Case vs Georgia Tech

<p>Hi:</p>

<p>My son is between Case and Georgia Tech for engineering. He is interested in all types of engineering - computer engineering, chemical, etc. but not so much bio-medical. He is also very interested in doing undergrad research.</p>

<p>Both of these schools offer a lot of positives. In particular here are the questions I would appreciate some suggestions about:</p>

<li><p>Is there anything about the engineering program or school in general he should really take into consideration before attending?</p></li>
<li><p>How hard is it to maintain the 3.0 GPA requirement for scholarships?</p></li>
<li><p>What are the pros and cons of Case’s engineering program? </p></li>
<li><p>How safe is the campus? - We have heard mixed reports about the safety and it would be nice to get some facts.</p></li>
<li><p>Any other comments/suggestions are welcome.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Thanks in advance to responding.</p>

<p>I go to Case but am not an engineering major.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>How hard is it to maintain the 3.0 GPA requirement for scholarships?
--Honestly it depends on the person. Certain people aren't cut out for engineering at Case, a lot of kids who get into the field here drop it's a ton of work and not everyone is smart enough for it. As in, the workload is so heavy that if it takes you a lot of time to work through it, you can't do it. If you can manage your time, you can get through it, but the classes are hard. The average for some math classes is below 70% (it's curved), some people simply fail out, some people are fine. It gets harder every year, and you can always switch majors. If it falls below a 3.0 you go on probation and have time to bring it back up. I'm not trying to scare away potential students, but a ton of people here are engineers, and many people who shouldn't go into the field go into it and struggle. Case is notorious for the workload, and is on par with many top schools in that regard, but isn't ranked proportionate to the work load. If your son is strong in math and science, Case has a great reputation, but many kids here were top 5/10% in hs and can't handle the difficulty, but you have plenty of chances to maintain a 3.0.</p></li>
<li><p>What are the pros and cons of Case's engineering program?
--Well known
--Media Vision- they tape classes and put them online
--TAs and SI sessions are really helpful- upperclassman tutor underclassmen
--A ton of work, a 4 year weed out the weak structure</p></li>
<li><p>How safe is the campus? - We have heard mixed reports about the safety and it would be nice to get some facts.
It's in the middle of the city, if you go under the underpass into E Cleveland you're asking for trouble. They offer campus shuttles until 12am weekdays, 2am weeknights, so you can always avoid walking alone. Safe ride is another option, runs past 2am- you call a number, and they pick you up. They also offer and escort service. The campus itself is safe, but there is a rough neighborhood behind the stadium/a block or so down from N. Residential Village. Most crimes happen to people walking along at 12am or later. If you're smart, you're fine, but it's an issue b.c most students aren't acclimated to city life, as most of us are from the suburbs. Whenever I'm out, I always walk with at least 3 people off campus, and the guys here always volunteer to walk with girls back to the dorms. If I get stuck somewhere, there's always safe ride or friends who have cars. Don't ride RTA alone in the evening, don't flaunt a phone/money/electronics down the street at night. Basically use common sense and you're fine.</p></li>
<li><p>Any other comments/suggestions are welcome.
Case is a very different school, it is more nerdy then other schools. Many of our athletes, including football players, are engineers. Several of the soccer girls are engineers and pre med, and manage to hold over a 3.0 throughout the season. There is a lot of work regardless of your major. Greek life is also very unique. There is a very strict no hazing policy, and honestly hazing doesn't happen. You don't hear stories of kids being forced to do things in order to be initiated. Also, Greeks have a higher average GPA than non Greeks, and there are engineering frats/sororities, and all of them are very serious about academics, hosting study tables and tutoring sessions. The food is good, especially compared to most other schools. It gets repetitive at times, and someday's it's very mediocore (friday and saturday nights), but there are plenty of off campus options. About .5 miles from campus there is a pizza place, chinese place, qdoba, and a falaffle place. About 1-1.5 miles is Little Italy, and some of the places there accept Case Cash, and many places deliver. Case isn't a party school, and there is plenty to do if you're not into the party scene, but there are parties, and Case is a wet campus (residents in the Village are allowed to have alcohol in the dorms). However, there aren't many instances of alcohol poisoning, and there is EMS on campus if anything should happen. Cleveland Clinic is about 1 mile from the dorms.
The dorms are ok, nothing great. The Village for upperclassman is 2 or 3 years old, air conditioned, full kitchen etc;.
There are things to do in Cleveland, because it's a city. A lot of music venues, 2 huge malls, many theatres, movie theaters (one on Cedar, can get there using RTA, has $5 movies Mon. night), ice skating, sporting events ($10 Cav tickets, $1 Indian tickets), etc;.
All the students here care about academics, and it's ok here. Everyone is a bit of a book nerd, there are all kinds of people here, a niche for everyone. People don't go to football games so they can study, and it's ok. There isn't a lot of pressure to do certain things, and most people are friendly, albeit a bit socially awkward. Campus is fairly easy to navigate, everything is at most a 15 minute walk, and shuttles run all day if you don't feel like walking across campus. There are a ton of activities and groups, and they are small enough for everyone to get involved. The library is amazing, top 20 according to Princeton Review, and is open 24 hrs a day. There is also a medical and law library which all students have access to. The school is also slowly increasing each new class, but it's a nice size. You always run into people you know.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>tiff90</p>

