<p>I’ve been trying to decide between these schools for a long time, and I am planning to major in chemical and biomolecular engineering or perhaps just chemical engineering. As an international student, I couldnt make visits so am unable to really check out which schools fits. I was actually quite inclining towards Hopkins, but I heard about the safety issues, and my folks aren’t too happy with it. In terms of prestige, I think all are quite the same. </p>
<p>Anyone any ideas?</p>
<p>northwestern woudl be my choice- - good location, more preswtige, the highest on uswnar, and just an all around good school.</p>
<p>I don’t know enough about the other schools you’re considering to compare them, but don’t let the safety/security issue turn you away from Hopkins. Look through old threads on this site and [Hopkins</a> Undergraduate Admissions :: Hopkins Forums](<a href=“http://apply.jhu.edu/forums]Hopkins”>http://apply.jhu.edu/forums) for discussions on safety. While Baltimore, like any big city, is inherently dangerous, the area around campus and the areas that you would go as a student are relatively safe as long as you use common sense. The campus and the area around it is very safe - our campus security has a huge CCTV (video) system as well as lots of officers on patrol on foot, bike, vehicle and Segway. Hopkins was rated the safest campus by Reader’s Digest (though their methodology is questionable).</p>
<p>The advantages of Hopkins, in my opinion, are its strengths in many fields (not just sciences) and the amazing research opportunities, especially if you’re interested in medically related applications (ie biomolecular engineering), but also in non-medical areas.</p>
<p>First of all, don’t confuse chemical and biomolecular engineering with biomedical engineering. I just want to point it out in case you are picking JHU simply because of its renowned and #1 biomedical engineering program. They are two different things. The “biomolecular” is really more about biochemical or applying biology/biochemistry to biochemical/chemical processes and products. At its core, most classes are still about chemical engineering.</p>
<p>The USN graduate rankings are the following:
CMU: 13th
Northwestern: 15th
UCLA: 25th
Johns Hopkins: 27th</p>
<p>I went to Northwestern so perhaps I am biased. But honestly, as an engineer, I really think NU has the best program for you. The core (chemE) would be very similar among all of your choices (same textbook, similar caliber of faculty (not a huge difference in ranking)…etc) but it’s the first-year curriculum (called Engineering First) that differentiates Northwestern’s program from the others. Also, if biotech/biochemical engineering is what you want to specialize, there’s a certificate program available beyond the regular specialization.
<a href=“http://www.chem-biol-eng.northwestern.edu/ugradpgm/cert_biotech.html[/url]”>http://www.chem-biol-eng.northwestern.edu/ugradpgm/cert_biotech.html</a></p>
<p>I’d encourage you to explore the uniquenss of “Engineering First” curriculum before making a decision.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/696002-hs-students-introducing-engineering-first-northwestern.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/696002-hs-students-introducing-engineering-first-northwestern.html</a></p>
<p>Also, I think Northwestern’s location is awesome:
[Community</a> Profile: Evanston, IL Real Estate – chicagotribune.com](<a href=“http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/communities/chi-evanston_chomes_0213feb13,0,6622787.story]Community”>http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/communities/chi-evanston_chomes_0213feb13,0,6622787.story)</p>
<p>departmental rankings matter very little honestly and we all know you can’t make decisions based on that. </p>
<p>Engineering @ Hopkins is innovative, design-based and engaging. You’ll work hard and have small classes which is great. They have a strong international flavor to the campus, a tight-knit community and access to internships all along the east coast.</p>
<p>East coast is a huge bonus here - close to everything and on the train line which practically stops on campus… access to NYC, DC, Philly on the weekends.</p>
<p>I am not sure about the “design-based” part. I am looking at the curriculum and I see only one design course in the last semester (I am a chemE so I know pretty well what various classes are about). Perhaps other engineering (maybe BME in particular) are more design-based but it appears to me that their chemE curriculum is not.
<a href=“http://www.jhu.edu/chembe/undergraduate-programs/docs/MCB%20concentration.pdf[/url]”>http://www.jhu.edu/chembe/undergraduate-programs/docs/MCB%20concentration.pdf</a></p>
<p>They are all fine schools. For Chem Engineering, go to Carnegie Mellon. Both Northwestern AND Johns Hopkins are not as good as CMU in engineering overall, even though it may appear that their rankings are “relatively” close.</p>
<p>However, they are all such great schools that the difference will matter very litter. Northwestern cannot offer you anything academically that Johns Hopkins cannot and vice versa. However, outside of academics and more into extracurriculars/extra (internships, volunteering, etc.), you will find some differences.</p>
<p>Also, prestige is really a regional thing. I can tell you that Northwestern will be more well known in the midwest, but that the Hopkins name is much stronger on the east coast and competes in name recognition with the ivies, whereas Northwestern can often get you a “is that like Northeastern?” type question. Of course, this is amongst people that don’t matter regardless. Amongst top employers and educators, both Northwestern and Johns Hopkins are regarded pretty evenly with a slight edge to Hopkins for more rigorous academics.</p>
<p>
CMU is great for CS/EECS but other than that, it’s gonna depend on which department is being considered. If this were BME, CMU would be nobody. If this were material sciences, CMU wouldn’t be so hot either. CMU doesn’t have management sciences for which NU has a top-5 program. </p>
<p>ChemE got nothing to do with EE/CS. EE and ChemE are probably two of the most unrelated fields. Again, CMU’s strength in EE/CS doesn’t translate to a clear edge in chemE. If the OP has an interest in the biotech side of chemical engineering, then CMU is not the best choice. CMU has no med school and its pure sciences including bio have always been somewhat weak; so it’s been in a competitive disadvantage in interdisciplinary engineering fields that rely on resources from pure sciences. The biotech/biochemical research within their chemical engineering is less developed. That’s why its name is still “chemical engineering”. </p>
<p>I don’t know what you mean by “top employers”. Top consulting and IB firms recruit more at NU than at JHU. Top med schools have more JHU grads. In engineering, firms recruit all over many different schools, including many 3rd-tier ones and lots of them recruit locally.</p>
<p>Since people seem to be fond of using US News on here. Take a look at Peer Assessment score for each of the schools. JHU has a 4.5, the highest score among all the schools you are considering. While this may not be indicative of employer’s opinions, this measures how well JHU is respected by other academics and universities.</p>