<p>So, where did you turn down to go to case and why did you choose it over the other school?</p>
<p>Also, what is the atmosphere like?</p>
<p>Is it freezing all winter?</p>
<p>I turned down Pomona college, haverford college, my state school, and decided not to pursue a wait list offer at Vanderbilt to come to Case. I think Case has so much more to offer than these school in terms of research opportunities, career services, and academic rigor, especially in the engineering and science fields. (Our undergrad business programs and nursing are also both extremely strong). You’ll also probably find that the financial aid (whether merit or income based) will likely match or beat all but the richest schools in the nation. </p>
<p>The atmosphere here is very diverse but everyone is smart . We have the typical very nerdy kids, as you’d expect at a strong engineering and science school but there are also all sorts of different kinds of people here. Greek live participation is high, and there are parties, if you’re into that. You won’t find one every day of the week like you might at a state school but there’s always something happening in weekends. If you tell me a little about what you’re looking for maybe I can talk about that a bit. </p>
<p>The weather is not too horrible. It does get cold in the winter, but it’s bearable. If you don’t want to wear a winter jacket and hat this obviously isn’t the place for you. We also have a reasonably reliable bus system on campus. I haven’t made use of it that much, but it’s an option when it gets super cold. </p>
<p>I think Case is a school everyone should consider. It really has many strengths, even in areas you wouldn’t expect. Hope you apply! Good luck!</p>
<p>@frenchhornaddict
I visited campus today and although I already submitted my application, the school did not give me the “wow” factor I was looking for. I didn’t take an official tour but I did walk around the campus. I have a couple questions:
- How would you describe the student body as a whole? Are they friendly? Stand-offish? Inviting? I didn’t get the chance to see many students, most of the people I saw seemed like graduates or upperclassmen. Unless, undergrads here seem to look a lot older than they are.
- How is greek life here? I feel like I would need to join a sorority if I enrolled, just to be more involved with my class and community…
- Would you honestly say you would pick Case all over again if you were given the chance to go back?
- What do you LOVE about case? &what do you HATE?</p>
<p>Thank you. :)</p>
<p>@beth2014, I can help with those questions, perhaps in a different perspective others.</p>
<ol>
<li>Just about everyone is friendly, respectful, and tolerant. One thing I have noticed is there is a prominent split between the stereotypical nerdy people and the people who really want to party and what not. So for that reason, it may be tough finding people in between, who don’t really party but still want to have fun. Also, people are noticeably smart, as expected, though there are a few that are aloof and arrogant with their knowledge.</li>
<li>Greek life is great. It’s a quick way to meet people and find ways to get involved on campus. Sorority rush starts in the spring and is very formal compared to fraternities, but Greek life in general is, in my opinion, one of the best things Case has to offer. You’ll find a lot of different activities to fill whatever niche you’re looking for.</li>
<li>I was only set to pick between my state school and Case. Since I wanted a small school, I obviously leaned towards Case. However, in an un-sugarcoated statement, if I had other options open to me, I probably would have gone somewhere else. Case just hasn’t been my cup of tea overall.</li>
<li>I love Greek life, as I mentioned. I also love that walking to class, you’ll always see people you know because it is a small populated school. And, as much as it sucks, I love how Case’s focus on academics puts its students in great position for the future.
As for what I hate, I hate Case’s academic curriculum. As one of those more unconventional engineers, I like to explore different fields and Case has very little room to do that. Depending on the engineering major, they only have about 4-5 electives to take in non-science/tech fields, whereas other schools have 8+ in their curriculum. I also hate that the faculty is pretty detached from its students. They make a small school seem a lot bigger because of how they run things. Last thing I hate is that a lot of the professors seem to care more about their research than about teaching. Though it makes sense, it puts a really bad impression on the students when all they do is go off tangent to unrelated topics in front of 200 students who borderline don’t want to be in class anyways. Sometimes this doesn’t feel like school.</li>
</ol>
<p>In defense of Case’s campus, Case used to be two schools that decided to merge. So that would explain why many people have to walk more than a mile to get to class. Obviously Case can make things prettier and what not, but I’ll give them slack for that.
