It is very hard to get kids to simplify these days!! Cleveland has its late snows. Cleveland Fall is wonderful though and summer too, if students stay. Its not particularly hot in Cleveland, so much, compared to many other locations. Its a four season location. It will warm up soon, but spring is variable, but not particularly colder than Boston.
This is a cool weather phenomenon in Cleveland, the 5-6 pm warm up from Lake Erie. So its significantly warmer
in the late afternoon, which is unusual for those that do not live near Lake Erie. But this does not get too far south of Cleveland. Its a warming lake affect. Cleveland has way less snow than Boston, upstate NY and even the inner midwestern regions. Its more sleet/rain/snow/cloud and repeat. Its like a combination of Seattle and Boston.
RE: large Chemistry Class…Back in the day I took Chemistry in a large lecture hall with Dr. Ocasio…He was a great teacher …so great that they have a statue of him in the quad. So in this manner the students get consistent instruction across the class and you also have TAs to help if you need more specific help.
It was definitely cold when we had the visit last week. The winds were howling and wasn’t the greatest weather for a school visit. That said, coming from where we are, the cold and the sudden weather chg (like 70s in the morning and snowing with ice in the afternoon) didn’t bother us as much.
We talked to a few students there at “Tink” and the cafeteria, they pretty much said the same things - Freshmen bio (214/215), chem (105/106), Math (125/126 or 121/122) and physics (forgot the class number) all have the largest class size at Case - 200-300 not uncommon. That seems to be the norm in other big schools we know (UMich, Rutgers, NYU etc - 500-700 - for the entire class). Obviously, the class is divided into sections and different TAs are available to help. The only exception with the class size we had was when we did our tours at the LACs like Williams and Bowdoin, but honestly, in our opinion, the breath and depth in science research w/ those schools just not comparable to far larger universities. So there is a balance we seek.
Based on our convos with the students there, it is definitely true they come to Case not necessarily as their first choice. One told us she got into Cornell but it was unaffordable. Another young man said it was a choice between GeorgiaTech and CWRU, and CW gave the most money and closer to home. We are probably in a similar situation with CW giving us the most generous aid, and the two other options are with schools with wider name recognition etc.
After the visit, there is no doubt in our minds that CW is one of the two we will decide. What strikes me the most is how much CW is investing into the health-related area, so for the pre-med/BME students out there, that’s one school future applicants should not overlook. Not many schools can let students get into undergrad. research, doctors shadowing, and significant volunteer services practically all around CW campus - everything is there. That’s a big draw to us.
We are going to make the final call early next week once we are done with the JHU visit later this week.
My son and I attended the Admitted Student program last week as well. It was cold and windy, so we zipped our coats. He attended 3 classes, toured 2 labs and did the overnight stay. I was impressed with the program, and the classes. We did discuss the size of the intro biology and chemistry classes - one prof teaches 200-300 in lecture - everyone gets the same info (unlike other places at which different profs teach different material, or the same prof might skip something in one section and include it in another, and then give everyone the same test.) Important to note: (1) the lectures are recorded, and can be watched and re-watched as needed; (2) office hours ant TA’s are plentiful should questions arise and (3) there are a large number of lab sections attached to the single class, so labs are not large - sized to the 20 student lab rooms.
My son went to confirm that CWRU is his first choice - he has options of equal or greater reputation among the 8 other acceptances he received, and large amounts of cash offered at 5 of the 8, including top notch schools in the south, where the temperature rarely drops below 65. He liked the students he met in the dorm and at the evening programs - not study-obsesses nerds, not party-obsessed idiots. He like the dining hall, food was plentiful and good. He liked the reputation, the profs with whom he spoke (he figures that if a prof stayed after a lecture to enthusiastically talk to him for 15 minutes or more, then they are really student-concerned), the campus, the amenities offered in Cleveland, …
My son - CWRU Class of 2022!
Of course - your kid might hate the cold, might not have liked the students etc., no school is the right place for everyone.
I’m only really familiar with CWRU. So if these things are the norm, please forgive me.
I know it offers “SI” (Supplemental Instruction) which offers, an organized study group. It’s not mandatory, but a great help. These sessions are headed by former students who have excelled in the class.
There is also “ESS” (Education Services for Students) available - up to five hours of one on one tutoring per week.
I’m assuming the tutors are recruited in the same manner.
My child is the type that is helped by these programs - your child may be the one who can earn extra money by providing these services. Either way, I see it as a plus for CWRU students.
(Also - laundry is included in tuition, fees, etc. The machines require no coins, swipes, etc. - may seem like a little thing, but it was a plus for me! I was worried about how my daughter would budget!)
@wildcatmom16 The tutoring programs are strong and helpful at CWRU. Students who are far ahead can get payed
to tutor as well, so it provides some very solid on campus jobs for the top performing students.High achieving Students can be a big fish at Case, although its not really a “little pond”, its smaller and easy to stand out than say GaTech or Michigan. All freshman science classes are big even at small schools like MIT. The recitations help a lot, and there are ways to learn the material with study sessions. Upper classmen get smaller class sizes. Placement is very good from CWRU into graduate and professional schools, nursing job, engineering jobs, accounting, business/accounting and nonprofits and banks.