From B.S.E. to A.B.

Peter Bogucki, associate dean for undergraduate affairs in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), said in an e-mail that “of the 268 students who began in the Class of 2012 in September 2008, 45 students — or 17 percent — have left to join the A.B. program.” He estimated that in the end, about 20 percent of B.S.E. students switch to A.B., and 10 percent of the final B.S.E. students were once A.B.

“Almost every day I speak with students who are either switching into [or] out of the B.S.E. program,” Bogucki added.

Students pursuing a degree in engineering must fulfill different requirements than must those pursuing an A.B. degree. A.B students are required to take at least 31 courses to graduate, while B.S.E. students must take a minimum of 36 courses, with more specific course requirements.

Erin Mills ’13 is currently in the B.S.E. program, but said she previously considered switching to A.B. She explained in an e-mail that she believes some students switch to A.B. because of the “difficulty of the freshman-level math, physics and engineering courses.”

“I am currently enrolled in EGR 191 [and EGR] 192 [Integrated Intro to Engineering: Physics and Integrated Intro to Engineering: Math] ... and I know of many of my classmates (including myself, to some extent) who are discouraged by the workload and their progress in the class, even to the point of reconsidering engineering as a major,” she explained.

Stephanie Sher ’12 said in an e-mail that one benefit of making the switch was that “I now have more time to play tennis and participate in student organizations,” adding, “I’m enjoying my classes a lot more (and my grades reflect that!).”

“It opens up a completely new realm of course-taking possibilities,” she said, adding that many freshmen try to decide their futures without realizing the breadth of opportunities Princeton provides.

Cynthia Kanno ’13 said she switched to A.B. from B.S.E. when she realized that the classes she enjoyed most were those outside the B.S.E. curriculum. “I know many of the administrators advised us to keep our minds open about possible majors, but I just always assumed that I would not be that case,” she said. “Now I see their point as I realize that I’m not going to enjoy studying engineering if I stay B.S.E.”

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“I just don’t think B.S.E. is the right course for me to take,” Kanno said. “My heart is simply not in it.”

Bogucki attributed students switching from B.S.E. to A.B. to the fact that students are forced to declare their degree track during their freshman year. A.B. students have until halfway through sophomore year to declare, which means that fewer A.B. students officially switch concentrations, he said.

“Within the A.B. program, there is certainly switching of intended majors during the freshman and sophomore years, except that this is difficult to quantify because students only formalize a major at the end of sophomore year,” he said, adding that there is no record kept of students’ original interests.

Though it is more common to switch from B.S.E. to A.B., some students have done the opposite, Bogucki noted.

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Twenty-one members of the Class of 2012 have switched from A.B. to B.S.E., bringing the total number of members of the B.S.E. class to 244, Bogucki said

In the end, Mills said she chose to remain a B.S.E. student because of its academic program. “An engineering degree from Princeton carries with it an added prestige above and beyond that associated with the school itself and may, again, afford me additional opportunities that I would not have as a humanities or natural sciences major.”

Mills’ academic track also allows her to take advantage of classes in the A.B. and B.S.E. programs. “Though I love languages and cultures, it will be very feasible for me to integrate those into my life as an engineer,” she said, adding that if she majored in a subject in the humanities, “it is highly unlikely that I would be able to use engineering-type problem-solving skills in my job. Thus, B.S.E. provides the opportunity to have the best of both worlds.”

The choice of major really comes down to following your interests, Sher said. “This sounds so damn cliche, but it’s ultimately about finding what you’re good at, what you’re passionate about ... and then kicking ass in that area.”