Hello!
So I was lucky enough to accepted to both schools and making the final choice is proving to be a struggle. I plan to major in bioengineering (biomedical engineering at JHU). It is definitely a field that I’ve been set on throughout high school. I know JHU has the stronger BME program, but I am probably more comfortable with UMD’s campus. Of course UMD is $0 for my family while JHU is $10k-$15k which is still a pretty good deal. I’m really stuck on what to choose, I’m open to any suggestions and I can answer any questions you have for me.
Is it full ride or full tuition? That can matter the 10K - 15K.
Your family’s financial status will affect it. If your EFC is near 15K, go for the full ride, it is just not worth it to go into debt, IMHO.
UMD is in more of a suburban area than JHU, that might be a factor. I don’t think you can lose with either.
(PS - I know someone with great stats who was turned down from JHU BME, so good job on the acceptance!)
First off, congrats! Would you have to take out loans to go to Hopkins? Are you planning to go to grad school? I would say Hopkins is better choice, since you did get money from the school, but make a t chart and compare the two schools. Best of luck!
@rhandco UMD is full everything- tuition, room and board, and a book allowance. The areas don’t bother me as much, but I am definitely not as informed about JHU campus (I plan to visit). Thank you so much!
@t3rryd4ctyl I’m not sure about loans. I plan of either going to med or grad school, based on my college experience and if I prefer research or medicine or industry. I’ve started the comparison chart already haha, thank you!
The room and board scholarship will probably be taxable, so when you run those numbers, take that into account. If you’re not sure how to handle it, ask in the Financial Aid Forum. Someone there should be able to talk you through it.
Both of these are good options. Truly it comes down to whether or not the cost difference is an issue for your family, and whether you prefer College Park to Baltimore. If you can squeeze it in, go visit both and see how you feel about the locations.