I have been accepted to both schools.
Right now I’m thinking of majoring in aerospace engineering. Although, I may switch to a physical science. How do PSU Schreyer and CWRU compare academically in these fields? How do they compare socially, describe the students at Schreyer and CWRU. I want to go to a school with smart people that aren’t self-righteous and don’t feel entitled, if you know what I mean. How do the values of the diplomas, in engineering, at CWRU and PSU Schreyer compare?
Please Note: The price tags are the same with merit aid.
I applied to both and was accepted to one and would not describe people at either of the two in this manner. Schreyer has an International Children’s Peace Prize winner, and several types of Fellows, and I haven’t met any who will throw that in your face. Neha Gupta, the peace prize winner, seems super nice and committed to what she’s doing with Empower Orphans.
I’d visit both and see if that helps make your decision. Schreyer may be an honors college but it’s still Penn State, a very different school than CWRU, in a very different setting than CWRU.
You didn’t? Then you must not have actually been at Penn State PSU is a big, sporty, school-spirity university with a reputation for being a party school. On my tour here I whispered to my parents that everyone was too happy. Lots of school pride in most students.
CWRU has a rep for being nerdier. I can’t speak to how accurate that is, but maybe a current student will drop by.
Schreyer is just a bonus. Most of your classes will not be honors, especially as an engineer, because who wants to take honors organic chemistry or whatever. It’s hard enough without adding more theory. So you’ll be around Schreyer students but not as much as you’ll be around Penn State students as a whole.
I would not call either of them a version of the other. They’re very different schools. PSU is in the middle of nowhere and CWRU is in the middle of Cleveland. The cultures are different and likely the students are different too.
If they’re both ABET-accredited in your major, they’re fine academically. ABET ensures similarity of academic objectives, goals, information taught, etc.
Both have respected engineering programs, but the schools are extremely different. There are almost 100,000 students at PSU whereas Case has about 10k. Case is 155 acres. PSU is over 5000. The sports and party scene at PSU is legendary. The honors college will shield you from some of the bigness, but there’s really no getting around the fact that PSU is one of the largest universities in the world.
Assume, the engineering will be equivalent and start looking at the other things that are important to you. What can you do at school that isn’t related to academics? What can you do in the local communities away from the school? Will you be able to do your hobbies easier at one or the other? Are big time athletics important to you?
It may seem like I’m leaning towards CWRU, but I’m not. It, and Cleveland, exceeded our expectations, but my son choose another school. What’s important is that you come up with a ranking system that incorporates the things that are important to you.
Just a slight correction - the undergraduate student population at Penn State’s main campus is 46,000. The total student population across ALL campuses across Pennsylvania is 96,000.
Penn State is located in a small, quintessential college town with a Main Street that includes restaurants, bars, and nice shops. It is picturesque in that it is surrounded by mountains.
CWRU has a much more urban feel since it’s in Cleveland. There is a lot to do around the university; museums, concerts, etc. I think the undergrad population is about 5,000 and the graduate population is also about 5,000. The campus is very spread out for 10,000 students.
Both schools have very well-respected engineering programs. The winter weather is pretty lousy at both schools.
Penn State has the big party reputation. But, at a school that large, it is not hard to find your people if that’s not your thing. There is a lot to do on campus and its surroundings that have nothing to do with drinking. On the other hand, there is no lack of bars in town if that’s what you are looking for.
OOPS! That even included the international campuses. Sorry 'bout that. :((
I think the point still stands though, as emphasized by @VMT, the schools are pretty different by lots of measures.
I too though Case felt bigger than it was, in a surprisingly good way, likely the function of the merger between two separate colleges, Case and Western Reserve in 1967.
PSU is a big, sporty, school-spirity university with a reputation for being a party school. On my tour here I whispered to my parents that everyone was too happy. Lots of school pride in most students.