<p>My S was very excited to be accepted at JHU yesterday. Unfortunately, he could not be placed into his desired department, Biomedical Engineering. Is that a deal breaker...I don't know. That has been his main interest for awhile. He's reading up on JHU's chemical/biomolecular engineering and biophysics programs. Looks interesting but not sure. Other factors: he's been accepted at UVA's engineering school (but at UVA engineering students have to competitively apply for department at end of freshmen year. About half students who apply to BME get in.) Also, he's been accepted at RPI and they do have a good looking BME program that he can be in right away. But, RPI is in cold Troy, NY. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.</p>
<p>I was in the same situation as your son last year. There are two options if he chooses JHU: one is to major in a similar field, such as ChemBE, and the other is to switch into BME once he has matriculated. I ended up choosing ChemBE and so far I like the major a lot, and I dont plan on changing to BME; however, it’s possible to become BME sophomore year even if you weren’t admitted as a BME (given good grades in freshman classes). </p>
<p>On another note, my impression is that there is a lot of overlap between BME and ChemBE, especially in terms of research. Both are math-heavy and considered to be the most rigorous majors at Hopkins, and ChemBE’s tend to take some electives in BME and vice versa.</p>
<p>Good luck making your decision!</p>
<p>Thanks Somnambulant for your very thought reply. Hearing about your experience is incredibly helpful (and one of the really great benefits of a forum like CC). My son has been looking at the course workfor ChemBE and finds it interesting. </p>
<p>BME is the current sweetheart in the engineering world but it’s good to consider other good options.</p>
<p>Any others have experiences or other thoughts to share?</p>
<p>Your son should also look at the Material Sciences major and the Electrical Engineering major, depending on his interests with in BME. For many years, BME was not thought of as a “real” engineering field since it was basically the application of other engineering fields to medicine, and while the field has grown massively in the past few decades, its still very much the application of other engineering principles to medicine. BME majors choose concentrations with in their major, and within each concentration, many of their courses will fall outside of the BME department in other engineering departments including ChemBE, Material Sciences and Electrical Engineering.</p>
<p>There is a chance of being allowed to transfer into the BME program, but it depends entirely on how many admitted BME students enrolll (if the freshman class is large, no transfers will be allowed), so I would strongly advise against going to Hopkins expecting to transfer in. That said, if your son finds another department that he loves, its still very possible to take upper-level BME electives and work in BME-related labs as part of his own major.</p>
<p>Hope that helps!</p>
<p>Tanman,
Your reply does help. Thanks so much. I think he’s trying to figure it all out and your response–and Somnambulant’s–really provide some great insider feedback.</p>