<p>After just receiving the last of my acceptance letters, I find myself in a sticky situation. The big decision comes down to choosing between Johns Hopkins and Rice. I plan to major in Biomedical Engineering, so JHU obviously offers the better program. Rice on the other hand is close to home and still a very reputable school. I have received scholarships to both, so the price will be about the same. Any suggestions or comments about engineering at these two schools will definitely help me out!</p>
<p>JHU is ranked first in the nation in biomedical engineering i believe so i would definitely go there</p>
<p>I really do not know anything about the program at Rice, but I work in the Engineering School at JHU. JHU spent two years doing a self-assessment and determination of where they wanted to be for the next 25-50 years, and they decided, basically, that since they already have the best med school and a top-notch engineering program, that they would concentrate their efforts in having the finest biomedical engineering program in the world. </p>
<p>Period.</p>
<p>The money is flooding in; it is definitely the place to be. And it extends well beyond the biomed department itself--every engineering dept, most of the med school and even some of the A&S departments are committed to this. In the last 3 years my dept (Mech Eng) has added 5 faculty involved in robotics, haptics and other biomed applications.</p>
<p>Just remember, "close to home" is often deceptive. My eldest S is at Caltech near LA which means a $99/5 hour air trip, shorter and cheaper than some of his friends who are "closer."</p>
<p>Best wishes whatever you decide.</p>
<p>wyogal: Thanks for your response!
I'm curious about what you do in the BME dept. Do you see this cut-throat competition, or is it just hype? What about quality of living? I'm visiting JHU on Monday the 11th for the Hodson reception, and will be there through Tuesday. Do you know anything about arranging (real) tours?</p>
<p>I too looked at Rice and Johns Hopkins. The thing about college is that if you go to a top tier college like either Rice or Johns Hopkins and do your work, doors will open for you. Academically, you'll get your bases covered just fine at either university.</p>
<p>What it really comes down to is the sort of academic and college environment you'd like. Johns Hopkins has a very individual style of study. It's a lot more cut-throat, and while you'd have a very high-caliber education, you've got a lot of "look to your left, look to your right, only one of you will make it through this course" than at other universities. If you work well on your own, you'd really stand out here. There's a lot of pressure, but you'll shine.</p>
<p>On the other hand, at Rice, you've got a very supportive, more community-oriented environment. There's a lot more emphasis on the college experience at Rice. Their bio engineering department is top-notch as well, with abundant research opportunities, so there's plenty of things there to advance your career.</p>
<p>My suggestion is to not think primarily of your career, but rather, think of your happiness. Your career will fall into place if you do the work, no matter which university you choose.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>How important is it to attend an ABET accredited school? I know Rice is not. I plan on getting my masters, possibly PhD. Does affect my chances of getting into another school's graduate program?
aibarr: Where did you go to school? You seem very knowledgeable, and have the same values I do. It's hard to evaluate everything - even with visits.</p>
<p>Confusedkid- ABET accreditation really isn't an issue. Both are very legitimate programs, and whether a school has accreditation or not really has no bearing on how your degree will be seen. My degree was ABET accredited, but nobody ever, ever asked about it... essentially, if a graduate school has heard of your university (and Rice is highly regarded in the academic engineering community), ABET accreditation is a null point.</p>
<p>I got my undergraduate degree in civil engineering at Rice, SRC class of 2004, and am currently in the top graduate structural engineering program in the nation at University of Illinois... so Rice'll get you in pretty much anywhere, graduate engineering school-wise; I wouldn't worry about that. In my spare time, I'm a professional tutor and am working for Kaplan Test Prep, so I meet a lot of people in your position, and it's good to have answers for them. ;)</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>