Cornell v JHU v Cal v Rice

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
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<p>Hey Everyone, I figure that I might as well start asking for opinions about where I should go this fall. I was fortunate enough to get accepted 4 really great schools and I am currently unable to choose between them. They are: (with major)</p>

<p>UC Berkeley (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science)
I got selected as a Regent's Scholar and the major I was accepted for is what Berkeley is famous for, but on the down side it is a public university in CA (can you imagine the future budget cuts?) and there are sooooo many people. I'm afraid Ill get lost in the crowd. Also, IMO it is slightly less prestigious I think, as compared to my other schools.</p>

<p>Rice University (Bioengineering)
A fine school but it's in Texas (cant figure out if that is a pro or a con) and Im not sure how good of a school it is. I mainly applied because they gave me a free application, but Im still considering it.</p>

<p>Johns Hopkins (Biomolecular Engineering. Rejected from BME program)
Another insane school for the major I was accepted into. My chief concern is that I've heard reports that the school is impossibly difficult and that there is major grade deflation, which is problematic because I am considering med school after graduation. Also, idk much about the surrounding area.</p>

<p>Cornell University (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science)
Right now, this looks like the forerunner in my picks because of it being a great school and it's Ivy status. However, I am slightly concerned that Ithaca is in the middle of nowhere and that I'll get bored of the town after a year or so.</p>

<p>Important notes: Money is no problem since all of these schools cost around the same for me, give or take a couple of thousand per year. For those that suggest that I visit the school, I would love to but current circumstances (financial,etc) wont let me. Also, for my major, I cant decide between Bioengineering or EECS, but I am thinking of going to med school later to become a general physician if I can make the cut. I guess Im still searching for what I want to do in life. One thing I do know though is that I want to be heavily involved in research whereever I go... I like being on the cutting edge of things. :)</p>

<p>Any suggestions, comments, ideas, etc would be greatly appreciated. </p>

<p>(Also cross posted in the College Search and Selection)</p>

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<p>You will not get bored in Ithaca, the campus is really large and there are many students attending, you will make friends and the place is really beautiful. Don’t worry about John Hopkins, the med schools will know the difficulty of the school and its shouldn’t make a difference. UCB and Rice are both really good schools, but if it was my choice I would go to Cornell. It has the prestige and I’m sure you will have fun there.</p>

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<p>If you’re serious about medicine, then you should look very closely at Rice, they are associated with the largest medical complex in the world, and just built a new bio-engineering building. However, you have all good choices to pick from, so you can’t go wrong with any of them.</p>

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<p>Berkeley EECS is one of the top three programs in the country - and proximity to Silicon Valley is a plus. It has the resources and EECS students haven’t been impacted by budget cuts. The College of Engineering requires you to graduate in 4 years and has a mentorship program with a continuing engineering student and alum.</p>

<p>If you were certain on EECS, I’d definitely recommend Berkeley, especially since you’re Regents. Since you aren’t certain on EECS, I’d probably lean to Rice or Cornell. They allow you to test the waters more easily than Berkeley does.</p>