UPenn vs Carnegie Mellon University

[unidis]

Hello

I want to pursue postgraduate studies in biotechnology and intend to work in the phramaceutical industry taking on managerial roles, thereafter. I applied to UPenn for the 'Professional Masters in Biotechnology' program as well as to Carnegie Mellon (CMU) for what's called 'MS in Biotechnology and Managament'. These were my top 2 choices and I've been fortunately accepted by Penn. I haven't yet heard from CMU. The dilemma is, that the program curriculum at CMU really interests me as it has management related courses like 'risk analysis', 'financial accounting', etc apart from having some technical courses (its management heavy); whereas the Penn curriculum is more science intensive and barely has any management related courses. I'd love it if someone could shed light on the scope of interdisciplinary programs and also advice me on the problem at hand.

If I don't hear from CMU, then it will be Penn. But if I do then it'll be a very hard choice to make and I'll appreciate all the help I can get.

Thanks alot!

[firefly28]

Hello

I want to pursue postgraduate studies in biotechnology and intend to work in the phramaceutical industry taking on managerial roles, thereafter. I applied to UPenn for the 'Professional Masters in Biotechnology' program as well as to Carnegie Mellon (CMU) for what's called 'MS in Biotechnology and Managament'. These were my top 2 choices and I've been fortunately accepted by Penn. I haven't yet heard from CMU. The dilemma is, that the program curriculum at CMU really interests me as it has management related courses like 'risk analysis', 'financial accounting', etc apart from having some technical courses (its management heavy); whereas the Penn curriculum is more science intensive and barely has any management related courses. I'd love it if someone could shed light on the scope of interdisciplinary programs and also advice me on the problem at hand.

If I don't hear from CMU, then it will be Penn. But if I do then it'll be a very hard choice to make and I'll appreciate all the help I can get.

Thanks alot!

CMU is really good at interdisciplinary programs in general and I'd highly recommend any program there, above Penn (no knock on Penn, which is a good school). Plus CMU has better food around campus

[onmymind]

CMU is really good at interdisciplinary programs in general and I'd highly recommend any program there, above Penn (no knock on Penn, which is a good school). Plus CMU has better food around campus

Where is the good food?? I was a Penn undergraduate and now am a CMU grad student, and I've been consistently disappointed and hungry. :-(

Apart from this trivial point, both schools have strong interdisciplinary programs, but CMU sounds like a better fit with the OP's interests and career goals. Penn is a fantastic backup option, though. I miss Penn and Philadelphia very much.

[unidis]

Thanks firefly and onmymind! Appreciate the help! Onmymind, since you're a CMU grad student, can you tell me wht the recruitment process in CMU is like? The program I've applied for (MSBTM) is a fairly new program. So I've heard that students have to work their way into finding jobs but the career services team is very helpful and efficient. Do most students (looking for jobs) get them easily? The reason I'm asking you this is that I've heard that since the job market froze after recession it hasn't been easy to get jobs. Pls let me know what you think about this.

Thanks again

[firefly28]

Where is the good food?? I was a Penn undergraduate and now am a CMU grad student, and I've been consistently disappointed and hungry. :-(

Apart from this trivial point, both schools have strong interdisciplinary programs, but CMU sounds like a better fit with the OP's interests and career goals. Penn is a fantastic backup option, though. I miss Penn and Philadelphia very much.

Depends on what you like.

For Indian, check out the Kashmiri food truck on the Pitt campus. It's the second one up on Bigelow. There's a reason why it's very popular among Indian students

Also, Udipi Cafe in Monroeville is an authentic southern Indian restaurant. It's delicious.

For middle eastern, there are several great choices:

Salem's Halal Grill and market in the Strip is simply brilliant. Fresh, high quality meat and very affordable meals. They also do a few Indian dishes and have the best tandoori chicken I've ever had.

Taza 21 in Squirrel Hill is a good shwarma cafe. Good wraps, delicious soups.

For hummus, check out Greek Gourmet in Sq. Hill. They stock around a dozen hummus varieties, and make all of them there at the shop.

Vietnamese:

A woman runs a Vietnamese sandwich stands near a Vietnamese restaurant in the Strip during warmer months.

Vietnam's Pho has the best pho in Pittsburgh--you can get it with tripe and tendon, which is positively lovely.

If you drink coffee, I'd recommend 61C for the variety of kinds but Commonplace coffee for environment. Both are in Sq Hill.

