Monday, May 20, 2013

The Ultimate Post

Before you get all excited, know that I mean ultimate as in last, not omnipotent. Sorry my loving readers. This is the last. And as such, there will be no colleges to be reviewed, simply a report of my progress.

At the beginning of this year I  had no idea what i wanted to do, or where to go to do it. So I made  this blog as a way to publicize my reviews of some of the top colleges in the nation. And, much to my surprise, I found something I  truely enjoy doing and plan to pursue. And even more suprising, the colleges I reviewed were all top colleges in that field.

This field is biomedical engineering. It is, for those of you who do not know, the study, research, development, and installation of fabricated tissues, organs and forms to take medication. Not only is it a cutting edge field, but also one of the top job markets for the predicted future. With the nation's average age creeping ever higher, a massive percent of our population will be in need of such replacements. I plan to be there to fill those needs.

As such, I will be looking for the top biomedical schools in the nation. This includes John Hopkins and UC Berkeley, much to my pleasure. I will look further, not trusting my acceptance to only those prestigious universitites, but wish me luck this coming fall as I apply.

I will need it.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Cal Poly

Hello Again!

In todays (not so) thrilling update is Cal Poly! This fine college is located in San Luis Obispo, a land of great views and opportunities. It is located right by the water, giving a great opportunity for learning about any of its 64 offered majors. At first glance, the only difficulty seems to be that you must be admitted with a declared major. No time to ponder your future here!

On to some quick statistics about Cal Poly. It host a moderate student body ( at 18,762 as of Fall of 2011), with a staff of 1,244 ( also in Fall 2011). The total faculty to student ratio, including management and part time work, ends at approximately 19:1. Including its many ranches and offshoots, the campus size totals at 9,678 acres! In fact, Cal Poly is the second largest land-holding university in California, second only to UC Berkeley ( Go Bears!). The student ratio is men 54% to Women's 46%, which is not good odds for male dating life. However, girls are in luck!The average GPA for a high school graduate is 3.84 as of Fall 2011.

Whew. That was a lot in one paragraph. Got it all? Feel free to go back and read it again if you want. I'll wait.....

I'm assuming you either didn't go back, you are done rereading, or you can magically read two things at once, but I journey to my conclusion! Overall, I see Cal Poly as a great school for anyone interested in sciences. They have a beautiful campus, and while it shall never be Berkeley in my heart (or in size...) it is a noble and proud college to attend.

Friday, March 1, 2013

UC Santa Cruz

     This post is inspired by one of my new best friends, Naviance. With my mind barren and empty of ideas, the college search option on this website is heaven sent. And it has chosen. UC Santa Cruz, it is your time to shine. 

    Some quick facts about UCSC, in a very condensed form. UCSC tuition is currently between $13,416 / $36,294, with room and board an additional $14,727. The current enrollment at UCSC is 17, 187 fully enrolled students. 

    Now that all that logistics is out of the way, here is my impression of the college itself. Located on a funky beachfront town, Santa Cruz is a beautiful campus and easy access to both the Santa Cruz boardwalk and Mary Anne's Ice Cream ( the second best ice cream in the state)! 

    UCSC offers over eighty majors (including Biotechnology!) to get degrees in. They advertise strongly on their school of Engineering, Jack Basking. They particularly advertise their degrees in nanotechnology and genomics. 

   Overall, UCSC seems like a great choice of school. It is in a nice small urban area with a beautiful view, combined with ample academics for those who are devoted to their learning. Although it will never hold the special place in my hear as does UC Berkeley, it is a choice I will seriously consider. 

P.S. They have the best Mascot ever.... THE BANANA SLUG!

Sunday, February 3, 2013

UC Santa Barbara

Hello readers! I'm back after a long absence. As you might have guessed, I'm beginning to feel a bit lost on which colleges to review. But, inspired by my cousin,  I have decided to review UC Santa Barbara. While this is a self advertised party school, it is also well known for its academic courses.

UCSB has a very large selection of courses to choose from. With the range of 120 majors, and a full, if strange, selections of classes, its college students can pursue any variety of classes.  For instance, you can take general elective classes to learn about subjects ranging from dinosaur bones to the history of African American pop music(*coughmycousincough*), all working for you as you strive for your major.

Along with the wide selection of academic possibilities, UC Santa Barbara is known for its beautiful campus. Located right at the edge of the sea, it even offers courses in surfing! According to student reviews, the school is rated a 5/5, with the non conforming ones solely (to my views) as outlying reviews  such as the one person complaining about their parking fines!

Overall, Santa Barbara is a place for whatever you want to fine. Reviews from non partiers claim that non social persons can still have a good academic career, and as per its reputation, Santa Barbara does play host to a very... active... social life. Just beware of a mysterious event known only as "Couch Burning Week"...

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Johns Hopkins University

Well, this is my first entry not pre mediated. As some of my readers may know, I am very interested in a career of Biomdical Engineering. As is easily discoverable by a google search and a quick click, John Hopkins is the top rated school for this program in the United States(Berkley is #2)! So here is my rather random review.

Just some quick tid bits about Johns Hopkins... The Student to staff ration is 4.8 to 1 staff member ( which is considered a high rate for a university). Also, the university has a low rate of 28.4 percent female to 71.6% male (sorry men, the dating is by necessity fierce). However, this is a very small pool as the full time student enrolment is at a low 1,071 students.

Johns Hopkins also advertises itself with its diverse and adaptable engineering program. Students enrolled can choose from 14 individual departments spread amongst 12 areas of study for full or part time enrollment. Also impressive is the Schools other area, including the Carey Buisness school, Peabody Institute, and Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Although Johns Hopkins is known for its Engineering program mainly, it does offer other areas for students to explore. Its engineering program itself is known nationwide and is the number one school for Biomedical Engineering. Whiel it may not be as famed as some of the other schools I have reviewed, it will be well investigated when it comes time for me to apply\pick which schools to go to.