Help me love Case Western

Colleges & Universities Case Western Reserve University
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Penguin, hugs to you. Life is filled with trade-offs and disappointments and feeling like outcome A should have happened but you’re stuck with outcome B-.

I’ll let you in on a secret- employers care about rigor. Really, they do. I’ve been hiring at large multinational corporations (new grads all the way up to C-suite executives) and have seen tens of thousands of resumes during that time. And everyone in the hiring community knows that slackers AND geniuses can both have “Bachelor’s Degree” from the same university.

Not every path in life will care about rigor, intellectual curiosity, academic exploration. I won’t lie to you. But many paths DO require those things, and the gate-keepers/decision makers on those paths really do know the difference between hitting the cover off the ball at Case vs. “getting by” at Harvard. And I’m not talking about grades-- there are many other things you can do in college to distinguish yourself, and focusing excessively on grades likely means missing out on other cool opportunities.

The Dalai Lama is debating General Charles Q. Brown junior on “what is peace?” Go. Listen. Learn. The team that made the breakthrough discovery that led to the Covid Vaccine is making a presentation on “The genetics of viruses”- go. Even if you have no interest in Genetics or Viruses. Your roommate is doing a poetry slam/rap at an arts festival and you have no great interest in either poetry or rap- but you go to be a good friend and you discover that you LOVE poetry and that rap is an incredible form of contemporary expression, who knew? And you have a choice between working at the campus snack bar serving lattes and frogurt, vs. helping a professor write a research grant? Take the latter. It will lead to helping that professor fact-check an article which will lead to helping a different professor edit a book which means TWO professors are going to recommend you for a prestigious fellowship overseas, all expenses paid.

Make Case (or any of your other options) the most exciting, rigorous, stimulating experience you possibly can. That leads to other exciting, rigorous, stimulating experiences for the rest of your life.

I am somewhat unique among my friends (we are all early-mid 60’s) in that I am not counting down the months until I collect social security and start cashing out my 401K. I love my job. I’m hoping that I never have to retire from it. I am not burnt out- the opposite. I solve challenging problems with very, very smart and ethical people and learn something new every day.

I was VERY under-qualified for this job- and in fact, for every other professional job I’ve ever had. But explaining to a potential employer how I tackled Greek, French and Aramaic in order to do quality research on ancient manuscripts (I actually won an award as an undergrad in the most obscure corner of scholarship in antiquity) kinda/sorta convinced them that no matter what I didn’t know, I had enough curiosity and could work hard enough to get where I needed to be to have impact.

And so can you. Hugs. You’re going to do great things!!!

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I will say that I am very impressed with how you’ve grown over the past year. The way you express yourself and your maturity in identifying your feelings is a big change from some of your earlier threads. I know you were working on the issue and needed some time away from the forum to continue doing so, and it is very obvious that you’ve been successful in that work.

I suspect that others may not have realized how much growth you’ve made over that time. Just because others do not comment on it does not mean that you have not made huge strides in your communications and that it’s not something to be proud of. But often there’s not much affirmation because people may not have realized how you’ve grown, or maybe they think you’ve always had this level of skill, or some other reason.

During this season (and throughout your life), you’ll need to learn how to run your own race as @blossom termed in the thread linked below, and how to keep going in your own race, no matter what else happens.

I have more to say, but I need to get going. I’ll be back later.

This thread recently started, but it already has some good perspectives in it that might help with some of your feelings: Handling Post-Result Jealousy

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That’s not true!

And I’ll say again. CWRU is a home run university!

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Just because some ill-informed people do not recognize the name of this very fine school does not, should not detract from your wonderful success. One of my s’s went to a school that many didn’t know (Rice) and I love to wear my Harvey Mudd tshirt just to see who does/does not recognize it. Please let that be other people’s problems, not yours.

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I applied to Case! It sounds like a bizarre choice as someone wanting to do graphic design but I really love how interdisciplinary and open it is to studying across disciplines.

