Case Western vs. Ohio State

[jmtfcs]

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An Ohio school showdown where I just can't make a decision...

Case Western
Pros

• Closer to home
• True P/F
• Interesting curriculum: seemed like a lot of free time, outside of everything that is required (~8-12 4 days a week or so)
• Crazy match list, even when accounting for Lerner students
• Rotations at many great hospitals, including Cleveland Clinic
• Better 'reputation'

Cons

• Expensive (100k more expensive overall)
• Interesting curriculum: there still are required events most days of the week. And a lot of small group stuff.
• Cool building but there isn't really a campus, which I'll miss

Ohio State
Pros

• A lot less expensive (big for me)
• Way less mandatory stuff
• Research opportunities are more diverse (at Cleveland Clinic / Case there is a huge focus on wet lab stuff from my experience)
• Good campus

Neutral

• Get a 'cozier' feeling but I think it's just the undergrad nostalgia

Cons

• The reputation isn't quite the same
• Ranked P/F
• Match list not as impressive, although some do quite well
• Further from home, but not by that much

Summary: Basically would I get my money's worth by going to Case? Or go to the cheaper option and try to work hard to make up the name difference?

 

[ihoop24]

Honestly, I don't think there is enough of a prestige difference here that warrants spending 100k more + interest. I vote OSU

 

[jmtfcs]

@erenyeager @ihoop24

Thanks for your input!

 

[hailbate]

OSU, for the same reasons mentioned above. Plus Columbus is definitely the better city scene compared to Cleveland nowadays.

 

[inagomask]

Go to OSU with me!

 

[deleted621740]

OSU. Prestige difference is marginal.

 

[FatherTime-PhD]

Prestige difference is minimal. And Ohio state is much cheaper, which you explicitly state is very important to you...

Go Bucks!

 

[Sea Otter]

Important to remember that extra $100,000 is before interest. Your specialty choices won't be limited at Ohio State. Go to Ohio State and save the money.

 

[jmtfcs]

I'm not gonna weigh in directly on where you should go, but the required stuff at Case is 8-10, not 8-12. During M2 it's 10-12.

Some other things to consider are the unranked P/F at Case (huge, huge plus for me personally) and the move to P/F step 1 esp. considering Case's extremely strong match. You also won't be limited in research opportunities at Case relative to OSU, so I wouldn't let that factor into your decision at all.

Anyway, you can't go wrong between the two so you should really go where you feel you will be happier!

Yeah I agree Case's match list is seriously impressive. To be honest there aren't really negatives for either school that would be deal-breakers for me -- it's mostly just the money I'm considering here but I felt like I had to try come up with something haha. That being said, the positives of Case are making me think about spending extra but I can't seem to bite the bullet when the difference is this large. Of course the consensus here seems to lean heavily toward OSU which might make it seem like the easier choice, but I'm still doing some deciding. Thanks for helping out!