Chinese:

American-chinese: Zaw's is the best in the city. In Sq. Hill.

Bakery: Bubble Pi is an authentic Chinese bakery with buns, zongzi, etc. in Sq. Hill

Rose Tea Cafe has authentic Taiwanese food. Yep, also in Sq. Hill.

Thai:

I don't think Pittsburgh has a great Thai restaurant. There are some good ones though. Thai Cuisine in Bloomfield is solid. I've heard good things about Thai Gourmet, which is down the road. One of the two Thai food trucks at CMU is good, the other is kinda meh (the friendlier operator has the weaker food, unfortunately. I still go to his sometimes).

Chaya is a world-class sushi place, in Sq. Hill. It's also, as you would expect, very pricey. Website: http://www.chayausa.com/

South American:

Green Forrest, in Penn Hills, is a Brazilian churrascaria, and a good one. Pricey.

Chicken Latino in The Strip has delicious Peruvian chicken. On Sundays, they also have beef heart, which I highly recommend getting once (you probably won't want to order it again).

Tango Cafe, in Sq. Hill, is a nice coffeeshop. Actually, I recommend it above Commonplace. They have some very yummy Argentinian desserts etc.

Some other places:

Mokabobs runs on Saturdays in the Strip during warm weather and has some terrific kabobs.

S&D Polish deli has delicious perogis, hunter's stew, and other Polish treats.

Luke Wholey runs a fish grill outside of his father's wholesaler. I highly recommend anything that he cooks, but especially his tuna--get it medium rare and enjoy.

There's a good Turkish restaurant in South Oakland, I think on Semple Street. It has very tasty food.

Finally, East Liberty has a good Ethiopian Restaurant (Abay). Definitely check it out.

Oh and if you like tea, check out Te Cafe in Sq. Hill. Friendly staff, a great place to hang out, and a good selection of tea.

Edited February 9, 2011 by firefly28

[anxious2011]

I was a Penn undergrad too, and totally agree, food around Philly is pretty awesome! Never been to CMU's campus though so can't compare.

On a more relevant note, Penn ,at least at the undergrad level, encourages interdisciplinary studies, and I won't be surprised if this philosophy carries over to graduate departments as well. if Penn's program is more science incentive, I would check if there are any opportunities to take a few courses as Penn's business school, which is very highly ranked, and has a broad range of courses similar to the ones you mentioned above. Not sure if they allow it, but worth checking.

[unidis]

Haha thanks firefly, that info is as important as any other info for us Indians! Anxious2011, yes I've been trying to find out whether we can take courses at Wharton or not. Haven't been able to find out much. I'm hoping we can, in which case even if I'm not accepted into CMU, I'll have the option of doing business courses. Anyway thanks alot for your input

[pureen]

Hey Unidis ........after reading this thread ...I think we are on the same boat that too siting adjacent ..I have received admit from Upenn , Northwestern , Penn state and Northeastern ...and apart from this i have also applied to CMU (MSBTM) ...yes dude i am very much flustered now-a-days what to opt and what not to....Though I have been receiving messages from James Gordan for couple of weeks (you might also be getting notifications about the credibility of CMU) ....Dont know what to do.......I received Upenn's admit in the mid Dec.. from that day onwards i am sitting numb....And after getting admissions from the other universities only aggravated the situation ......Hey we can be in touch just PM me your mail Id ..........just waiting to hear you from soon .....

(at last I found someone with whom i can plan and discuss which university to finally attend ) ,,,,,,

[Meraldo]

Hello

I want to pursue postgraduate studies in biotechnology and intend to work in the phramaceutical industry taking on managerial roles, thereafter. I applied to UPenn for the 'Professional Masters in Biotechnology' program as well as to Carnegie Mellon (CMU) for what's called 'MS in Biotechnology and Managament'. These were my top 2 choices and I've been fortunately accepted by Penn. I haven't yet heard from CMU. The dilemma is, that the program curriculum at CMU really interests me as it has management related courses like 'risk analysis', 'financial accounting', etc apart from having some technical courses (its management heavy); whereas the Penn curriculum is more science intensive and barely has any management related courses. I'd love it if someone could shed light on the scope of interdisciplinary programs and also advice me on the problem at hand.

If I don't hear from CMU, then it will be Penn. But if I do then it'll be a very hard choice to make and I'll appreciate all the help I can get.

Thanks alot!

Hello there,

First of all, congratulations for your acceptance to UPenn!! That must feel awesome.

