Case vs. Emory vs. Rutgers (full ride)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Case Western Reserve University
1

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>I was recently admitted to Case Western Reserve University (with $28,000/year) as well as the Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Emory's Oxford College and the Rutgers - New Brunswick School of Arts and Sciences (with a full ride, in state). The question is: which school should I pick? Here's an overview of my current situation:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>I'm not at all sure on majors/fields of study to pursue in college/graduate school/a career, but feel inclined towards: molecular biology/premedical classes, statistics, economics/misc. business-related fields, physics/engineering of some sort, law-related classes, or some combination of basically any of those (although law-related classes would likely take a backseat to the others).
Basically, I'm planning to enter either medicine, law, or business, and would like to earn an engineering undergraduate degree if possible (although I'd more likely end up with an easier degree in one of the above alternatives), followed (immediately out of undergrad) by either medical school, law school, or business school. In this regard, money is obviously a concern.</p></li>
<li><p>Location doesn't really matter to me, although CWRU's Ohio location does seem a little out of the way, and doesn't appeal to me nearly as much as the other two. I'm not familiar at all with Emory's campus, and Rutgers'es is average in my opinion. </p></li>
<li><p>Opportunities to get into (and still be able to afford) the nation's top (ie. Harvard, Stanford, Duke) graduate programs, especially those in the busiest Northeastern cities is paramount in regards to my future goals - whether it be medicine or law (my preferred options) or business (would still appeal), I sincerely want to go to a school that has at least consistent history with feeding into those graduate programs/being recruited by big-name employers, but without accruing a crippling amount of undergraduate debt (this is where the balancing act involving Rutgers'es full ride, CRWU's half-ride, and Emory's lack of any financial aid at this point comes in)</p></li>
</ul>

<p>I feel that things like academic curricula, social life, etc. are either nearly equivalent (in the former case) or accommodatable (in the latter) enough to not really factor into my decisions nearly as much as the above listed ones. I hope to make the most academically/socially of wherever I go anyways, and am amenable to big, medium, or small schools.</p>

<p>And as I said before, Emory has not given me any aid (I haven't filled out the FAFSA yet but plan to, and was stupid enough to not apply for any earlier scholarships - are there any left?), CWRU has offered me basically a half ride, and Rutgers Honors SAS has offered me a full ride. Money is a big factor here (since I want to enter grad school with little to no debt/financial burden), and my family's ~120k/year income bracket is unlikely to generate much grant aid.</p>

<p>Please share your thoughts on this matter no matter what they may be - I am open to all suggestions/ideas! Thanks!</p>

2

<p>By the way, are there any additional scholarships I can apply for to alleviate the cost of attending Case?</p>

<p>Also, I’d like to study abroad (preferably in the U.K. and/or China) for an extended period of time (ie. around 6 months), if that makes any big difference.</p>

3

<p>I skimmed through your post but:</p>

<p>It’s a touch pick between Emory and Case. Atlanta clearly has better weather and Cleveland and Emory is a solid school. If you’re geared towards the sciences or engineering, Case is a cut above Emory. When it comes to the arts, it’s neck to neck - though Case has excellent law school placements.</p>

4

<p>If you are a strong student and feel comfortable in a large school environment I would suggest you go with Rutgers. I’m a strong proponent of Case, but given your financial interest/need, desire to have money for grad school, and broad but non-specific interest in the sciences - I think Rutgers is very strong. Regarding graduate school placement, I think it is going to be your performance at any of these schools that drives your acceptance, rather than the specific school you attend. HOWEVER, if your interest is clearly medical school and/or the medical sciences/biomedical engineering I think that Case is your clear winner (given $28k scholarship and Case’s reputation as a high powered biomed research institution). Emory is a solid school, but as a private option I don’t think it offers much more especially given the lack of financial support.</p>

<p>Finally, Case does offer specific additional scholarships, but the deadline for application has come and gone and decisions have been made.</p>

5

<p>I’m in a similar position of saying no thanks to full pay at Emory, Penn, Tufts, UVA, and Rice in favor of merit-awarding institutions such as URochester (22K), Case (30K), Tulane (full tuition) and Pitt (5K in-state).</p>

<p>I still have to visit Tulane, but, having visited the other merit aid schools, and having spent a lot of time delving into courses, faculty bios/research, etc, on their websites, I feel very confident about the incredible opportunities available at each. </p>

<p>With grad/professional school in our future, it makes sense to me to think long and hard before walking away generous merit awards.</p>