Hi, everyone. As we near May 1st, I’ve narrowed my list of college choices down to Case Western Reserve University and the University of Pittsburgh. I am an English major on the pre-med track. All three of these schools are located near great hospitals that will allow me to obtain the volunteering and job shadowing opportunities needed for entry into med school. Both schools will cost me about the same amount of money. Each school also has its own pros and cons. For instance:
Case Western:
-Smaller and more intimate campus size which would allow me to get to know my professors better for letters of recommendations
-Great pre-med advisory team
-Known for a rigorous course load which may affect my ability to obtain a high GPA
Pitt
-Excellent pre-med program
-Great location
-Already secured a future job shadowing opportunity at UMPC Children’s Hospital if I decide to go here
-Larger class sizes than Case Western
Any advice/opinions would be welcome and high appreciated. Thanks!
We also looked at both schools although my S is not doing pre-med (plans to study economics and CS). We liked both of them quite a bit. The main difference is size and Pitt is a D1 school so athletics and consequently school spirit are bigger there. Both attract good students but we had the sense that CWRU students bunch together more on the graph and on the whole is a group more focused on academics. While CWRU is known for its rigor, I believe it is the engineering classes which have the heaviest courseload - other areas of study are more manageable. I think you can attain a high GPA at case and the rigor would prepare you well for med school. Since you will be incurring med school costs, the cost of attending should also be considered.
Did you get into Pitt’s honors college? If not, I’d go with Case Western.
Are you in the top 25% of Case students? At Pitt?
Of course, costs are always a major factor - don’t have your parents take Parent PLUS loans on your behalf.
*Disclaimer: I graduated from Case Western (BME, premed) and grew up in Pittsburgh.
Both schools have great reputations and have ample opportunities for a premed student. So most of your decision comes down to fit. See if the schools have an ‘accepted students’ day where you can sit in on lectures and see/feel the campus atmosphere.
Case has a small school atmosphere to it. It also doesn’t necessarily have the urban city feel that a Pitt would have. Most students at Case live on campus and Case’s campus is almost its own bubble inside Cleveland. I feel Pitt is more spread out throughout Oakland. Pitt would have a larger social scene than Case (although there are events/places to visit in Cleveland).
Case can be rigorous, but I don’t know much about the English program. However, it isn’t impossible to have a high GPA. It really just depends on your study habits/time management skills. Pitt also has a pretty good academic reputation, so there is no guarantee that its pre-med classes would any easier.
You can’t go wrong with either (It’s just more of a fit question). If you have any questions about Case, feel free to ask me.
Comes down to fit. Both have similar urban campuses, but Pitt is a much larger school. Case probably has a slight edge in academic quality. When we visited both, Pitt seemed a lot safer than Case.
Hello, My S has been accepted by Both Pitt and Case. Let me put the cost factor aside for now, I would like to know the major differences of Pre-Med / biology program. It seems to me the majority of Pitt Honors students who applied Medical schools in 2014 were accepted by Drexel , Temple, Pitts (about 20 students after subtracting 15 Guaranteed Admit Program kids)… (http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/18406004#Comment_18406004). Does Case have a better outcome? How rigorous are Case Pre-med / biology programs? Case costs a lot more, but I just need to encourage him to go the better program regardless of cost. His current stats are – GPA 3.97 (unweighted), weighted is over 4; SAT 2340. Also he is a very social, Pitt seems to fit him better in that sense, but if Case has a better chance for him to get a med school or a better med school, I will ask him to weigh more onto Case. Thanks.
We were seriously considering Case but our college counselor felt my S would ‘outgrow’ the student experiences at Case (based on his specific interests). There would be more school spirit evident at a D1 school as that kind of goes hand in hand. I’m a bit sad as I thought Case was a great fit in every other respect and Pitt didn’t end up on his final list (he’s decided on a very large big 10 school). Between the two I get the sense that it is more challenging to maintain a high GPA at Case and that is a main factor for med school entrance.
May I ask what was your college choice? Are you happy with your decision? Any insights would be appreciated.
I am trying to decide between Pitt and Case-western too.
if you’re pre-(prof grad school), then it all comes down to cost. Paying too much for pre-med or pre-law is irrational, especially if schools offer other tracks (in case the student changes his/her mind)