Shankist

Okay guys, I sort of have a dilemma here.

I'm going to be a sophomore in the BME program at JHU and I don't really like it there. I don't like the environment and I hate Baltimore.

I'm wondering whether I should transfer to UCSD. I was accepted into bioengineering there as a junior, but I'm pretty sure it will still take three years to graduate. Anyways, my sister lives there and I've heard they have a ton of BME intern opportunities there.
Although it is out of state, I think it'll be cheaper than Johns Hopkins as well. The weather is a lot nicer than in Baltimore as well.

I'm also considering staying an extra semester at Johns Hopkins and then possibly transferring to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for eletrical engineering as I'm not really sure that BME is a good idea. I've heard that it is hard to get a job as a BME because the average BME isn't specialized enough. UIUC is ranked a lot higher for electrical engineering, whereas UCSD and Johns Hopkins are both a lot better for BME. UIUC would be the closest to home, as I live in St. Louis, MO. I know I was complaining about the weather at Johns Hopkins and realized it will probably suck in Illinois as well, but at least I won't be living in a ghetto.

So please, Johns Hopkins, UCSD, or try to transfer somewhere else for electrical engineering? Thanks for your input.

hellothere5

Well this is weird... I transferred from JHU to Berkeley this year (aka I was Hopkins '15). Obviously I say transfer if you don't like it cause that's what I did and I'm much happier now.

jleemd21

I say go to where every makes you happy! sounds afwul like my buddy

PoliEcon

Try transferring to UIUC or Berkeley?

Song02

I'd say trying to transfer to Berkeley would generally be a smart choice, since it has the top engineering department of all of the UCs and a well-respected education overall. However, only do so if you understand the type of environment you'd be moving into. Baltimore may not be all that nice, but I can promise you that there are very few places like Berkeley, which can be both a good and bad thing. I'd say visit it if you could, or at the very least, ask Berkeley students on this website what Berkeley (the city, not necessarily the school) is like.

If you want to transfer to UCSD, I don't see why you shouldn't try -- you're not committing to anything just yet, and how many other chances will you get? It's one of the top three UCs (after Berkeley and UCLA), and, as long as you're looking for work in CA, going to one of the top three UCs gives you the competitive edge. Berkeley may give you a bigger competitive edge -- and let's not forget that it's next to Silicon Valley, where many of your job opportunities will be-- but to each his own. If you plan on seeking work outside of CA, I'd try Berkeley, UCLA and Stanford. All three have pretty well-known names; Berkeley and Stanford are really well-known in the engineering world; Stanford and UCLA are in really nice locations; and depending upon how much money you/your parents make, Stanford is known to give some really great financial aid packages. I'd try these three along with UCSD.

Particularly if you plan on finding a job outside of CA, I wouldn't necessarily recommend applying to the other UCs.