Personally (and according to my cousin who is a graduate of this program), I think UPenn is much more well-known in the field of life science and business, so choosing UPenn over CMU will be a good choice. You can apply for Wharton's MBA program after taking and doing well in a business course from Wharton, which you can take as an elective. Moreover, there are tons of biotech and pharma companies around Philadelphia, in which you can do your summer internship.

Anyway, I am a final year undergraduate intending to apply to the same program in UPenn.. Do you mind telling me your undergraduate major and GPA and your work background? Thank you sooo much!

[Frosty]

Hey Unidis....Congrats on Penn...I have got accepts from UPenn, Northwestern ,Penn State for thebiotech prog and have gone ahead with Upenn...... I havnt applied to CMU....yes you are right that the CMU course is more management focused.However, the Upenn course is brilliant as it is so flexible that one can tailor studies according to ones needs. Moreover, you will be having a few business courses at the Wharton business school , which I feel is a lifetime opportunity. There is no hard and fast rule that you have to carry out a particular set of courses. Penn really encourages interdisciplinary studies and you can apply for more courses at Wharton with the course directors consent. I assume you have gone through the Penn Biotech Group organization. This group offers only managerial relatedaspects of biotech. Students get an opportunity to interact with the business students and get involved in consulting ,analyzing pharma markets ,constructing business models etc. A lot of past students have also got jobs as consultants .

I feel that UPenn has a better business and science school than CMU and the opportunity to do courses at Wharton is a big attraction. Being a Penn alumni and having done courses at Wharton alsoincreases your chances of doing a MBA from Wharton . Furthermore,Philadelphia also has a lot of pharma/biotechcompanies and startups .Though CMU and the MBIOT prog are also good , no doubt.In the end its all about what initiative you take. If students in such courses are very interested in management they wont restrict themselves to thedefined curriculum, You can always take up additional courses and satisfy your interests.

Hope this helps. All the best.

Hello

I want to pursue postgraduate studies in biotechnology and intend to work in the phramaceutical industry taking on managerial roles, thereafter. I applied to UPenn for the 'Professional Masters in Biotechnology' program as well as to Carnegie Mellon (CMU) for what's called 'MS in Biotechnology and Managament'. These were my top 2 choices and I've been fortunately accepted by Penn. I haven't yet heard from CMU. The dilemma is, that the program curriculum at CMU really interests me as it has management related courses like 'risk analysis', 'financial accounting', etc apart from having some technical courses (its management heavy); whereas the Penn curriculum is more science intensive and barely has any management related courses. I'd love it if someone could shed light on the scope of interdisciplinary programs and also advice me on the problem at hand.

If I don't hear from CMU, then it will be Penn. But if I do then it'll be a very hard choice to make and I'll appreciate all the help I can get.

Thanks alot!

Edited February 26, 2011 by Frosty

[pureen]

Hey Frosty .........i think you are the same person who added comment on one of the "UPENN ADMIT" thread on Edulix forum (under Result 2011 sub forum)

Yeah I am following gradecafe too ....so that i could know how many people really made their decision for Upenn Biotech.

(I am repeating my comment as same as on the Edulix forum) .......

.....I am glad to know about your admits ....n yes congo........

I also received admit from Northwestern University & 2 weeks around received questionnaire from the Penn state officials (so hoping to get admit from this one also)......

I have also initiated the I-20 formalities with Upenn .....just managing to get the mandatory financial documents and stuff ( with in two weeks ill upload the documents)

I was facing severe dilemma problem with Northwestern , Upenn & Penn State....coz these 3 carries same reputation and credibility ....however, .becoz of the following attributes finalized on Upenn :-

Assistanship opportunities

Professors over all standing in Biotech realm

Philly the living habitat

Internship platforms (being the biotech hub after San Fransisco, Boston)

Besides this, i wanted to know that :-

I heard from many seniors that there is no well defined placement cell for inviting companies for Biotech students . So, student's majority depends/rely on open job fair seminars ......According to YOU - How this trend really matters for Masters Students after completing Biotech. as their major ........

And at last ....When and by which means You received admit from Penn State...coz i am waiting to hear from them for more than 2 weeks after the submission of long Questionnaire .......

Really looking forward and waiting to hear from YOU

Cheers

[pebbles]

Hello,

I am planning to apply for Ms biotechnology for fall 2012.I have completed my masters in Life Science from India.

