I couldn’t agree with the other posts above more. If you think you might be happier at Santa Clara and it is ALSO a lot less expensive, that is not just one but two excellent reasons to choose it over Case.
One thing I would emphasize is the core med school prereqs have a pretty standard curriculum content. That is why they are required, so you have the proper foundation for the advanced medical science classes you will be taking. That is also why they are not easy anywhere–the content and pace is pretty close to standardized. So you can’t avoid these difficult classes if you want to go on the med school.
But one thing you can control is how well-prepared you are to do well in those classes. Some people will be well-prepared anywhere. Although this is a controversial thought, I do think some people end up at colleges were they are not as well-prepared as some of their peers, and that can be a problem. So this isn’t going to point to simply choosing the MOST selective college that admits you. Maybe, maybe not, but you need to take responsibility for making sure you are going in relatively well-prepared to succeed in these classes.
The other thing you can control is the overall environment in which you will be taking these classes. Are you likely to be happy? Healthy in all the important ways–physically, emotionally, socially, and so on? This isn’t a substitute for good preparation, but it can help make sure you in fact perform at your best level in these classes.
Your grades in these classes are so overwhelmingly important that I really think they trump almost all the other “good for med school” things people talk about sometimes (this is holding aside cost, which is a different sort of consideration). Of course if you have more than one option where you would be equally well-prepared, and equally healthy and happy, then you can turn to other factors to help break that tie. But I would only suggest considering those other factors secondarily.
SCU and Case will both offer you sufficient rigor so that you are well prepared to take the MCAT and start medical school.
I also agree with above–take fastest out of the equation. The majority of pre meds do not matriculate directly into med school from undergrad–not even at Case. Most take 1-3 glide years to broaden their life experiences and gain additional medical exposure.
(Part of the reason for a at least one glide year is that the application cycle for medical school is 14+ months long. One applies in May in order to matriculate in July/Aug of the following year.)
It’s very difficult for a college junior to have the depth and breadth of medical exposure than an applicant who has spent more time working directly with patients has. More direct patients experience also allows an applicant to the opportunity to develop greater insight into the stresses and sacrifices that career in medicine requires. Also post-glide year applicants benefit by having more real world life experience to draw on (including working at a full time job) that makes them better at relating to patients.
Lastly, I strongly suggest you take pre-med out of your decision. (I mean 80% of those who intend to apply to med school as freshmen change their minds–and not just for academic reasons.) Is there any special non pre-med program/major/career opportunity offered by Case that you can’t also get at SCU?
If yes, then Case; if not, then, IMO, Case is probably not worth the extra cost.
As I have stated before, you can take the required courses to apply to medical school from either of these colleges.
Please read this again. Being someplace where you will be happy is important.
I will comment on one big difference.
I’m from Cleveland, and I’m very familiar with the winter weather there. They get snow…then lake effect snow. And it’s a damp cold winter.
Santa Clara has just about picture perfect pleasing weather year round. My DD the SCU grad loved SCU…and the weather was part of the reason.
We actually tried to get our kid to apply to Case, and she flatly refused.
I agree with @WayOutWestMom . Take premed out of the picture right now. That decision can be made later.
Both colleges have a broad and varied choice of majors should you decide to pursue something different.
At the start of this thread, and in the title, you said no financial support from parents. I’m not sure considering a $74,000 a year bill is realistic…even if your parents say they can stretch to do this.
What do you mean by fastest path? If it’s going to medical school right after graduating undergrad, please please read the FAQ on this site. Maybe @WayOutWestMom or @DramaMama2021 can link them here.
I think she said her family will not qualify for need-based aid and thus needs/wants merit aid, not that her parent won’t provide financial support for undergrad costs.
So if you choose CWRU, does this mean an additional $24,000 a year in loans?
Please try to keep your loan debt as low or close to zero as possible. There is precious little funding for medical school aside from the bank of mom and dad, and loans.
I’m not sure how this is a question or that CWRU is any bettter than anywhere else for pre med?
Cost matters. Med school is $400k on top of undergrad. Federal loans are $200k including undergrad.
The path isn’t longer and that’s the same if you went to your local school. And with no med school, bio is likely a tough degree. If fast mattered, you should have looked at a DO assured program like LECOM.
CWRU is a horrible choice for you. Pure and simple. You liked where you were attending and want to stay close. If you can affordable CWRU with no loans and cover med school, it’s great but given your SCU preference it’s still much better. You want to be where you you can do well. That sounds like SCU over any other option that’s possible - including UCSD.
We don’t qualify for financial aid, however my parents are willing to provide financial support without a need for me to take a loan. However, I understand it is stretch and will certainly limit funds for my future medical school.
Just because you were WL by someone doesn’t make it better.
You want to go to med school and you note this would “limit” funds - well, since federal borrowing has a limitation, that right there is all you need to know.
And given you say this:
I think it’s fine to go away to school but what if, like many, you get home sick and struggle out of the gate?
