Is it a bad idea to start out in engineering?

terenc
Tue, 22 May 2012 15:46:36 +0000

Yes, ac33527, that is the risk. Engineering will be tougher, and if your GPA is below 3.0 or so, your chances at Big 4 will be reduced. You should tell us what college you’re at, though, since it depends on the school (more prestigious = more leeway).

Oh. I looked at your profile/past posts. It seems you’re a high school junior still. This is way too early to be deciding your career path. My advice: try getting an accounting internship over the summer (it’ll probably be excel spreadsheet work or something), perhaps through any family connections. Also try involving yourself in engineering extracurriculars/classes, like robotics, car shop, or industrial tech. Take classes in engineering (like computer science, if it is offered), and see if they are for you. Also, take a class in Economics?

Generally, if you are strong in science and math, you will do well in engineering, so tell us how strong you are at math/science.

You have a high SAT score, which tells me you have strong quantitative skills, but your low GPA makes me wonder whether you could handle the engineering workload.

Furthermore, many colleges don’t have you apply separately to engineering/humanities or business (all of the Ivies, except Penn, Columbia, and Cornell, for example). And even then it is not too hard to switch into engineering.

Also, there are many different fields in engineering. Which specific major(s) interest you. Not all engineering majors are created equal. For example, most engineering requires physics knowledge, except computer engineering/science.