<p>Thank you very much for such great responses. They were informative and definitely provide insight into Case at a level you don't get in the Univ. literature. Hearing this info from an insider allows prospective students like my son to consider all the options before making the final decision. </p>

<p>We are waiting on the financial packages from Case and Georgia Tech. It will be an exciting April as he considers which school to attend. Your responses will help with this process.</p>

<p>GT and Case are both great engineering schools and a motivated, focused student will have a successful result from either school. The schools are similar in many ways - urban, hard-work, not party schools, major league sports teams nearby, easy public transit to major hub airports. Both schools are affordable (reasonable out-of-state tuition at GT; generous merit scholarships at Case). Both schools have built impressive new science and technology buildings on campus over the past 15 years. The investment at GT seems to be continuing and very large. Both schools seem to be forward looking and trying new things and approaches. My guess is that crime in the campus areas is similar, and not something I would turn down either school over. </p>

<p>I think the campus environments might appeal to different people though: GT has big time D1 NCAA sports, nice weather, lots of students from GA, probably a larger male ratio than Case; Case has the orchestra, museums, a rich selection of multicultural restaurants nearby, midwestern friendliness.</p>

<p>GT is top 15 in every undergraduate engineering program it offers. But there is not a broad selection of non-engineering majors if a student should change their mind. They are known for their Co-op program which will help in landing a job. But GT is also known for accepting a lot of students, then weeding them out through tough courses and tough grading. But I don't think a strong student from a strong HS program needs to worry about this. Look into why so many GT students take 5 years (or more) to earn a BS. GT has a large study abroad program and it is also very affordable.</p>

<p>Case has a full array of majors beyond science and engineering fields to select from and to double-major in. Other than Biomedical Engr and maybe Nursing, the undergraduate majors tend not to be individually ranked in the top 20. I understand it is very common to add a MS in engineering in a 5th year at Case.</p>

<p>I think you have 2 great schools to choose from; there is no wrong answer. Visit them and see which fits for you.</p>

<p><a href="I%20have%20a%20D%20graduating%20from%20Case%20in%20May%20(not%20engineering)%20and%20a%20S%20who%20applied%20to%20GT%202%20years%20ago%20and%20looked%20very%20closey%20at%20it.">i</a>*</p>

<p>Good response tiff90. S is sr at Case, and I think you did a good job explaining the campus and school.</p>

<p>Thank you all for the comments. Its great for my son to have two terrific schools to consider. It will be nice to have the choice made and to begin focusing in on the new adventure.
Cheers</p>

<p>A couple of things I left out earlier.</p>

<p>Case being a private school and smaller, I think it's probably easier to get personal attention from faculty at Case than GT. I know my D had no trouble getting research positions, campus jobs, volunteer opportunities at University Hospital, or letters of recommendations from faculty. Many faculty members know her quite well there including department chairs.</p>

<p>And while GT has big time varsity sports which generate school spirit and alumni pride, Case is NCAA D3. If you were a pretty good athlete in HS, you can continue to participate at the college level. Some students would rather be on the field playing than in the stands cheering.</p>

<p>If you are from GA, one of the things he also needs to understand is how the weather is very different in Cleveland, OH. Because of lake Erie, Cleveland also gets a lot lake effect snow. So while Atlanta, GA has about 8 months of hot/warm weather, Cleveland, OH has about 8 months of cold/very cold weather and a lot of snow! Cleveland is also usually overcast or cloudy unless it is summer or the lake has frozen over. Summer and fall in Cleveland are nice and are generally not as hot and humid as Atlanta.</p>

<p>Do not get me wrong, Cleveland is a good place to live, work, play, and go to school. But the vast difference in weather between the location of the 2 schools can be a major shock if you are from GA! :)</p>

<p>Case is not actually in downtown cleveland, it’s in an area called university circle. It consists of University Hospitals, its a few blocks from Cleveland clinic, but the UH area also has Art/Science Museums and Botanical Garden and Severance hall and CIM and CIA. (5 minutes walking in every direction) So you’re in a big college/art centered environment. If you walk off in one direction you’re getting into a problematic area of the cleveland city. Stay on campus, there’s always officers/security patrolling the area. </p>

<p>Also cleveland weather is sunny one day, snowy the next, and sometimes snowy and sunny. I’ve been here all my life and i love the snow. but they wont cancel classes if you get a foot of snow so yeah. </p>

<p>One thing you should take note the Case social scene is filled with lots of nerds/geeks (in a good way) the kind of people who are going to roleplay swordfights etc…quirky interesting people. If your D is looking for a party scene, be careful because you’re not going to see a very large one unless you drift into the CIA/CIM crowd. I have friends who are at CIM and a sibling at Case</p>