Hi, everyone. I am having a lot of trouble making a final college decision from three very different schools. I am interested in biomedical engineering (most interested in materials side of the field, drug delivery, tissue engineering, more of the pure science stuff) and chemical engineering, but am not set on either one. I would also consider getting some kind of business or entrepreneurship minor if possible. Ideally, I would be able to get a good job after college (thus the reason for not going for a pure science degree) and have some money still saved in case I wanted to go right into a graduate program. I have not 100% ruled out going premed, but I would say that is unlikely. Here is where I am at with each school:
ACADEMICS: At UNT, I would major in BME and minor in materials science and math (all BME students there get a math and other engineering minor). Their BME program is only ~6yrs old and hasn’t been accredited by ABET yet, but it should earn accreditation this yr (I talked to the chair). They also just got a brand new building just for BME with a bunch of high-tech research equipment/resources. However, I am not completely positive I will enjoy BME, as I am not really into the electrical and mechanical sides of the field. The only other engineering major there that I might like is materials science and engineering. I’m also not really sure how getting a business minor would work, or if that’s really even an option.
At UDayton, I would major in ChemE and get a bioengineering and possibly polymer or materials science minors. Getting a business minor would also be doable. If I wind up not enjoying ChemE though, I would have to major in something outside of engineering because none of their other engineering programs really interest me (they only have 4 BS level degrees). Not ideal, but not the end of the world, as UD seems to have excellent graduate outcomes across the board.
CWRU by far has the most available engineering majors and I know getting a minor in another discipline would be very doable too. I put BME on my application, but if I went there, I might pursue their polymer science and engineering degree on a biomaterials track or try chemical engineering. If I don’t like any of those 3, there are other engineering majors I would be willing to try, and they have good nonengineering programs too.
COST
My family is very blessed, and my parents are willing to pay for me to go wherever for undergrad. The cost factor of my decision is totally personal, as I cannot see the point in paying significantly more for one place over another if the outcome after 4 years would still be the same. We don’t qualify for any need-based aid but my parents do have a substantial amount saved for college.
UNT: I am a NMF, so UNT would be completely free. So, even if I don’t like biomedical or materials science and/or have to get a non-engineering degree, I still have a bunch of money to go to grad school (or med school if I wind up wanting that), start a life, and if I want to get a job, I’m not as concerned about how much I will be able to earn off-the-bat. The only thing I would lose is time (that’s how I see it, at least).
UDayton: They gave me the most amount of scholarship money they could, but going there would still cut into some savings. However, I would still have some money to start grad school if I wanted to do that immediately. UD also charges the same amount all 4 yrs, which is really nice.
CWRU: They gave me a good merit scholarship ($27.5k/yr), but I would be out of savings after graduating and would have to get a job. That’s not necessarily bad, but having options would be nice. Tuition/overall cost of attendance will also rise each year.
RESEARCH: There are some great opportunities available at all of the schools, although I am guessing it would probably be easier to get involved at UD or cwru.
CO-OPS/INTERNSHIPS: UD has an amazing co-op program and from what I can tell, they will give you lots of help finding internships too. CWRU seems to provide good assistance for either too, although I have to pay a fee if I want to co-op. At UNT, it seems like I would be more on my own to find those things (not a big deal, but the other two schools have better connections).
FIT: I’ve had a hard time making friends in HS, so it’s important that I can connect with people wherever I go. I’m excited to start fresh and meet new people. I really like CWRU and feel 95% confident I would fit in (I visited, have contacted current students, and attended online info sessions). The big thing holding me back about them is the cost and limited options after graduation. UD seems nice too, but I don’t have quite as good a feel for it as CWRU. As for UNT, it would be super ironic if I went there since I’ve told everyone I’ve ever talked to that I don’t want a big school… but the scholarship is a really good deal. Outside the money factor though, I do not feel very drawn to the school.
I would greatly appreciate anyone’s thoughts. Again, I could go to any of these schools, I just don’t know if CWRU is worth the cost over UD and if UD is worth it over a full ride. Thanks