier for you to do that, whether or not they’re prestigious schools. Chemistry and EE are standardized curricula in almost every American school. Where you get your degree is not going to matter much to employers or grad schools. Having a high GPA, demonstrated ability to work with others, good letters of rec, good research or project experience, and a set of particular skills the employer is looking for will have much more bearing than prestige.</p>