My daughter is looking to attend college next year in the field of biomedical engineering. We have taken her to visit UC, Northwestern, Michigan, Ohio State and Duke. The part that has been a pleasant surprise to me is that my alma mater is so much better than it used to be. Enough so that UC is tied with Northwestern as her first choice, ahead of third choice Duke and with Michigan and Ohio State already written off.

She had been to the UC campus several times already (twice with her high school band, playing in the Homecoming parade and with the UC band at halftime during a game this season). We took the official tour anyway. We started with the general campus tour, and unfortunately, it was what I expected from UC. The entire tour took about 40 minutes, and the guide showed us the football field, the Shoemaker Center, both campus Starbucks, took us briefly into the library, then pointed out where the buildings where classes are held without a look at any of them. My daughter was willing to go home and just write off UC at that point.

Then we went to the engineering tour. We started out being talked to about the co-op program for over half an hour by a former dean of engineering. We were then given a tour by a student, much like at the other universities, though we were in a group with only six touring students (and their parents), much smaller than the groups at most other schools. The difference was that this student brought us to a room where the heads of the biomedical engineering and two other engineering departments talked to us for another 15-20 minutes. Then the head of the biomedical engineering department took the three students interested in his department on another half hour tour, showing them projects his students have worked on recently.

My daughter was blown away. We did not even see a professor or dean at Michigan, Ohio State or Duke, and just one at Northwestern. The UC engineering tour was miles ahead of all the rest.

Since she has been accepted at UC, she keeps getting regular correspondence from them. Today she received a hand written postcard from a sophomore in biomedical engineering, describing the University Honors program and giving his email in case she wants to ask any questions.

As the process moves along, I keep marveling that UC is doing all the right things to attract my daughter to go to school there. I am leaving that decision up to her, but I am glad and proud that UC has done everything since the initial campus tour as well or better than these other big name universities.

my wife graduated with an engineering degree from UC and has done VERY well

So have my wife and I.

nice!

Your daughter must be incredibly smart with those choices. Glad UC is making itself attractive to those types of kids. Thanks for sharing.

congrats to your daughter!

Bruce - glad to hear you had a positive experience. Are you planning on providing your feedback to the school? I think they would love to hear it.

Yes, I am planning on sending something to the President's office.

bruce if you want any advice or have any questions.. as a recent BME grad and former president of the UC band I may be able to answer anything she may have wondered that wasnt in a pamphlet and if I cant I knew a few seniors in BME this year as well..

Sounds good to me. My daughter also would be interested in the marching band. Please email me at bdmonnin@nktelco.net.

Bruce those are all great options, you must be a very proud dad.