SCU just seems to fit in every way - at least on paper.
Hello, there is a lot of feedback given to you. But I would like to say that I am impressed with the way that you are approaching this. You are weighing your options, your criteria includes financial aspects, career prospects, and most importantly you are not taking your parents hard earned money for granted.
Most 17-18 year olds do not take this approach, so I am sure whatever you do, it would be well thought out.
Congratulations and do keep us posted on what you end up doing.
Congrats on the acceptance to CWRU. I agree with others that you should go where you are happy and can flourish.
I’m going to also applaud you for wanting the most direct path to your goal. Yes, lots of student take gap years, but 25% go straight through. With good organization you can be in that 25%. I will also say that quality gap year experiences are getting more difficult to secure. Scribing was a frequent gap year activity that has been mostly replaced by AI scribe. Research experiences are more difficult since federal Research funding uncertainty.
Here is cwru’s first destination survey. It has 69% MD acceptance rate and 78% MD/DO acceptance rate.
After a lot of back-and-forth and some deep dives into both the biology undergraduate course plans and my family’s finances, I’ve officially decided to enroll at CWRU.
It was a tough call because I know Santa Clara has a solid reputation and a great bio program. Honestly, though, as a prospective student, I found it difficult to get a clear “under the hood” look at SCU’s specific pre-med pipeline. Even after talking to a few professors and advisors, I felt like I was missing the insider connections and detailed data I wanted.
Ultimately, I chose CWRU because I want to fully lean into the “intense rigor” people always talk about. I’m hoping that by challenging myself now, I’ll be much better prepared for the absolute grind of medical school later.
CWRU felt right for me because:
Clinical Access: Being steps away from world-class institutions like the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals is a huge draw. The exposure to that level of clinical research and shadowing is unique and will help me build a well-rounded application.
Broadening My Network: While my ultimate goal is to return to California for med school, I realized that building a network outside of the West Coast could be very helpful. I believe having mentors and letters of recommendation from a major research hub like Cleveland might help me stand out when I apply back home.
Focused Community: I’m ready to immerse myself in a community that is deeply focused on health sciences, with direct access to the CWRU School of Medicine and surrounding hospitals.
My family and I are certainly aware of the financial implications, and I’m definitely going to miss the California sun, but I’m excited to see what the next four years in Cleveland bring. If anyone else is heading to CWRU or has tips on surviving the first winter, let me know!
Surviving the winter- it’s all about head and feet. Some people are fine with a “normal” winter jacket, others want the full-on Lands End/LL Bean stadium coat which goes to the knees, heavy down, etc.
But the key is your head and your feet. So look at some websites and check out their winter gear. Get comfortable with “looking dorky” which is what kids from California worry about when their friends are wearing shorts and cute Birkenstocks in Santa Barbara while they are wearing a fleece grandma hat and waterproof hiking boots with a thick tread. But once you reconcile yourself to staying warm and dry- you’ll embrace the fleece!!!
I recommend getting very familiar with the concept of dressing in layers, and also understanding why water is your enemy, and then how these things connect.
Like one of the biggest mistakes you can make is having on something which is temporarily too warm. Like, it is appropriate for standing in the shade outside, but not going inside, or walking briskly in the sun, or so on. You then can overheat and sweat if you move into such a context. You then move back into the cold environment, and now you are freezing.
If you dress in appropriate layers, you can, and should, make immediate adjustments when changing context so as to avoid this happening.
Congratulations! I just got back from a long weekend in Cleveland. It really is a great town, with much going on. As I said above…CWRU is a personal favorite…even though I have a SCU grad!
Take advantage of all Cleveland has to offer! Really, I think you will love it there.
Pro tip…head to Murray Hill which is Little Italy. The BEST Italian food…and very close to CWRU!
Congratulations! You are going to have lots of talented focused peers and so many opportunities! Wishing you the very best in achieving all your goals!
In addition to head and feet, it’s hands for me as well. Good gloves will be a huge help.
But yes, get a good winter coat, gloves, hat, and maybe workboots for the middle of winter and layers for the rest of the year. You will be fine. My S went to college in NY and a good friend was from Southern CA. He arrived with no winter gear so they took a trip to Old Navy the day of the first snow!
Congrats on Case. Hope you have a great four year experience.
In really cold weather I like very light silk gloves that I wear under warm mittens. However, I doubt that these will be needed in Cleveland. This might be a case where you get a good pair of boots, a reasonably warm pair of gloves, a light jacket (which someone from CA probably already has), a warm coat, and then wait and see if you want anything else.
And yes layers are good. As one example, you might want your warmest coat to be loose enough that you can wear a light sweater under the coat if needed for the coldest day.
I would buy these after arriving in Cleveland, and ask for local advice. The stores there will have everything that is needed, will know the local climate, and there will be plenty of time before winter arrives. September and October should be quite nice.
Regardless Case-Western is an excellent university. Congratulations!