I am keen on doing design alongside computer science, and I love the Maker space for one. It is really well connected with the Cleveland Museum of Art, and has cross exchange with the Cleveland Institute of Art school.

Overall, it seems like a really well integrated school with the city and its culture, and I would love to get off the wait-list. Even if these artistic things are not of interest, you should be really proud! It is a great school.

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Here’s another reason to love Case if you’re a pre-med – the cost.

Congress is considering a bill that will eliminate the Grad Plus Loan program, effective June 30, 2025. The bill will also place strict new caps on student borrowing.

The bill is currently in committee, but it appears it poised to move to Senate floor for a vote in the not distant future.

Grad students will only be able to borrow an aggregate (lifetime) total of $65,000, including both undergrad and grad loans.

Professional students (i.e med/dental/vet/podiatry/optometry/law/pharmacy/PA/NP/PT/OT/ audiology/ business etc) will be limited to aggregate lifetime total of $135,000.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/308

Pre-meds–unless they come from a wealthy family—need to preserve their borrowing capacity to pay for med school.

I imagine there will still be private student loan available, but these come with fewer repayment options, no eligibility for PSLF (which is also on the table to be eliminated), no loan forgiveness, lower borrowing ceilings and higher interest rates.

The funding situation for med school just turned very ugly.

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Fun Facts…

  1. Did you know Craigslist’s founder is a Case Western alumni? Craig Newmark graduated with a bachelor of science degree in 1975.

  2. Well-known among students on campus, the Elephant Stairs are unique to CWRU’s campus and are not easy to climb. It was built in 1968 to connect the Carlton Road housing area to the Murray Hill Level.

  3. Edward Morley determined the atomic weight of oxygen in a laboratory at Case Western Reserve University.

  4. The 2004 Vice Presidential debate between then VP Dick Cheney and then Senator John Edwards was held at Case Western Reserve University.

  5. You’ll find a replica scale model of the Michelson-Morley experiment in the lobby of Case’s Physics Building.

  6. Albert A. Michelson, the Nobel Prize winner in Physics in 1907, taught physics at the Case School of Applied Science, where many buildings are now named after him.

  7. Since Michelson, Case Western Reserve University’s faculty and alumni have earned another 15 Nobel Prizes in sciences.

  8. Can you imagine what your life would be like without Gmail? Thank Paul Buccheit, the creator and lead developer of Gmail, who is also a CWRU alumni! (Bonus fun fact: He rowed crew at college!)

  9. Case Western’s Adelbert Gymnasium was built between 1918 and 1919. It was originally built to be used as an armory for WWI, but the war ended before it was even finished.

  10. The Hudson Relay is a celebrated university event. Starting in 1910, the Hudson Relay has been run every year with a few exceptions. Teams are divided up into graduating classes, and team sizes can vary from 24 to 52.

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To all,

Firstly, sorry my responses have been delayed. I was in school and only just got home; while I could read some responses I couldn’t find time to reply. I am not ignoring anyone and I have taken all of what people have had to say to heart. And I really appreciate it.

I recognize a lot of the commenters here, and if anyone recognizes me it probably wasn’t from a good experience. In real life, I am pretty collected and composed but when I lose my stuff I can get really emotional. Emotional management is hard for me; its not something I picked up on as a kid for various reasons and one of my greatest flaws. I was diagnosed with anxiety at sixth grade. When I first joined this forum, it was out of fear: I was terrified of the possibility of not having a good education, good job, and money when I was older so I devoted my whole high school time to making sure this happened. While I did enjoy the process (meeting a whole bunch of people, engaging with my interests in bio), to say there wasn’t a materialistic fear behind it would be lying. I did not grow up poor nor do I have any sort of trauma. I was just born with that insatiable drive for material success. Anyways, being here opened up my eyes to just how insane the competition is, and that ramped fear and envy up a notch. To say I was terrified would be an understatement. And so I lashed out. I was used to being in control of situations, and now there was no control. None of that justifies being extremely rude and dismissive towards the volunteers here (who, at the end of the day are doing a great good), but that set off the spiral of fear for the future and self–hatred, that I wasn’t good enough and this was something I should have seen coming a mile away. While I did start to change for the better in certain aspects, I generally don’t like using social media so whenever I was online, it was usually because I was feeling especially scared and either wanted validation or to take some anger out.

