Hi y’all. I think I’d like to enter Bioengineering or Chemical Engineering. I’m interested in research in drug delivery, bio-sensors, biochemical engineering, nanotech, and bio-materials. Not so much prosthetics, tissue engineering, or medical devices. I’m not sure that entering industry is the best choice for me, since I’d like to be involved in research. I’ll probably pursue grad school.
I was accepted into Cornell, Upenn, Northeastern, and Univ. Maryland.
Got no finaid from all except Northeastern (for which I’d have to pay a little over half tuition). I don’t live in the state of Maryland. My family can afford all colleges, but I’d like to pay my parents back for at least half or work while studying to defray the cost.
I loved both Cornell + Upenn’s Campuses. Northeastern felt kinda small, but I enjoyed the cities of Philly and Boston. Even though Cornell was in a rural setting, the campus is very charming, and Ithaca commons has a nice vibe ^^ I haven’t visited UMaryland.
If students or graduates from these schools could chime in about some of the following concerns, I’d really appreciate it!
~~~How rigorous is Penn Engineering? Probably just as hard? Is grade inflation just as non-existent?
~~~Penn offers a "Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering" major, whereas the other schools do not. They may offer "Chemical Engineering", and I'm sure all schools offer concentrations within ChemE for bioeng, but would the "Biomolecular" tag associated with Penn's degree be a big benefit for me?
~~~Northeastern, Penn, and UMaryland all offer "Bioengineering", whereas Cornell only offers either "Biological Engineering" which seems to be more related to agricultural sciences (?) and "Biomedical Engineering", which I don't think fits my interests all that well...
~~~I've heard that there are opportunities (though highly competitive) in research to receive grants that cover one's whole grad-school education at various universities around the nation. All schools offer good research opportunities, but will any give me a greater chance of securing these grants/fellowships? Are there grants which are given to a greater # of students, as well as those that are reserved for an extremely select few?
Thank you all so muchhhh!