<p>I was (luckily!) admitted to both Yale and the University of California San Diego with the Jacobs Engineering Scholarship--basically, I get a full ride, plus perks including priority registration and faculty mentorship/matching for research. I am getting no financial aid from Yale.</p>
<p>I plan to major in biomedical engineering (currently, mainly biochemical/biomolecular), and I am also considering pre-med. If not pre-med, I plan to attend graduate school. I'm also super interested in biomedical engineering's applications to the nervous system. I am visiting both college campuses again soon, which will probably affect my decision, but so far I seem to like the Yale community. I am also from California, and though I like the weather, I'm also interested in seeing other parts of the country!</p>
<p>What are class sizes/attention and research opportunities like? Also, what effect does the high department ranking (UCSD) versus "brand name" (Yale) have with respect to job prospects, grad school admission, and medical school admissions? Any general advice or things to consider? Thank you! </p>
<p>This is a tough choice imo. The Jacobs Scholarship is very selective and prestigious – only around 10 incoming freshmen are offered the award. UCSD is also very strong in BioE (stronger than Yale). If finances are any issue at all for your family and you are looking for a top-ranked BioE program at a strong engineering school, I would give UCSD some serious consideration.</p>
<p>That said, I don’t think I would turn down Yale for UCSD if full freight at Y was not a financial burden for my family at all, even with the Jacobs Scholarship. I don’t think the undergraduate experience at UCSD compares to Yale. Though you will likely receive tons of personal attention and perks as a Jacobs Scholar at UCSD, the caliber of the average student at Y will be much higher, which can provide a much more interesting intellectual environment. Engineering is not Y’s strongest area, but since BME tends to be very interdisciplinary, this is less of a concern. Y still offers a great education and is putting a lot of emphasis on growing their STEM programs.</p>
<p>You can’t go wrong with either option. You can be a competitive job/grad school/med school applicant from either of these schools. Hopefully your visits will clear things up. If money is no object for your family, I would choose Y, but I could easily see how another student would pick UCSD. </p>