There is also an ego problem: something me and a teacher I am very close with who has known me for years sat down and talked about today. I don’t know where I get it nor why I have it, but I have a really big and really fragile ego, and I have had this for a long time but being the “big fish in a small pond who is also a female athlete” has definitely taken it to another level. I love to be the leader and center of attention in areas I am good at, I get upset when teachers or people in power show others more attention then me, and I don’t like it when people are better or more successful than me in areas I care about. Ego can be helpful—I put a ton of effort into everything I do because it represents me in a way, I am generally confident, and its helped me rebound from failure—but for the most part its a big problem and I don’t know how to help myself. Its not like anxiety where people feel bad for you and give you medication and call it a day.

I also (surprise, surprise) don’t have any close friends. I used to, but I lost them all in the early years of high school. Combinations of drifting apart and being in the wrong. I talk to a ton of people: I have “friends” in all my classes and clubs that I enjoy talking to, I am on teams, I’ve been asked out multiple times (usually on college tours, funny enough haha), and I go out after school but nobody really cares for me. Nobody has ever reached out asking how I was doing or if I was okay, except on the rare occasion I lash out from so much bottling, then all of a sudden everyone is my best friend for a week and then the cycle repeats. Therapy doesn’t help, I don’t like talking about my feelings without a clear solution. I drank at one point but thats not fun. I can make connections pretty easy but keeping them is hard. I am a lot more shy and awkward than people expect. Oh and yes I am close to my family, but I don’t tell them anything. Can’t show too much weakness or Ill have to hear the annoying lecture of “being too immature to go away to college” and thats no fun either.

Combine all three of those with my current circumstances and I am in a rough spot.

I feel so hollow. I don’t want to continue the cycle of bitterness and envy. I don’t want to live another life shaped by fear, jealousy and anger. I feel like a snapping caged dog in a shelter.

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Bruh it cut off. Heres the rest of my post

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Combine all three of those with my current circumstances and I am living through a firestorm. I just feel so sad and hollow. College rejections, bruised pride, explaining to people that no–I–did–not–get–into–Cornell for the millionth time and hearing “oh but you are SO smart and SO much more capable than abc” for the millionth time (or be like one kid who asked if I “did something”:skull:), listening to everyone else be celebrated for their accomplishments and achievements that I was denied from, creating the mental image of someone reading my profile and deciding I am not worth it, and seeing all the disappointing looks from neighbors and co when I tell them my updated school options. No, im not Asian and neither of my parents are big college people, one of them doesn’t even have a degree. And no I am not diagnosed with anything other than anxiety, though maybe I should be and thats a convo for another day. I will just be forever terrified of anything or anyone that stands in the way of me and a safe future, and I can and have acted as such.

As of this point in my typing, I realize that I probably don’t deserve Cornell etc, given everything I have said. I definitely have a lot going for me: I genuinely love science and learning, I am a great mentor, I want to do a lot of good in life, and I am good at forming connections despite being an introvert. But I do have my fair chunk of flaws detailed earlier, and I don’t know if being fully aware of them makes me a better person or a worse person. And don’t feel bad for me, I was dealt a solid hand in life: upper-middle class, stable loving family, healthy body, private school etc. If I gained anything else from this forum, it was how much worse I could have had it.

