Exactly, I'm doing Mechanical Engineering, and I picked up a minor in CS to pump up my GPA. It seems like a much better combo than pure CS because it is much harder. (Isn't there a PG essay about staying upwind of your goal, an engineering degree is certainly upwind of CS. Not knocking on Computer Engineering here, that is one of the hardest engineering degrees for sure). As for "meeting smarter people", I don't know, I was 100% self taught when I got my job at my startup because I hadn't started CS yet, and the smartest people I have ever met are the guys in my company - much more so than professors. All are computer and electrical engineers though, we only have one CS major, and hes a self taught guy too. My roommate is a CS major who never taught himself anything - and though I like the guy, he is 2 years "ahead of me" and I program circles around him.