UMass or Case Western for Biology

College Search & Selection
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I’m an intl student, and UMass Amherst and CWRU are my top two decisions so far.
I’m majoring in Biology, and want to become a researcher in biotech in the future. Also planning to do grad school.

I want (and have) to do a lot of paid internships, work part-time on campus, and get scholarships to afford school. I’m not a party nor sports person. I’m leaning towards CWRU cause I love cities and the school appeals to me, but I’m not sure about the biotech opportunities there (plus its more expensive). UMass cause Boston nearby is a biotech hub and cheaper, but I’m not sure about the rural setting and its party school reputation.

Side question, but is it possible to land a good job in Boston if I graduate from Case? I’m planning to work a year or two before going to grad school.

CWRU costs 48k/yr and UMass, 44k/yr. My EFC is about 34k/yr.

Which school would be better for me?

Any good advice would mean a lot! I’ve been mulling about this for weeks now, but I don’t have anybody I can talk to who’s informed about stuff like this.

2

Will you have a car…because otherwise UMass isn’t “nearby” enough to Boston.

And Amherst is a bustling college area.

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Can you afford either ? Both will offer opportunities for research.

The major may be tougher for jobs and international students will need a sponsor. There may be some leeway for internships or further schooling. You’d need to research.

Someone from cwru can certainly end up in Boston. But as you are international, you should assume not saying in the US. If you can, you’ve hit the sponsorship lottery.

Best of luck.

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nope, no car. But I heard that many Boston companies recruit in amherst, hence I thought there would be better opportunities for internships and jobs? Is it false?

5

I think taking a look at the career office is a good idea.

Jackson Labs is in Farmington CT…not all that far from UMass. Wondering if they take interns from there.

A degree in biology? This student will either need to enroll in a masters program immediately following her bachelors….or plan to go back to their home country as an international student.

@MYOS1634 and @Mwfan1921 might have better info for this international student.

6

Thanks a lot.
I can’t comfortably afford both of them without working on campus and doing paid internships. About sponsors, I’m not sure what you mean…please do explain. My parents will be paying 34k/yr though.
I’m glad to hear cwru graduates can end up in Boston!
May I ask which would you recommend, financial circumstances aside?

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There is no guarantee you can stay and work in the US regardless of where you decide to go to school. Following undergrad you’ll have to return home or go straight to grad school. So, pick whichever school you think you’ll enjoy (and that you can afford).

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To work in the United States a company will need to sponsor you. I’m not sure how the formula works but they get limited spots and most will not use them, except if they cannot find a worthy US citizen to fill the role. Any student should assume they are not staying.

Based on what you wrote, I’d go to CWRU. Bring a warm jacket. I say this because you like it more and your only hesitation is can you find a job in Boston from there and the answer is yes.

Best of luck.

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You also might just decide you love the Cleveland area (which has a far lower cost of living than greater Boston) and decide to stay there. You wouldn’t be the first to do so.

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Oh, thanks for explaining!
And yes, I’m leaning towards cwru, and it’s only the more expensive price tag holding me back from committing, apart from job opportunities.
Thank you so much again!

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Thanks! I’ll take a look. I’m also planning to email the school regarding this.

Does biology as a major have such less value? I’m also going to do a minor in biochem. And if I graduate debt free, I’m definitely going for master’s immediately.

Thanks a lot again!

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I shall do that! Thanks for the advice

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I think what’s hard for international students to understand is the fact that admission to a US school means only admission. It does not mean that you will automatically be eligible for work. That’s an immigration issue. You need permission, to work in the US, from the government.

Employers are required, by law, to seek out US citizens, first and foremost, for any open and available positions. Given the gamut and glut of Biology majors, this is not difficult for employers to fill with citizens. Employers will not need to “sponsor” and pay fees, fill out paperwork and wait for months to get approval for non-citizen applicants. People wait decades to get green cards and permission to work in the US. It is not easy to get sponsored.

Once you receive a degree, you are expected to return to your home country. An F-1 visa allows you ONLY to go to school. You are not allowed to work outside of the campus. If you do work on campus, you are only allowed to work for for less than 20 hours, of part-time work, at that State’s current minimum wage.