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I am getting a little off topic—back to this forum. I said it before and I will say it again. Being here out of fear definitely makes this a little unreliable, but I think its sort of safe to say a lot of members here are hypocritical in their information and what they say, and this increases anxieties and confusion (that can very easily turn to frustration) in students such as myself that make up the “target demographic” of the site. Students are told to chose for premed based on cost, but anyone who manages to get into a “T15” (hate that term) is 9/10 times ushered into that school without cost considerations. Yes everyone has the story of a kid who chose state school over an Ivy because of cost, but exceptions don’t invalidate a rule. If I am looking to land a good job post–graduation, why does a kid who gets into MIT get told how an unfathomable amount of doors have opened for them and they are going to change the world because of their school, but when someone who is rejected from such a school they are told degree name doesn’t matter? Why is it such a big deal when someone gets into a T## if admissions are supposedly random and “its what you do, not where you go”? Its not rocket science that some schools have better internship opportunities, better alumni network, more money etc and I don’t think kids who are looking for the best path to a good life/job through college should be dismissed as “prestige hunters/gunners” and get told “it doesn’t matter” when there is overwhelming evidence that you will just have better options and will do better at some schools over others. It is just so easy to feel like a failure when your future alma mater is dismissed as a “safety option” and “backup plan” by overambitious smart STEM kids who could very well end up like me and get the rug pulled out from under them in the next year. When I was still very immature, I saw a lot of members here as hypocritical adults who got ego boosts from acting all high–and–mighty towards anxious and vulnerable kids while fighting tooth and nail to get their own kids into the “best” possible schools. Now I know this obviously isn’t true, but I can absolutely understand why people form similar opinions during their early time on the forum, and why CC is known as a toxic parent haven on outside forums such as reddit (that have their own problems but I don’t use them I just lurk so I’ll leave that alone).

Obviously, a good chunk of the fault lies within. There are a lot of us big fish in a small pond. And there is no easy solution. Like I said before, a majority of you are really great people that just want to help. In fact, when I manage to pull myself out of this hole I want to return to this forum and help kids like me who might be going through a rough time. I did learn a lot and ultimately became a better person from this forum. Different people have different opinions and will give different advice. But students do have some valid concerns. And yes, I am aware emotion is clouding my judgment.

I just feel so hollow and uninspired. I have to live with the regret and knowledge that if I did X differently, things might be different. I have to watch my peers get their acceptances and celebrate while I am left with basically nothing. I have no one to talk to and I can’t talk about it without coming off as super pretentious or entitled. I feel like I will always be in the shadow of the people who got these acceptances. I cried like five times today and was comforted but I still feel really upset. I will be going for a run after I make this post. I failed my teachers, my friends, my family, and my younger self who always dreamed of making a difference and being the person you looked up to. And perhaps the worse part is that there is no redo option, nothing I can do about it. Absolutely nothing.

Lets get back to CWRU. Ive never been to cleveland but ill be flying in soon. Looks alright. Not like I have too many options anymore. Seems like its a pretty nerdy place focused on academics and collaboration while also being fun on a small scale (as opposed to Lehigh’s frat/sorority culture, or Michigans overwhelmingness). Easy access to professors and small class size is a huge plus. Ive been in contact with multiple current students and they all really like it (but I am also very aware that these were set up by the admissions admin and they wouldn’t connect me with someone who didnt like the school). I always dreamed of being immersed in and serving my home of the beautiful Northeast, but I guess you can’t have everything in life and Ohio is close enough.

Wow, thats a lot of text! Guys I am okay I am just a descriptive writer

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Big, Big hug.

I will let you run and just absorb what you are feeling right now. But I will make two points before hoping that you get a good night’s sleep and feel better tomorrow-

1- Therapy doesn’t solve your problems. So if you went into thinking that talking about whatever was going to make stuff go away- that was an incorrect assumption. Therapy gives you more productive tools to DEAL with your problems than the tools you’ve been using. Think of trying to hang a picture correctly in your bedroom- you are bashing in a nail with your shoe, getting frustrated that’s making a mess of paint slivers and then you put the picture up and it’s crooked and you need to start all over again with a big dent in the wall. OR- you have a ruler, a hammer, a piece of masking tape… and in 30 seconds the picture is hung correctly. It’s not the pictures fault that you were using subpar tools.

Think about what it would be like to gain the tools you need to NOT care so much about impressing other people, and NOT worrying so much about how you are perceived. Wouldn’t that feel great?

