<p>If this is one of those "dumb" questions that shouldn't be asked since there is no real information to the question, then I apologize for asking it. I asked the question because I wanted to already have an idea of where I stand in the admission process into the program so I don't get my hopes up. I realize this major is highly competitive, but I wondered if the admissions' officers also take into account the lack/difficulty of availability of research options for students in states like Idaho. The Sensors, Instrumentation, and Micro/Nanotechnology focus area really seemed to appeal to me and what I want to do in graduate school and no other biomedical engineering program at the other universities I've applied to have the same types of courses like JHU. Does a lack of high school research internships greatly reduce one's chances of being accepted into the biomedical engineering program?
Thank you everyone for taking the time to read this post!</p>
<p>Colleges can’t penalize students if they never had the chance to do something. I think that goes to show that conversely, if you could be doing something and you’re not, well that’s another story. My $0.02</p>
<p>Circumstances do count, yes. But as an applicant for a program as specific and rigorous (and prestigious) as JHU’s BME, you’ll have to demonstrate a reason behind that interest. For many, that would be research, but for others it could be disciplined self-study or an independent study program or one of many things. If you’ve done no such things in high school, that begs the question of how you even got interested in a program like BME. This is a discipline that one doesn’t just fall in love with at first sight, if you get what I mean. I mean you say you’re into micro/nanotech but the only way most high school students encounter these areas is through research.</p>
<p>Well I’ve done engineering internships, just not any biomedical research since there really isn’t any of that kind readily available to high school students here. The reason I was interested in it is I’ve seen seminars at Boise State University on the field and I’ve read some textbooks on some of the courses and I liked the content. I only have a more personal reason for choosing the field which is explained in my essay and I’d like to keep that private. I hope I don’t sound rude but I feel that not all students have the opportunity to get involved in micro/nanotech research but they may have heard and learned about it through other means, so their interest in a field can be stemmed from more than just research. Thanks for all your insights and opinions though I appreciate it!</p>
<p>You definitely will not get ‘penalized’ for not having done any particular BME related research.</p>
<p>I agree with srrinath in that admissions officers are look for demonstrated interest in a particular field. This means not just taking classes in school in the field, but also taking advantage of outside resources and making opportunities for yourself to learn more about the field. This could mean anything from shadowing to taking classes to independent study to doing research in a completely unrelated scientific field. In my first hand experience in the BME program, the people who get into the BME program are the ones who look had a passion for science in high school - they were the ones who took all the science classes they could fit in high school (whether that was 2 or 10), who participated in science clubs and competitions, etc etc.</p>
<p>That said, everything you do is looked at in the context of your city and school. If your school doesn’t offer any AP science classes, it’s not going to look bad that you didn’t take any. Some high schools have dozens of ‘college counselors’ and encourage all of their students to do research, but just because your school doesn’t , it doesn’t mean you don’t have a chance of getting in. However, you still need to show your interest in science some how.</p>
<p>But beyond what you have done in your time in high school, I think a very important factor is that you (the applicant) understands what BME really us. You would be surprised the number of people who I’ve met at open houses who are certain they want to apply BME simple because 1) they want to be doctors or 2) it’s the only program with capped admissions. Given that you said you have some background knowledge about the field from seminars, and the fact that you know what concentration you’re interested in, it seems like you have a solid idea why you want to go into BME. Make this clear in your essay and make sure your science recommendation letter writers are aware of this as well.</p>
<p>Hope that helps! Feel free to post if you have any other questions about the BME program or Hopkins in general!</p>
<p>I don’t want to generalize but BME’s not exactly the sort of thing most seventeen year olds would be most excited about. Not saying people with genuine passions for the subject don’t exist, but more often than not I think you get people who love the notions of prestige and quality associated with BME than the actual field of study itself.</p>
<p>Agreed. And luckily the Admissions Office does a great job of filtering the majority of those people out, and the rest will self-filter themselves after the two or three semesters, when they realize that the math-intensity and the workload isn’t worth the ‘trouble’ of the ‘prestigious’ BME program. Those who end up sticking with BME (90+ % of the incoming freshmen, I would guess-timate) are generally the ones who actually love the stuff we’re learning.</p>
<p>Thanks you guys, I appreciate the good feedback. Yes I’ve got straight A, taken 11 AP classes total (doing AP Calc BC Currently), and I’ve done well on my Standardized tests, and I liked my essays, so in those generic evaluators I might be ok, I was just wondering if extra things like research were big determining factors and I appreciate the great feedback. Thanks!</p>