Engineering Major

[D0CTORX]

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I will be majoring in Engineering, is there any leniency given to a "harder" major?

Ex) Will majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a 3.4 GPA be looked at more favorably than say, a biochemistry major with a 3.7.?

 

[rei1088]

Probably best to contact the schools you want to apply to... I'm thinking that grades on the pre-pharmacy requirements weigh more than your overall GPA.

 

[pharmerbird]

I think the issue for the schools will be why you want to go to pharmacy school with a mechanical engineering major.

 

[pipersnap]

Everyone's going to wonder why it is you want to go to pharmacy school when mechanical engineering is a perfectly fine profession for you--enough for you to major in it. it'll be harder for you to convince the interviewers that you're committed to pharmacy.

Also, I'm sure most people on here will disagree with you about Mechanical Engineering being a harder major than Biochem or anything else.

 

[PharmaT]

One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone says their major is "harder" or their school is "harder." So ill go with no.

 

[Pojman]

One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone says their major is "harder" or their school is "harder." So ill go with no.

Ditto...

 

[rei1088]

Also, I'm sure most people on here will disagree with you about Mechanical Engineering being a harder major than Biochem or anything else.

I was gonna comment on that but I got lazy. lol

One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone says their major is "harder" or their school is "harder."

 

[jblil]

I will be majoring in Engineering, is there any leniency given to a "harder" major?

I am also a mechanical engineer switching careers (to Phys. Therapy). Be prepared to explain why you want to go into Pharmacy, the adcoms will be very curious to know. But if you have a compelling reason, your chances of getting accepted will be very good as schools value diversity.

And BTW I don't think one major is harder than any other. They are all unique and challenging in their own ways.

 

[Rx MPLS]

And BTW I don't think one major is harder than any other. They are all unique and challenging in their own ways.

I thought it was well known that engineering majors are the most difficult majors for undergraduates. I'm not an engineering major, if you're wondering.

 

[pipersnap]

I think that 'most difficult' is relative to the individual and what they grew up learning, where their strenghts lie. For me, math and science come very easily, so engineering would be an easy major. Whereas other majors might be more challenging for me. But that's just ME. My personal opinion is that getting A's on papers at top universities is far more challenging.

I don't think that the OP should excuse his lower gpa by blaming it on his major. Perhaps poor study skills or lack of affinity in the sciences are to blame.

 

[jblil]

I thought it was well known that engineering majors are the most difficult majors for undergraduates.

I have both a BSc and a Master's in engineering. I also studied Russian for 4 years. From what I have seen, a degree in Russian Lit is just as hard as one in mechanical engineering! 🙂

 

[Pharm2Anh]

Everyone's going to wonder why it is you want to go to pharmacy school when mechanical engineering is a perfectly fine profession for you--enough for you to major in it. it'll be harder for you to convince the interviewers that you're committed to pharmacy.

Also, I'm sure most people on here will disagree with you about Mechanical Engineering being a harder major than Biochem or anything else.

AGREE, biochemistry major and mechanical engineer is not something you can compare unless you took both majors and experienced it. I was a biochem major, my boyfriend in school was a mechanical engineer, we just agreed both was hard. It's one of my pet peeves too...

 

[foreveros]

I believe to keep everything on a same level with other applicants they first look at your pre-pharma requirements grades, with you pcat scores(if your school requires it). just like the other posters said, its hard to compare majors, one major might be easier at one university and the same major might be exponentially harder at other. So in order for pharm school to know that you will survive at their schools, they basically look at your prepharma requirements along with you pcat scores.

 

[ChEStud]

Would it be difficult to explain to adcoms if you are a chemical engineering major? I've heard people going from chemical engineering to law, med school, and pharm school so I'm trying to gauge if it would be mroe difficult. The only reason why I want to go to pharm. is not because of the money (because I could probably make as much as a chemical engineer) but because I have done pharmaceutical research and I enjoy patient interaction, something engineers don't have or experience.

 

[Rx MPLS]

Would it be difficult to explain to adcoms if you are a chemical engineering major? I've heard people going from chemical engineering to law, med school, and pharm school so I'm trying to gauge if it would be mroe difficult. The only reason why I want to go to pharm. is not because of the money (because I could probably make as much as a chemical engineer) but because I have done pharmaceutical research and I enjoy patient interaction, something engineers don't have or experience.

I think if you tell an admissions committee exactly what you wrote here, you won't have any problems. Good luck.

 

[kcha90]

I have a major in Latin and I dare anyone to say it's an easy language!

 

[oliviaalta123]

AGREE, biochemistry major and mechanical engineer is not something you can compare unless you took both majors and experienced it. I was a biochem major, my boyfriend in school was a mechanical engineer, we just agreed both was hard. It's one of my pet peeves too...

yeah those two majors are so different. engineering you will take upper level physics classes, math classes, and so many others. biochem you will take organic chem, upper level bios, etc. if you are a math person engineering may come natural. if you are more of a science/bio person, biochem/ orgo comes natural to you. it all depends. the classes are very different but equal to me in difficulty.

 

[Kwiz]

Engineering is less pertinent to the practice of pharmacy. A 3.7 in biochemistry is more appealing to a pharmacy school admissions committee than a 3.4 in engineering. Calc 1&2 are the highest mathematics courses that pre-pharm takes for a reason. Even if you got a 3.7 in mechanical engineering and a 3.4 in biochemistry, admissions still isn't looking for a human calculator, and neither are employers. Can everyone do engineering, no it takes a certain type of mind. Can all engineers be good as a practicing pharmacist? No. Medicine, is a different story, if you want to do something that you might feel better appreciated as an engineer, I would look into medicine. They love people who are innovative, have that deconstruct reconstruct mentality. "hardest" is determined by what you're least interested in/least successful in. For ex., getting a bachelors in English would've been impossible for me because it's boring and I probably suck at most aspects of language arts. Or getting a BFA in dance would be hard, because...I don't dance much/at all.