It will in no way fill the void to help pay the tuition and fees as the wage is meant for spending cash. Most students choose to work a lot less than 20 hours because grades will be impacted. You may not be able to choose your work hours and may be working during labs or office hours.

As you get closer to senior year, there are some internships that are paid, but depending on the major, some internships for non-citizens will be unpaid. I don’t know if OPT (Optional Practice Training) is available for Biology undergrads given the large numbers of available prospective US students.

So, before you make all of these plans for proposed paid internships, part time work, and scholarships, you need to see if you will be eligible for any of those options. More than likely, those positions will be filled by US candidates. Check out how your country will use your skills.

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How much more money would you need to earn to attend either of these colleges? Your ability to work while on a student visa is very limited. To get that student visa, you will need to complete a certificate of finances that shows that you have the money at the ready to pay all of your costs to attend college here. This can include already awarded financial aid from a college or elsewhere, and already approved loans. It can NOT include potential earnings from some job that you might have in the future.

So…are these colleges affordable NOW?

Folks have been responding about what you will do when/if you get a degree…but that’s putting the cart before the horse. You need to demonstrate your ability to pay to get a student visa to study here.

@wishtea

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Roughly 10k per year. From what I’ve calculated, it looks feasible if I work throughout semesters+ summer at the state’s minimum wage.

According to what I know, I need to show funds sufficient for one year’s costs for the student visa. That’s no problem. It’s just hard to invest and maintain the same amount for an entire four years, cause as you said, the value of an undergrad bio degree isn’t much.

Umass has a 10k gap which I can thus fill through campus work, so it is ‘affordable’ in that sense. I think the school has a good value with enough opportunities (do correct me if I’m wrong).

For cwru though, there’s a rough 20k/yr gap, so although I might manage to earn close to 10k/yr, I would likely have to take loans to close the gap. I can do it, but again, I’m not sure how worth a bio or biochem degree as Case is, given the school and the degree is not deemed the most prestigious and ‘valuable’.

Again, I appreciate your help! It really means a lot, as I have nobody to discuss it with

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Good luck. My DD worked the highest paying job on her campus…including working full time during the summers…and she never made $10,000 in a year at that job. And she was in CA where the minimum wage was higher than in Massachusetts.

CWRU is a fine school if you can afford it. I think you need to take “prestige” out of your equation.

Also, remember, undergrad school is four years long…not one. So you need a financial plan that is viable for all four years.

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I’ll place a shameless plug for CWRU. My son chose Case for engineering over more highly ranked schools because of the student support, campus, surrounding area, and the flexibility to have double majors or minors. Even though he is a freshman MechE, he has a job working in a biochem lab this semester. I do not know about the school’s biology department, but they are strong in healthcare related fields like BioMed (#12), Nursing (#5) and Medical School (#24). The university is affiliated with The Cleveland Clinic and University Hospital, which abut the campus.

18

Thanks for your answer!

I did know that landing a job in the US would be a literal miracle, and it has been wiped out of the plan for now.

I am aware I can work only on campus, and I’ve been trying to calculate based on that, for around 10 hours/wk, which seems feasible. And it will help in bridging the gap to affording the cost. But I didn’t know that paid internships would be so hard to get even after sophomore year… I will have to look into opportunities further. I will also check it in my country.

Also, may I ask if around 10k/ yr in loans will be worth it in your opinion? For Case.

Thank you so much again

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Sorry, please forget the part about loans… I miscalculated :sweat_smile:
Just wanted to ask in general, would you recommend case over umass? I would mostly major in systems biology at case, and bio at umass

20

Thank you for the reply!
I went over the issue with my parents again, and I found that both are affordable without loans and earning 10k at campus!

Thanks for the information. I assume that at least earning 5k/year on campus would be viable?

After much thought, I’ve also decided to mostly major in Systems Biology at Case, which I believe would be better than just biology.

With my parents help, four years at case is definitely affordable, although it will take a hit to my family’s savings. But I’m very fortunate that it has become an option. My only remaining question is, will Case be worth it in terms of value, experience, and opportunities?