<p>I am torn between JHU and Duke. I know based off extensive research and visits to both of the schools that I would like to apply Early Decision. However, I am having extreme difficulty choosing which school I believe will be the best home for me for the next 4 years. This summer I was at Hopkins for a month long summer camp and I absolutely loved the campus but there are still some things holding me back from locking into Hopkins. As of right now I am confident that BME is the engineering major I would like to study. However, I am also thinking about possibly minoring in EE or neuroscience as well. I'm worried that with the rigor of JHU's BME program adding a minor would not be practical if I'd still like to engage in an active social life (this is also a concern between the 2 schools) and possibly club swimming. Another concern is that in the event that I change my mind and decide to switch engineering majors, would I be better off at Duke where it seems the engineering program as a whole is stronger than JHU's ? Could anyone give me some insight on the differences between the two BME programs? Also, the social life is another important factor for me and JHU seems to have a bad reputation for being less social. I'm not looking for the same kind of social life one would have a large state institution but I don't want to attend a school where the social life is less than lacking. Given that I am accepted, which school would be better choice for my interests?</p>
<p>As a fellow applicant of JHU (non bme because im not crazy), Duke would be a better suit for you specifically because BME is not something that jhu will allow you to slack on. Duke gives more leeway for social life.</p>
<p>*coughs
Ahem, my turn to shine.</p>
<p>I think the difference between the two is being grossly conflated. Both programs will give you access to world-class research, a rigorous education, and a healthy social life (I promise!). Neither will be easy if you want to do well. Believe it or not, the most important variable here is you. College is hands-off…really hands-off. If you want to spend 8 hours in the library each day, you can. If you want to go to every frat party, you can do that to. A select few can do both; most of us balance our priorities. That said, I don’t think the social life at Hopkins is lacking. The campus is smaller, yes, but there’s something to be said for recognizing someone (almost) everywhere you go. </p>
<p>While Duke’s undergraduate engineering program may be strong than Hopkin’s as a whole, don’t forget that Hopkins is far better funded for a reason. Other engineers here also have plenty of opportunities as well.</p>
<p>So honestly, go with what your heart says. It sounds corny, but it’s true; if you are hesitant about Hopkins, just apply to Duke and vice versa. But I highly doubt you’re going to be regretting either decision.</p>
<p>In my biased opinion, apply to Duke. Hopkins and Duke are the two unmatched leaders in BME, and you can’t go wrong with either one of them. But I’ve heard horror stories about Hopkins BME, while students at Duke do enjoy a balanced social life. Additionally, Duke isn’t only strong in BME but other majors including ECE and Neuro. </p>
<p>The above answer is fully correct. You could visit both universities before deciding. However, I will say that if you are concerned about social scene, choose Duke. You can be as social as you please here. </p>
<p>One correction in your assumptions. As a whole, jhu’s engineering is better than duke’s based on all rankings and based on reputation (i was on the fellowship committee at stanford engineering school)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>JHU engineering is ranked higher than Duke engineering overall, but the difference between their BME is negligible (#1 vs #2).</p></li>
<li><p>Duke’s curriculum is more flexible because a lot of courses count for both degrees. You can double major in BME and ECE and minor in Neuroscience if you come in with enough science AP credits because Pratt takes an unlimited number of AP credits. There’s specifically a BME/Neuroscience double major route which is lain out somewhere on the website.</p></li>
<li><p>Duke BME is probably easier to get into than JHU BME, but Pratt is also a tad more selective than Whiting. And if you don’t get into JHU BME the first time around, you won’t be able to do BME at all for all four years.</p></li>
<li><p>However, Duke’s engineering offerings are more limited than JHU’s. If you think you’ll do some sort of chemical engineering later on, don’t choose Duke, because Duke doesn’t have a ChemE department.</p></li>
<li><p>Social life at Duke is, based on reputations, better than that at JHU.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Based on what you say, and my dislike of Hopkins when I visited, I’d recommend Duke ED. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>JHU engineering is ranked higher than Duke engineering overall, but the difference between their BME is negligible (#1 vs #2).</p></li>
<li><p>Duke’s curriculum is more flexible because a lot of courses count for both degrees. You can double major in BME and ECE and minor in Neuroscience if you come in with enough science AP credits because Pratt takes an unlimited number of AP credits. There’s specifically a BME/Neuroscience double major route which is lain out somewhere on the website.</p></li>
<li><p>Duke BME is probably easier to get into than JHU BME, but Pratt is also a tad more selective than Whiting. And if you don’t get into JHU BME the first time around, you won’t be able to do BME at all for all four years.</p></li>
<li><p>However, Duke’s engineering offerings are more limited than JHU’s. If you think you’ll do some sort of chemical engineering later on, don’t choose Duke, because Duke doesn’t have a ChemE department.</p></li>
<li><p>Social life at Duke is, based on reputations, better than that at JHU.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Based on what you say, and my dislike of Hopkins when I visited, and if you like both schools equally, I’d recommend Johns Hopkins ED if you just want to get into engineering (statistically easier than Pratt ED), and Duke ED if you’re dead set on BME. </p>
<p>Thankyou all for your thoughtful responses, I appreciate it but I still haven’t been able to make a decisive choice</p>
<p>I’m also wondering what the chances a JHU BME student can graduate and go to a graduate school like Stanford or UPenn’s Wharton for business school?</p>
<p>Now it sounds like you have an aspiration to collect “impressive” degrees. Instead you should focus on accomplishments in research or industry. If you are a good engineer with an entrepreneurs bent, do the work and get the MBA later on (or hire an MBA to support your business).
Unlike law school or med school, where people often matriculated straight out of college, Most students in high ranking business schools have been working and acquiring real world experience. In addition, the MBA degree is optimally paid for by an employer. </p>