Overall, if your focus is on academics in your particular major and you want an option that would prepare you well for your future endeavors, Case is a great place to do that. If you want to have a fun experience along the way, then it just depends on what you’re looking for.</p>
<p>@beth2014 I’ll also give you my perspective…</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I don’t have much to add here to what ChiGuy said… Everyone here is generally very nice. It’s also a very diverse campus with people from all over and interested in all sorts of things. I have yet to meet a person who hasn’t been able to find others like themselves and fit in here. </p></li>
<li><p>Greek life at Case is excellent, and is growing. I believe the Greek office at case wants to grow to about 50% participation over the next few years. All the sororities have their different focuses and traditions so I’m sure you’ll find one you love. There will also be one or two new sororities coming to campus within the next 4 years if that would interest you. </p></li>
<li><p>I would definitely come back to Case. I think it has so much to offer, and I have been able to get involved in so many different activities while also getting an outstanding education. There are very few schools I would pick over case knowing what I do now. </p></li>
<li><p>Here is where I disagree with ChiGuy, I think the professors here are very committed. This might be because I skipped out of a lot of the intro level classes that are huge lectures, but this semester, for example, all my teachers knew my name within a month even though I never went to office hours (my physics professor actually had all 60 names down before the first day). They seem happy to help and always set aside time for class. I also love Cleveland. The Cleveland orchestra, art museum, and natural history museum are right on campus and are all world class. Downtown is also accessible and reasonably nice. There’s just so much to do here. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>In terms of things I don’t like, the walk to classes can be long. The food can get a little repetitive (though I hear it’s much better than most colleges), and the work load can sometimes be very high (though that is often self inflicted through taking too many classes). But honestly the things I hate are just little things and I’m sure all colleges have similar if not more drawbacks. </p>
<p>Hope you strongly consider case, it really is an excellent school!</p>
<p>frenchhornaddict- 60 students is still a big class. Do you have any smaller classes? Is that a typical class size?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Thank you chiguy123 and @frenchhornaddict so much! Both of your comments were detailed and explained a lot. I’ll try to reply again to this post mid next month and let you guys know if I have been accepted or not! Thanks again for the comments, it gave me a balanced insight on Case.</p>
<p>@stemmmm,</p>
<p>60 students is probably the average class size for department specific classes in science/tech related fields. Other fields (liberal arts, humanities) probably would have more classes that range closer to 20-30 students if they are not core classes.</p>
<p>Stemmmm,</p>
<p>That is my largest class. I have two that are around that size, two that are around 30 and one that is 17. There are very large lectures especially for introductory classes, but most of these classes have recitations of 25 students that are often taught by professors themselves. </p>
<p>Case also requires you take writing seminars for 3 of the first 4 semesters here. These are always capped under 20, so you are guaranteed at least one very small class. </p>
<p>I would say that by junior year at the latest the majority of students will take mostly classes around or under 20 or 30 students. It depends a lot on your major and whether or not you place out of classes. </p>
<p>Id also like to just add that I mainly brought up my 60 person class to highlight the dedication of the professors I have experienced. They make it seem like the classes are smaller. Tonight another of my professors was up almost as late as I am answering questions via email for a test we have tomorrow.</p>
<p>Thanks that’s very helpful.</p>
<p>So, frenchhornaddict, do you play music at Case? My D is a bassoonist and is interested in orchestra, pit orchestras for musicals, ensembles and even some vocal stuff. I know Case shares some resources with CIM, which is probably mostly a plus. Do you have a sense of how it is at Case for people who are into music, but don’t plan to make a career of it?</p>
<p>Also, what are some of the typical things going on on weekends?</p>
<p>Thanks!!</p>
<p>How often does it rain at Case? I’m from Southern California and I’ve heard that it is gloomy almost all the time…</3 I NEED SUN!</p>
<p>IIbrenner,</p>
<p>I was actually going to mention that in my last post, but forgot. That’s another thing I absolutely love about Case: I can be so involved in music. I’m currently in two ensembles: the symphonic winds and wind ensemble (which has both Case and CIM students in it) and enjoy these both enormously. At the beginning of each year, they hold auditions to help them place students in ensembles and to see where each students interests lie. I have yet to hear about someone not being let into an ensemble they really wanted to be a part of. </p>
