<p>My son is also a freshman with an 8+ hour commute, and it’s well worth both the commute and the cost. He really likes the size of Case, since is getting to know a good percentage of your fellow students (he came from a small NYC public high school). He wouldn’t describe the feel at all as cutthroat, although he’s not the kind of kid to seek a lot of help. One thing that impressed my husband and me was the warm feeling we got from the admissions staff. Not only did we see the admissions director, Bob, several times during the search and admit process, he was the first person we saw when we moved in (he was helping to unload cars). Kind of indicative of the “family” feel we got at Case that we didn’t see elsewhere. Good luck to your son!</p>