<p><strong>N.B.: I did read the "before posting" sections, which did spare my asking a boatload of questions.</strong></p>
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<p>My son was recently accepted into both of these schools with a decent-enough merit scholarship to realistically attend either school (yay)! I've heard great things about both schools, and both my son and I don't know which is "better" academically and premed-wise. IF YOU'VE EVEN HEARD OF THE SCHOOLS, I'd appreciate some opinion.</p>
<p>CWRU is a researching machine in engineering and natural sciences, and it is also one of the top 50 feeder schools for grad school (I'll find the website eventually, but it was particularly in medicine). Case has its own school of medicine, and their biochem major (his "science" major of his double major plan) seems rather solid. Cleveland's a big enough city to find research opps and other opportunities to make himself unique for med school applications. I don't know what other outside-of-science opportunities he will have, since it is such a science-focused institution.</p>
<p>Austin College is another premed dynamo (at least in TX), and it has been (repeatedly) said that the quality of premed education rivals that of Rice! They have an acceptance rate of like 90% (of applicants that applied for med school). They are affliated with Texas Tech School of Medicine (an okay school, not too prestigious, but highly acclaimed within TX). However, it's in a small town (Sherman), and I don't know what opportunities he'll have to make himself unique in med school apps.</p>
<p>Which school is better for your son is, in my opinion, almost entirely dependent upon fit. Things like acceptance rate, majors, medical school affiliations, and opportunities are somewhat irrelevant - both schools are big enough sandboxes for an excellent pre-med to play in. </p>
<p>What you and your son should be focusing on is which school he likes better. If your son attends a university where he likes his surroundings, his classmates, the school administration, and the school's culture, he is much more likely to do well (ie. get a high GPA, find professor mentors). That is ultimately what will help him get into medical school.</p>
<p>(Love the analogy of a sandbox...:D)
He could fit into either college almost perfectly, and likes both of them equally. I'm just seeing if one like provide a better education or better opportunities for him...</p>
<p>If you think both are good fits for him and he has no preference, then you can start splitting hairs. Does he like the housing options at one school more than the other? Does he like the fun things to do in Austin better than the fun things to do in Cleveland? And so on and so forth.</p>
<p>They're probably about the same. You could ask current pre-meds at those schools and medical students who graduated from those schools about their thoughts on the quality of pre-med advising.</p>
<p>I dont know much about Austin College, but I grew up in Cleveland so Im somewhat familiar with CWRU. I know quite a few people who graduated from Case. Unfortunately, none of them were in medicine, so Im not sure if this is going to be very helpful. But, I can tell you that Case is very highly regarded in Ohio. (If someone mentions that they went to Case, they usually get a measure of instant respect.) Its graduate and undergraduate programs always seem to fare well in the national rankings, though I know that college rankings are somewhat controversial. The people I know who went to Case liked it, but, be forewarned its relatively intense. Lots of homework and a fair amount of pressure. It has a reputation for being nerdy and, supposedly, doesnt have the best school spirit or social life. But I suspect that the opportunities are there if you seek them out. (Ive heard that it helps to go Greek if youd like to broaden your social horizons.) Nevertheless, I do think that Case students are generally more serious and focused than those at a lot of other schools. </p>
<p>As you mentioned, Case has its own medical school/hospital right on campus, and the Cleveland Clinic is only about a mile away. So, Ive got to believe that there are ample opportunities for students interested in medical research. </p>
<p>Basically though, if your son was smart enough and motivated enough to earn merit scholarships at two good colleges, I think he's likely to be successful wherever he attends. Good luck!</p>
<p>Case Western Reserve hands down; I might be biased but it's got creds. There's Cleveland Clinic right around the corner (one in the nation for the cancer and neurology care-->they treated top US male figure skater Scott Hamilton), Rainbow Children's Hospital across the street (one of the top 5 in the nation for pediatric care), and University Hospital (has a good rep as well) right on campus. There's so much opportunity, just as a forewarning though, Case often shares the top spot with MIT when it comes to workload, but Case is in a great location for opportunity. Also they have a combined MD/PHD program, so that's something to consider as well.</p>
<p>You didn't say where you live so I'm prefacing this all on you NOT living in Texas.</p>
<p>I grew up in NE Ohio and now live in Dallas. I spent several weeks in the area of CWRU two years ago when my dad was having open heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic so I was able to refresh my memory of the area and also see how it has changed in the 28 years that I have been gone.</p>