2- I am not one of the people who constantly post “go to the cheapest school you get admitted to” and “it doesn’t matter where you go”. I think it DOES matter where you go, and I think there are many times where paying more actually gets you more. But your misperception here is that Case is one of the D-rated schools and that is incorrect. Case has a fine, committed faculty and tons of cool disciplines and departments, and is in a city which is MUCH more interesting than Ithaca, to be blunt. Cleveland Symphony rated among the top orchestras in the world. Cleveland Clinic- billionaires from all over the world travel to Cleveland to see specialists or get treated or operated on because the care, cutting edge knowledge, results are superior to what they can get at other medical centers. And many of those doctors are Case alums or are on the faculty at Case. I don’t work for the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce so I’ll shut up- you get my point.

And before you push back that if Case were that great, everyone you know would know about it and be impressed- there are regular studies done of universities and their “brand” and their reputations and all the rest. The last one I saw showed the “best” university in America was Notre Dame, and the second best was West Point. I think both of these institutions are fine places, but there really isn’t a single academic in the world (besides those on the payroll of those two places) who would agree with that ranking.

My point is that people aren’t that knowledgeable when it comes to colleges. People think that Penn State is the “best” university in Pennsylvania, and that University of Pennsylvania (an ivy league institution) is the second tier public college for kids who can’t get into the “flagship”. People think that BU and BC are both the “Boston” campuses of U Mass (which is in an entirely different part of the state). And the real kicker- many, many people are convinced that Seton Hall, Kentucky, or whatever basketball team is winning March madness is THE best and most impressive college in America. I know a lot of kids at Seton Hall and even THEY don’t believe that!

Hugs. This too shall pass and you’re going to do fantastic things.

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Thank you so much, this made me feel a lot better. I knew it was going to hurt a little. When I got the decision I was fine in the moment but now it really, really hurts. I knew it would be hard but I couldn’t imagine getting such a short end of the stick, especially when many people I know have at least one good acceptance. I am just so, so tired.

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A very powerful tool that I learned in therapy was that my initial reaction to something (usually a very negative, spiraling, hostile reaction) didn’t need to be my eventual response to that thing. I didn’t need to go down the rabbit hole of self-loathing. I didn’t need to then review every dumb or awful or unsuccessful thing I’d ever done. It was ok to feel terrible for a minute, an hour, a day or two. And THEN to kick into action to gain a much more nuanced and positive view of the situation. So essentially embrace the awful-- hurt, angry, enraged, jealous, whatever you are feeling- without then opening the encyclopedia of “Every bad thing that HopefulPenguin has ever said or done; every bad thing that has ever happened to HopefulPenguin”. Just glance at the encyclopedia, but don’t open it. A day or two later, you inevitably feel much better or just feel tired of feeling awful, and the encyclopedia stays closed. You can acknowledge your feelings (I am hurting, I need ice cream, I will never be happy ever in my life) without escalating (or descending) into the spiral you know so well. Leave it alone for now.

I bounce back from disappointment much quicker. I can laugh about disappointments in real time, not just “time is a great healer” bromides. You don’t have to connect the dots- what if I’d done this, what if I’d done this, it would have ended better. No. Just leave it alone for now.

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I appreciate the honesty in your posts. There is so much that I want to dive into about the forum (perhaps on another thread so as not to derail about CWU), but you have identified this:

I totally believe you. High school is an emotional time. Senior year is an emotional time. The time of submitting college applications and receiving decisions is a particularly emotional time. And going through situations that are emotionally draining is extremely tiring on the body and on the mind.

It’s great that you’re close to your family; trust in their love for you. Please talk to them. If you speak to them in the self-aware and rational way you’ve been speaking here, I don’t think they will be giving you any lectures about being too immature to go away to college. Tell them you need rest, tell them you just want to hang out and have fun and not talk about anything related to college, tell them you want to see a counselor again so that you can acquire some better tools to deal with your feelings, tell them how you got into a school that rejects 2/3 of its applicants and that you still feel as though you disappointed them. Obviously, you would only tell them things that are true, but those are some things off the top of my head that I would appreciate hearing if you were my kid.

