ramaswami

My S will be starting at SEAS in a few weeks. He has no definite interest in any branch of engineering right now. I notice that he has to choose a major by third semester. Is it possible to defer engineering specialization altogether until graduate school?

I know of so many Asians who were compelled into math/sci by their parents, won HS science prizes, went to IIT (in India) or MIT, CMU etc and were disillusioned/unhappy/burned out by late 20s. My wife and I are into liberal arts and have encouraged him to have a broad education. For example, in HS, he did French and Latin to AP Lit levels, 2 history courses to AP, all the math science courses, plus Art Hist at a college etc.

Since he is undecided I am recommending that he take a wide array of engineering/math/science/humanities/Core requirements, have an intellectual feast, and defer a specialization. I know he will have to commit to a major. But what major or coursework would allow him to have maximum flexibility? In other words, what courses/major would prepare him to opt for EE, ME, CS, at graduate level? I do understand that he will definitely be behind a student who has a specific undergrad major in EE, for example. He will have to spend one or two years in catch-up. That to me is preferable to a premature specialization.

I also notice that engineering specialties/majors have ABET requirements that make the program restrictive. How can he avoid it? Is there a program or coursework or major in SEAS which will allow maximum flexibility in choosing a wide array of courses and yet leave one tolerably prepared to go into one of the engineering majors at graduate level?

I hope I have phrased my dilemma properly. Thanks for your input.