<p>I'm sure the OP knows but for others, Austin College is NOT in Austin, it's in Sherman, Tx a town of about 35,000 people about 60 miles north of Dallas near the Oklahoma border. It is one of the schools "that change lives..." and is a very good, small LAC. CWRU on the other hand is a research university located on the east side of Cleveland. While the neighborhood and area around CWRU leaves a lot to be desired, the immediate campus area is home to Cleveland's art museums and Severance Hall which is home to the Cleveland Symphony. The University Hospitals are adjacent to the campus as is the city's "Little Italy" area. The Cleveland Clinic is about a mile away but in all honesty chances for research at the University Hospitals would be easier to come by than at the CCF for most.</p>
<p>Travel to CWRU would be a lot easier because Hopkins Airport is a 15-20 minute drive from the campus whereas DFW- Sherman is more like an an hour and a half to two hour drive depending on time of day and traffic and as far as I know there is no bus service from DFW to Sherman.</p>
<p>There's obviously a lot more to do socially in and around Cleveland with little to no effort. Sherman is just south of Lake Texoma which offers great outdoor activities in the Spring, Summer, and Fall and has the kind of limited shopping, eating that you would expect in a town of its size. Dallas is an hour or so away but without a car it's not as easy as getting out and about in Cleveland.</p>
<p>I think that CWRU has more national name recognition but again where do you think your S would be happier and fit in better? There are people in my S's med school class from a number of small Midwestern colleges that I honestly had never heard of, so if your S performs well wherever he goes, and does well on MCATs etc, there shouldn't be a material difference between the two schools in the eyes of a Med School admissions committee.</p>
<p>I'm a student at Case so I can give you a bit of info. I'm pre-pharmacy, working towards a B.S. in biology and a B.A. in chemistry, with a minor in psychology. This is my second year at Case, but because of my AP credit I technically have senior standing.</p>
<p>The workload in typical pre-med courses can be intense. However, if your son works hard, he should have little problem earning the GPA he'll need for med school admissions. Lab courses here can be very time-consuming, so in order to volunteer at UH or conduct research on top of schoolwork, he should have a prelim 4-year plan in mind so he doesn't take on too much at once. I say this especially since he's planning on majoring in biochem - not every class is offered every semester.</p>
<p>A car would be helpful if he wants to get involved at the Cleveland Clinic, but he can also take the bus down Euclid; it isn't far at all. Students get an unlimited RTA pass every fall/spring semester. There are also ample research opportunities on Case's campus and through UH. Many of the biochem professors are affiliated with the medical school. He should be sure to pursue one of the many opportunities available in his first semester - it's too good to pass up. Not everyone will want a freshman, but if he's persistent he should find something. If he wants to volunteer at UH there's a lengthy form that requires two letters of recommendation - something to keep in mind while he's getting ready to leave home.</p>
<p>Some of our social science/humanities departments are pretty decent, like business, econ, and psychology... others, like English, aren't the best, but they'll do for a secondary major. (The SAGES program pretty much killed the English department.)</p>
<p>The area isn't great, but all you need are basic safety precautions like walking in groups at night. I haven't ever had a problem in my time here, and Case is really good about sending out security alerts when there is an incident.</p>
<p>If you have specific questions, you can PM me and I'll try to answer as best I can. Several of my friends are biochem majors.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone! I'll be sure to pass this info down to my son.</p>
<p>@LoneStarMR- He is used to a lot of homework, and while I understand that college is CERTAINLY different from high school and while 4 AP classes/semester are probably nothing compared to Case, he's certainly motivated, especially in subjects that interest him...that's why we have high(er) hopes for college than at high school!</p>
<p>@Franciscog24- Great! He's interested in MD/PhD, and right now he's been dreaming of entering oncology (that may change, but still cool)!!!! And coursework hasn't ever been a huge problem for him, as previously mentioned. It's sounding better and better!</p>
<p>@vickpick- Glad to hear about the abudancy of research opps at Case. My son thouroughly enjoyed his research experience last summer and wouldn't dream of not continuing research!</p>
<p>@eadad- The name's so misleading (Stephen F. Austin certainly got his name around). But, yeah, getting to Case is certainly much easier to get to--important to a parent :)!He's going to be visiting both of them in April (just before the deadline for matriculation).</p>
<p>@aphoticmelody and CaseSpartan10- I sent you PMs about specifics.</p>
<p>D. applied to Case. but has chosen another school. She has few friends (pre-meds) at Case and they all love it. D did not choose Case because she did not get into combined program there PPSP and in addition she did not care for urban setting. She might apply to Case Medical school. From what I understand, quality of pre-med track depend much more on student than college.</p>
<p>^^I would say it definitely depends more on the student than the actual undergraduate program (most universities can offer solid pre-req courses). At the same time, having numerous outside opportunities (volunteering/research/etc.) certainly help a pre-med gain valuable experience as far as med school admissions go.</p>