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Ill try, thanks. Currently just distracting myself. Obv no school for the weekend so that will help. I really do appreciate it

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Already have. Just got the “you cant react like this it doesn’t solve any problems and it shows you can’t handle situations”. It used to really get on my nerves but now I just yes them and shake it off. They are cutting me some slack they know I am upset but other then that it’s business as usual. Besides, Im really not good at face to face emotional talk. And at the end of the day they are paying for virtually all of my college expenses and are letting me go almost anywhere I pick, and I cannot complain about that especially being aware that a good chunk of applicants cant afford college.

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Hi - Congrats on all your acceptances - they are very good ones - CWRU, Lehigh, Lafayette, Providence, and Michigan. All have strengths.

It seems like you are set on CWRU - and it’s a wonderful school but it sounds like you’ve not been there. Please make sure you visit - and if one of the others fits you better, then that’s where you should be, assuming affordability. A rank leaves the minute you step on campus. You will be somewhere four years, day after day. I hope you love Case - but if you end up not on your visit, you can pivot to one of the other four.

As for name recognition, frankly, it’s a sports thing. There’s a student on another thread mentioning no one knows Wesleyan. Williams, Tufts, Rice, WUSTL, Washington & Lee and so many more - it’s the same. People know schools like U Florida and UGA and Ohio State. Why?? Sports. Duke is huge in hoops - that’s why it’s known and Stanford is in the Big 10 - so they played the big boys. If not, they might be like U of Chicago - not really known - or U Penn - which some think is like Penn State.

To your other comment - some say go cheapest. First off, your situation is your situation - and everyone’s is different. Some can’t afford certain schools - and so that advice is so they don’t wreck their families financially. Others mention it for med school - which is very pricey- and the reality is Case or Columbia, doesn’t matter. I don’t know your situation - but it sounds like all are affordable. If they are and your parents are able and willing to pay, then pick the right school for you - but don’t settle because it’s ranked highest on paper. Not everyone is fortunate to have that choice.

I think you’ve done very well and you should hold your head high. The truth is - 90%+ and even higher in RD - are not getting into those tippy top schools. And often those schools can fill their classes multiple times over with similar caliber students - but they don’t have room. And you got into very selective schools that most can only dream of. Most kids in the US go to easier to get into colleges - even the tippy top students.

But in the end, you will deliver your career success - not the school. So if you are focused and take advantage, the sky is the limit - and that’s no matter where you choose to go.

Choose the school that’s best for you in vibe/feel after you visit - don’t pre-guess based on the ranking.

Best of luck. You got this.

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I promise you, this is NOT what you will be known as. Congratulations on your amazing acceptances. The “ivy league reject” thing only looms large right now because it is March of your senior year! And what – a few days after “ivy day?” I have a kid who was in very similar shoes to yours AND a nephew. One pre-med like you, the other wants to do something with chemical engineering that I don’t understand. CWRU is full of brilliant, motivated students. There is intellectual life, rigor, and fun outside of the ivies. Can you go visit Case? We visited UMich and my nephew got a “private tour” with some kids their age. :scream: Let’s just say that “tour” was not even remotely about academics. Now I’m not saying UMich isn’t a top admit (esp OOS!) or an A+ institution, but what I am saying is that nothing about it screamed “we should pay almost 90K OOS while the families next to us pay like half for in-state.” I also heard from the current student and his friends (this was fall 24) that the in-state kids laugh at the (apparently many) OOS kids who act like UMich is an ivy! So, give yourself a few days/weeks. It’s going to be better than OK!

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Remember- the “prestige” and/or rank discussions and reactions that others may engage in don’t necessarily end with college…unfortunately. They continue- internships, research positions, leadership roles, publications, presentations, awards, post graduation education, interviews, jobs etc.

I would rock it at CWRU and look toward the future. It’s a great school with many opportunities!!! I have a family member who attended and loved it.

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