<p>Hi, need help to make a list of good schools for biomed engineering... Top, top schools would be great, but want to have balance.. challenging, yet good program... Can anyone help? So overwhelmed!</p>
<p>Daughter's profile:</p>
<p>-Top 10% of class
- Lives in NE, but willing to go away, anywhere for college
- Took ACT and SAT cold first time to determine what to focus on: ACT- 27; SAT: 1800
- Pretty rigorous high school college prep courseload (honors and AP throughout)
- 90 average
- Wants to study abroad
- Wants a school that has lots of good research opportunities
- Prob won't get much financial aid according to FAFSA
- Is well rounded (very involved at high school-- marching band, service clubs, basketball team, honor societies, volunteers outside of school)
- Is ok with bigger schools vs. small</p>
<p>One really excellent school for biomedical engineering is UC San Diego. It’s hard to get into the UC system out of state and even harder into the biomedical engineering at that school</p>
<p>While her score may be good for her school and your location, they are a bit under what is generally needed to get into a top, top school, esp for anything engineering.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh could be a possibility worth trying. Anything pre-med there is really good.</p>
<p>If she can get them up a few points more, she might get in to Case Western in Ohio (or you can try even with the scores she has now, but it’ll be a reach).</p>
<p>Is there a state school in your state with biomed engineering?</p>
<p>Otherwise, see if she’ll spend time studying for the tests and try again in the early fall. Scores aren’t everything… but they do assist with getting into many top programs.</p>
<p>Her scores would have to increase greatly for top, top schools…and even for top schools. Eng’g majors at top schools have ACTs in the 32-36 range. </p>
<p>Do you know how much you’re willing to pay each year? that and her stats will largely determine where she should apply. </p>
<p>BioMedE isn’t widely offered. What is her career goal? Medicine? PhD/research?</p>
<p>challenging, yet good program</p>
<p>virtually EVERY eng’g program at any decent school will be very challenging. There are no easy ways to an eng’g degree…even at a good state school. Eng’g majors are usually the hardest majors on any campus. There is a 3rd tier public by my home that has a very difficult and challenging College of Eng’g, but the grads immediately get hired.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone! Yes, she is working very hard on getting the scores up, and we expected that to be the case…already set to re take both in the Fall. We don’t necessarily need the top tier schools, but probably 2nd tier…she is a hard worker, wants to study in college vs. partying, and always has been an excellent student but we also want her to be able to enjoy college too. We are still working thru numbers but for arguments sake lets say 50%+</p>
<p>Mom2collegekids: what is the 3rd tier school by you? And what sort of jobs do the eng grads receive? Mostly research? She prob wants research after grad. Hubby vet focused on that…Thanks.</p>
<p>She is interested in Clemson, Vanderbilt, Drexel, BU, UConn, Case… I saw UPitt offers what she wants, also U VA, Duke… Any thoughts on those? Are there others on list of schools that offer biomedical engineering thru Naviance, that we should really look at?</p>
<p>Ooh, thanks for the advice… Strange that you mention WPI, as we have been looking at the mail that she has been receiving from them …that is Worcester polytechnic? She didn’t want a tech school as she doesn’t think she will get the well rounded college experience… What would you say to her on that front? Hadn’t strongly considered those schools up to this point, but we will now consider… Thanks…</p>
<p>… uab is a tier one research university, only one in alabama ranked high research by carnegie. was awarded the beckman scholar award (only 11 universities in the country are awarded this)
uab receives more research funding than all other universities in the state combined.</p>
<p>UAB ranks among Top-20 nationally in federal research and development funding and 1st in the state of Alabama, receiving more funding than all other Alabama universities combined. UAB received over $416 million in external grants and contracts in fiscal 2007–2008.[20]
As of 2009, UAB is 4th in the Southeast for NIH research funding behind only Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Vanderbilt University.[30]</p>
<p>The University of Alabama at Birmingham is nationally ranked among Top-20 in total federal research funding and key areas of health sciences receiving more than $433 million dollars in funding.[32] The Scientist magazine recently ranked UAB No. 24 on its Top 40 “Best Places to Work as a Postdoctoral Fellow” list, up from its No. 56 ranking in 2008.[33] In the 2010 Princeton Review College Rankings, UAB is listed as one of the “Best Southeastern Colleges” and one of the top 371 colleges/universities in the US. In addition, out of the 371 Best College Rankings, UAB was ranked #3 in race/class interaction, #11 for happiest students, and #14 for best athletic facilities.[34] In the 2011 US News and World Report, UAB is listed as a “more selective” institution and 151st overall (public or private) among 572 universities in USA.[35] In 2009, the Scientist Magazine ranked UAB as 5th in the Top 15 U.S. Academic Institutions and up from 47th in 2007.[36]</p>
Does that mean you’re willing to spend $50K+/year on school for her? That is what the UCs (just one example of the schools listed) will cost. What is your home state?</p>
<p>I believe the school mom2 referenced is Alabama-Huntsville.</p>
<p>Biomedical engineering may be the most difficult major of all. OP’s stats are somewhat low for the typical bio eng student. There is a good possibility of not being able to handle it. Who knows, maybe she’s great in science and will thrive, but she should be more focused on overall fit in case she decides to change majors.</p>
<p>agree chardo, (uab is a tier one research university) but you are right about the mention in her post being about uah…i was just clarifying that uah didnt have biomed eng. :)</p>
<p>Re: WPI and other STEM-focused schools, yes she will get a well-rounded education. They all require students to take a range of other courses, the specifics vary by college.
The disadvantage is that the number of liberal arts departments and courses are not as extensive as they are at a typical university. There is way more than any engineering student needs (since there is less room for electives) so it isn’t really an issue unless the student decides they don’t want to study engineering/science/business. Look at each school’s offerings for specifics. My son is happy with WPI’s offerings and has been impressed with the professors he has had in humanities and arts. But they don’t have French for example.
Students at STEM schools are a little on the geeky side Not everyone enjoys that environment, you may want to have friends that are not science/engineering nerds. But there are lots of activities and fun-loving kids just the same.
Since you are in the NE I would suggest you check out WPI just to see what she thinks. The Fall Open House days are especially good.
I think it is worthwhile since she will have an admissions and merit aid boost as a female applicant. If she doesn’t like it, then you know…</p>
<p>Thanks everyone! Regarding funding, I meant up to 50% of the yearly cost and hoping rest from merit aid and scholarships and other places, though in speaking to other friends with kids in and headed to colleges it is doubtful…thanks for additional comments… Are there any thoughts on other schools on her list? Is It worth the time or effort to consider those not yet discussed? WPI will be on her visit list and we will look into others you all suggested… I am beginning to wonder where those who are interested in her field who may not be strong stats-wise, but who have the interest go? Any thoughts?</p>
Not everyone enjoys that environment, you may want to have friends that are not science/engineering nerds. But there are lots of activities and fun-loving kids just the same.