<p>We do have a full symphony orchestra that meets just twice a week and performs a couple concerts per semester. I’m actually not sure about a pit orchestra, but given how good our theatre department is, I’d be very surprised if there isn’t one. There are tons of different choirs and a cappella groups on campus, again I’m not as familiar with them, but I know it’s easy to find one to be a part of. It’s also easy to double major in music and some other field. If your daughter feels she wants to have a more in depth music experience but doesn’t want it to be a career this is definitely a possibility. Finally, music lessons are available to everyone and are taught by CIM faculty. There is a charge for non majors, but it is reasonable, especially given the quality of instruction. </p>
<p>In terms of things to do on weekends, I don’t even know where to begin. As a musician I spend a lot if time going to the Cleveland orchestra. They have a special student subscription that includes free tickets to every single concert for an upfront $50 and they offer $10 student tickets for those that don’t think they’ll be going as often. I’m in a fraternity so I tend to spend a good portion of my weekends in meetings, attending service or philanthropy events, and fundraising. Greek life is very popular at Case and definitely something I recommend considering here. It’s also easy to catch the health line downtown to see a movie or go shopping or eat at some if the very good (but surprising reasonable) restaurants. Finally, we always have at least a couple sporting events each weekend if or those interested. </p>
<p>Those are the first things that come to mind, but it’s honestly there’s so much more. It’s very hard to get bored here at Case. </p>
<p>Hope I helped!</p>
<p>Melbellswell, </p>
<p>It can get gloomy, I can’t deny that. Though I would say we tend to have at least a few sunny days each weeks. It’s actually pretty nice up until late November, around right now, then it gets pretty cold and rainy. Assuming you go home for winter break I think you miss a good chunk if the bad weather, but if you need sun every day, Cleveland probably isn’t for you. </p>
<p>That said I recommend you visit, for at least a few days if possible. That will give you a good idea of how the weather actually is. Honestly I think it’s pretty nice except for late in the fall semester and early in the spring and even those times are bearable. But you really should visit and decide for yourself.</p>
<p>I wanted to respond to one of the statements made by ChiGuy123 “I also hate that the faculty is pretty detached from its students. They make a small school seem a lot bigger because of how they run things. Last thing I hate is that a lot of the professors seem to care more about their research than about teaching.”</p>
<p>My DD is a sophomore in engineering at CASE and also very active in greek life. She has had completely the opposite experience with the professors at CASE. She is not from Ohio but a southern state where she plans to work upon graduation. All of her math and engineering profs have gone out of their way to give her introductions and contacts in her area of study as well as introductions to people within the state/city she will be at during the summer months. She has really enjoyed her profs at CASE and while it is true that some are better teachers than others, all have been very approachable and helpful. She could probably ask almost any of them for a personal recommendation and they would know her and be willing to write her a letter. We are both very thankful that she choose CASE and CASE choose her. It continues to be an exceptional opportunity for her!</p>
<p>Responding regarding my S who visited and considered many different types of schools for engineering from engineering specialist Rose Hulman, WPI, RPI, to big state like Georgia Tech or U Wisconsin to more generalist with good engineering LeHigh, Northwestern, Duke, Carnegie Mellon. Notre Dame. </p>
<p>Case was always on the list, but initially as a nice option that he was likely to get into. In the end, in an unexpected manner, Case turned out to be exactly the right fit for him. He is certain he wants to study engineering, but did not want a super large/state school, did not want the narrowness of a tech-specialist school, wanted a school with great/sizable tech community and superb tech facilities since he is a techie at heart,and wanted good program options to study business/econ. Within these parameters,Case was near to unique.</p>
<p>I now think of it as the utility infielder of schools we considered, not necessarily the top school on any one individual criterion, but capable across the board so that, in the end, it was the strongest option. Case is not too big/has smaller class size, has a definite tech intensity and techie population, offers a wide range of engineering majors, has great tech amenities like ThinkBox, has unbelievable research opportunities for undergrads because there are actually more grad than undergrad students and they want help on their projects. It has a very good business program and full humanities course offering, a nice campus situation with amenities college students love (Chipotle, Little Italy, museums), nice midwestern student culture, plus a generous merit scholarship. </p>
<p>My son turned down Rose-Hulman, Georgia tech, and Carnegie Mellon because none of these in the end was as compelling.</p>
<p>Bump</p>