<p>I've been accepted to both and with similar financial aid packages (full ride-ish). </p>
<p>I plan on majoring in biomedical engineering and potentially double majoring in physics. </p>
<p>I understand that Bowdoin being a liberal arts school will not be as advantageous for me as Emory, BUT my purpose in attending Bowdoin is to take advantage of the 3-2 program and transfer to Columbia/Caltech, which are some of the best schools for my major. However, the financial aid can vary after I transfer. In addition, if the 3-2 plan fails for whatever reason (probably won't), I also intend to attend grad school right after undergrad, and from what I have heard, where you graduate last from (ie. grad school) is what matters most, so attending Bowdoin doesn't seem as bad.</p>
<p>On the otherhand, Emory is outright better than Bowdoin for my majors as Emory is one of the best universities for medicine and research, especially with the CDC in Atlanta and other opportunities. If I were to attend Emory, I would stay there for all 4 years of my undergrad and not transfer at all. Although Emory is more prestigious and well-known than Bowdoin for my plans, Columbia/Caltech is obviously more renowned and promising (no offense to any fervent Emory fans/students out on CC). </p>
<p>I know that Bowdoin's 3-2 program would be more of a risk than attending Emory for 4 years, but is the risk large enough to choose Emory?</p>
<p>Which would you recommend I attend? Emory for 4 years or Bowdoin with a 3-2 program? </p>
<p>Alot of people are going to say to visit each campus and see where I fit better, but I've already considered both environments and the social scene, and I love both universities, its just a matter of academics, prestige, and aiding my future plans.</p>
<p>Well Im not a professional by any means in this area but just to input my opinion…</p>
<p>No one can tell you what you should do…only you can choose…</p>
<p>But it all comes down to advantages and disadvantages
Emory:
Stability
Internship possibilities
No change in environment for four years
Great for Grad School acceptance</p>
<p>Disadvantages:
Not as good looking as Columbia</p>
<p>Bowdown/Columbia/Caltech:
Potentially better looking on transcript to Grad school
Top grade education in whatever area your going into </p>
<p>Disadvantages:
Having to move after 3 years in Bowdin after making friends
Uncertain fiancial aid at Columbia/Caltech
Having to adjust to columbia standards from Bowdin which im sure will differ in quality</p>
<p>I just want to tell you that im skewed toward Emory, cuz thats my school, but i tried to be objective as possible…
I think whats more important than what undergrad school your from is the amount of interaction you had with your field, your experience, and your curriculum performance…</p>
<p>So I think you should think about that before anything else…name isnt everything, its what you do with it that matters…</p>
<p>You might want to talk to a non-admissions officer at Bowdoin about the 3+2 engineering program; there was a CC article recently about how many schools “have” these programs, but how no student may have successful completely the program at that school in years… or, possibly ever.</p>
<p>You should also be aware that Emory has a 3+2 program with Georgia Tech, including for Biomedical Engineering ([Dual</a> Degree Programs in Engineering with Georgia Institute of Technology | Emory College | Atlanta, GA](<a href=“Error 404: Page Not Found”>Error 404: Page Not Found)). A quick search of the US news site reveals that Georgia Tech’s biomedical graduate program (which is a collaboration with Emory’s school of medicine) is ranked second in the nation, after Johns Hopkins (neither Caltech nor Columbia appear on the list free list of top 8 schools). </p>
<p>You might also want to consider that the physical move/emotional from Emory to Tech wouldn’t be quite as drastic as the move from Bowdoin to Caltech or Columbia.</p>
<p>@ Aigiqinf: Yea, I was considering how many students don’t actually go through with the 3-2 program. But I’m not sure why, it seems like alot of students just get attached to the home institution and fall away from the intent of goin 3-2 program. How is Georgia Tech in other science fields though? I know they are really good with engineering, but if I plan to go into research, would only engineering be suffice??</p>
<p>^I had forgotten US News ranks undergraduate engineering schools. They rank Georgia Tech as third for undergraduate biomedical engineering (below Johns Hopkins and Duke). This is potentially more relevant than the graduate rankings.</p>
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<p>I’m an incoming freshman at Emory from out-of-state… so I won’t pretend to know much about this. If you mean that you plan to go into Biomedical research (which is what a PhD is for…), I would assume that they must be doing something right to be ranked 2nd for their PhD program in biomedical engineering…</p>
<p>Hmm that is a good point…I’ve read on other forums that you can almost manage/create your own “3-2 programs” with other schools, but I’m not entirely sure whether Emory has this option or whether it would be considered a normal transfer. I know for Bowdoin, atleast Ive read, that you can 3-2 with schools other than Caltech/Columbia, such as Stanford and others, but I’m not sure whether that would only apply to Bowdoin, liberal arts schools, or where else. </p>
<p>Any input and/or information on this option? If not, where/who would/should I ask for such information? If I can do that, I think my choice would definitely be Emory handsdown…</p>
<p>Hm. It won’t hurt to ask, but I’d be surprised if you could form your own 3-2 program. The other engineering schools would probably have different requirements from Emory (which would be hectic) and then Emory does special things like waive the continuing-writing requirements for students at Tech. </p>
<p>For academia/research, the quality of program you’re in matters more than the name of the institution you’re from. Also, as you pointed out, it’s your last degree, the PhD, that’s the most important. Obviously, I’m not very knowledge about these things, being an incoming freshman, but I feel like you’d be best off with Emory/Georgia Tech. It will be a lot easier for you to coordinate research experience with Georgia Tech while/after you’re completing the requirements at Emory (Emory is just outside of Metropolitan Atlanta while Tech is smack-dab in the middle of it). Research is a critical part of graduate school admissions. My only concern would be talking to someone at Emory about the financial aid package at Tech, if that’s an issue for you/your family.</p>
<p>Elsewhere, you’re trying to complete requirements from some way-off school whose advisor you won’t be able to see face-to-face. Then, after two years in Maine, you’re whisking off to California or New York… where you need to adjust to a completely new environment while forming new connections with faculty/gaining research opportunities in order to get into a top graduate school. At the same time, while you’d have the advantage of the lay prestige at Columbia et al., a letter of recommendation from a professor at a top program in your field, like Georgia Tech, would likely go a lot further.</p>
<p>Here’s a thought…you’re accepted at Emory…Great ! Congrats.
You’re not accepted at Columbia or Cal Tech…then what?
Sounds like you should stick with Emory for your academic interests.</p>
<p>i had a similar situation deciding between Middlebury and emory and decided Middlebury was better for me. Emory is too preprofessional. I visited last week and it just didn’t feel as liberal-arts as i hoped but maybe that’s just me.</p>
<p>so goodbye to Emory, hopefully it will free up a spot for someone on the waitlist!</p>
<p>I just went to Wesleyan for Wesfest and I actually got the exact opposite feeling. I thought the environment was way too “chill-laxed” for me and the social scene was too ACTIVE and liberal for me. It didnt seem like many people were studious and competitive in terms of academics, which is what I kind of want.</p>
<p>Btw, Im gonna assume Bowdoin will be similar to Wesleyan (which is also another option I am considering)</p>
<p>Congrats on getting into Bowdoin! That is no easy feat.</p>
<p>Also think through what would it feel like if you decide to major in something else. I live near Bowdoin and have two children who attend(ed) Emory - very different environments, very different opportunities for internships and summer programs, different breadth and depth of courses, etc. look at the course catalogues and see what is available and how often, how many sections, what your other options might be for majors or areas of study. I know more than a few young adults who changed their mind on majors, etc.</p>