I have a GRE score of 1280 . I like the course offered at U Penn , Carnegie Mellon and North eastern.

Could you guys give me some idea of the credentials required to get an admit into the program and as to how can I make my application stronger( Research experience or a job in a phrama ).

[Mehak]

Heyy!! I also got admit from Upenn( PSM Biotechnology) , northwestern university , Penn state university( PSM biotechnology) and texas A & M college station( professional program in biotechnology).Um very confused between dese universities .....Need suggestions!!!

[gradschoolyay]

@[unidis] @[pureen] @[Frosty] @[Mehak] Hey guys,great to find a group of people considering UPenn.I just sent in my confirmationa and will be joining the program this fall.Do let me know who all of you take it up and we can perhaps get to know each other a little bit early on?

Look forward to hearing from you!

cheers,

[Poorva]

Hii people! I am applying for masters in biotech(psm) for fall 2013 and I am having the same confusion that was shared at the start of this post by unidis.

I got my admit from UPenn few days ago but my first preference is CMU as it has more management courses..also I talked to one of my seniors at UPenn and she said we are allowed to take only one course from Wharton so that dashes my hopes for a strong interdisciplinary program, but its still a great school and I haven't heard from CMU yet so m really confused..

Can any of you please share some of your experiences both at UPenn and CMU? and @unidis which course did you finally do?

[Frankiee]

Hii people! I am applying for masters in biotech(psm) for fall 2013 and I am having the same confusion that was shared at the start of this post by unidis. I got my admit from UPenn few days ago but my first preference is CMU as it has more management courses..also I talked to one of my seniors at UPenn and she said we are allowed to take only one course from Wharton so that dashes my hopes for a strong interdisciplinary program, but its still a great school and I haven't heard from CMU yet so m really confused.. Can any of you please share some of your experiences both at UPenn and CMU? and @unidis which course did you finally do?[/quote Hi Poorva，I also got my admit on November. U r interested in more management courses and I think the MB/MBA Track of the program at Upenn is a good choice for you. Maybe you could talk to Victoria about the possibilities.

[Kvothe~]

I've applied to UPenn as well.

I also have Northwestern and Texas on my list for now.

[uromastyx]

We get it, you got into your top choices.

[Nikitha]

Got a letter from CMU saying MSBTM course has been discontinued and no more students are being taken in for fall 2013 . I was looking forward to this course.

[itodam]

Hello all! Congrats to those who have been accepted

 

I have also been accepted to the Biotech programs at Northwestern and UPenn, and also the Biochem masters at Georgetown.

I'm interested in going into pharmaceutical industry and am so unsure which program to choose...

 

For those of you who picked Upenn over Northwestern, would you mind sharing your reasons behind your decision?

Also, does anyone know whether Biochem masters at Georgetown would be a good choice?

 

Thank you in advance!

[sanjayadhikari1989]

hello people...i am a novice in this forum business. i got an admit in CMU (department of mechanical engineering) for the MS program. it is mentioned in the brochure that MS is unfunded. what does that mean? does that mean i have no chances of getting a TA or an RA? what are the options if i am to fund myself. please help.

regards

[Seeking]

Sanjayadhikari,

 

Usually, Masters Programs in professional courses have little funding and if they do offer you funding, they either mention it in the admission letter, or say that the funding information follows. If the brochure says they don't have funding for this program and if your admission letter doesn't mention funding, it most probably means that you've got an unfunded admission and will be expected to pay the fare yourself, which is going to be quite expensive.

 

You can email them and confirm just to make sure, but if you can wait for another application cycle, perhaps it's better to re-apply next season to more programs - unless you want to take out loans.

 

PS - Well, their website makes it very clear that TA/RAs are available for PhD only and there is no funding for Masters. But you can still email them and confirm - 

 

  http://www.cmu.edu/me/graduate/funding/index.html

Edited April 21, 2013 by Seeking

[NanoTech]

PENN all the way!

[Chipster28]

I figure I'll post in this thread in case anyone is keeping track of admissions for UPenn Biotech.  I was offered admission to Case Western Reserve's PSM for Biotech Entrepreneurship in Cleveland and accepted.  I'm from Cleveland and it was my primary choice; closer to home, cheaper, Cleveland Clinic tie-ins.  I also just received an offer for UPenn's PSM in Biotech Fall 2013.  I'll 90% surely decline, seeing that I've already accepted to CWRU.  I know it's not too late to rescind, however.  Whatchall's think?