Case Western

[chemwiz14]

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DOes anyone know what it means to be on hold there? They interview about800 people, are those from the last 400 which they don't offer acceptaces or do you still have a chance of being accepted?

 

[Ashanti Rock]

DOes anyone know what it means to be on hold there? They interview about800 people, are those from the last 400 which they don't offer acceptaces or do you still have a chance of being accepted?

Hi Chemwiz,

did you get a letter stating you were on hold? When did you interview and when did you find out about your status? Sorry, I can't be of much help to you, I interviewed on Dec. 12th and still waiting to hear back, they told us it would take a month or so. Thanks!

 

[robh]

DOes anyone know what it means to be on hold there? They interview about800 people, are those from the last 400 which they don't offer acceptaces or do you still have a chance of being accepted?

Admissions at Case roll. So if they were certain they wanted you, you'd have been admitted. On the other hand, it is also true that if they didn't want you, they would have rejected you. This leaves you in the uncomfortable middle. It sucks. I'm in the same boat at my state school. Based on what Case told me when I interviewed, you still have a shot, maybe a good shot. It just depends on how they rank you against everyone else, and how many folks ahead of you drop out to go to other schools. Hang in there! Good luck.

 

[zzz1]

Does anyone know if Case's scholarship is 30K at the high end or actually it has full-tuition scholarships? Anyone has more information on this topic from their fin. aid. talk while interviewing?

Also does anyone know what their tuition rate is actually nowadays? Their website is kinda out of date and has comflicting info.

 

[robh]

Does anyone know if Case's scholarship is 30K at the high end or actually it has full-tuition scholarships? Anyone has more information on this topic from their fin. aid. talk while interviewing?

Also does anyone know what their tuition rate is actually nowadays? Their website is kinda out of date and has comflicting info.

From info given at the interview financial aid briefing based on the 2005 MSI class:

total annual budget: $55,556
tuition: $37,944
books/supplies: $2000

The average aid package is 30-40% grant (not repaid) and 60-70% loan. How much grant aid you get is based on need. Average debt was $131,500 for the graduating class of 2005.

 

[exmike]

im not totally sure on the scholarships, but i do know some of them are full tuition and some of them are partial.

 

[Ashanti Rock]

Does anyone know if Case's scholarship is 30K at the high end or actually it has full-tuition scholarships? Anyone has more information on this topic from their fin. aid. talk while interviewing?

Also does anyone know what their tuition rate is actually nowadays? Their website is kinda out of date and has comflicting info.

On our financial aid sheet it stated the dean's scholarships can range from the thousands to full tuition.

With that in mind there are also about only 21 scholarships for the incoming class of 2006.

Seems kinda stingy to me 🙄

 

[robh]

On our financial aid sheet it stated the dean's scholarships can range from the thousands to full tuition.

With that in mind there are also about only 21 scholarships for the incoming class of 2006.

Seems kinda stingy to me 🙄

Those 21 scholarships are merit based. My understanding was that they also made need based grants. Did you hear differently? Maybe I misunderstood what they told us.

 

[Ashanti Rock]

Those 21 scholarships are merit based. My understanding was that they also made need based grants. Did you hear differently? Maybe I misunderstood what they told us.

Dean's Scholarships- 15 awards from $30,000-full tution- strictly based on merit
Satcher-Pamies- 2 awarsd of $30,000/year- strictly merit
Alumni- 2 awards $20,000/year- merit and need
Amici- 2 awards $20,000/year - merit and need

The average package is 30-40% grant and 60-70% loans. This seems to be standard for every student.

Apart from the last two, the sheets do not list any other types of need based grants. (Example- scholarship for disadvantaged students and other tpes of need based grants available at other schools).

The student that I stayed with during my stay who recieved one of substantial scholarships said that she still took about $30,000/year in loans!

 

[geekOCD]

I'm pretty sure that they do give need based grants, but it may be kind of secret - they don't want everyone to know what kind of money they're giving to some people (same thing at my undergraduate fin. aid office). My student host talked about it.

 

[robh]

I'm pretty sure that they do give need based grants, but it may be kind of secret - they don't want everyone to know what kind of money they're giving to some people (same thing at my undergraduate fin. aid office). My student host talked about it.

It's pretty hard to imagine that the average grant aid package is 30-40% of the budget when they only have 21 scholarships for 160+ students. Even if those 21 had scholarships were for 100% of the budget, it would amount to an average grant aid package of around 12%. The numbers don't add up, unless there is more grant money lurking somewhere, which gives me a little more confidence in what I thought I was told.

 

[exmike]

Yes there are need based grants. I have them, and most of the people I know in my class have some amount of need based grants.

 

[robh]

Yes there are need based grants. I have them, and most of the people I know in my class have some amount of need based grants.

Thanks for clearing this up for us!

 

[exmike]

It's pretty hard to imagine that the average grant aid package is 30-40% of the budget when they only have 21 scholarships for 160+ students. Even if those 21 had scholarships were for 100% of the budget, it would amount to an average grant aid package of around 12%. The numbers don't add up, unless there is more grant money lurking somewhere, which gives me a little more confidence in what I thought I was told.

Oh yeah, and there are not 160+ students. Cleveland Clinic program has their own financial aid system. And there are typically 12 MSTP studuents meaning there are about 132 university program MD students vying for the same scholarships.

 

[robh]

Oh yeah, and there are not 160+ students. Cleveland Clinic program has their own financial aid system. And there are typically 12 MSTP studuents meaning there are about 132 university program MD students vying for the same scholarships.

No doubt you are correct. I just pulled that number from the MSAR. So how do you like Case and Cleveland?

 

[chemwiz14]

has anyone been accepted off the hold list?

 

[.edu-MD]

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[IAMS]

Sorry for feigning ignorance on a generic question, but I want to know the answer to this. Why Case Western University program??? For those of you who have interviewed there, what are the major selling points?

 

[.edu-MD]

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[.edu-MD]

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[exmike]

I was very surprised to find out University Hospitals' adult ED is not a trauma center. I think this is the first academic medical center's adult ED I've come across that isn't a trauma center. Cleveland apparently only has one adult trauma center (MetroHealth) and one pedi trauma center (Rainbow). However, what was not mentioned at the interview is that UH is expanding. At the Cleveland site, they're building a new cancer hospital and redoing their ED to combine both the pedi and adult EDs. They'll be retaining the pedi trauma center status and I suspect looking for adult trauma center status. Rainbow will also be getting a new NICU. Construction of the cancer hospital is supposed to be completed in October 2009. The new ED will be under construction beginning this summer in July and ending July 2008. The new NICU project will start March 2006 and finish next fall (2007). There weren't any major signs of construction yet other than the main walking path to the biomed building being fenced off. They're also building a new hospital in the suburbs somewhere and upgrading facilities at some of their other suburban hospitals as part of this project.

Anyhow, sorry for the length of this post. If anyone has thoughts or more info about the "Foundations of Medicine & Health" portion of their curriculum (i.e. basic science portion), it sure would be appreciated.

Well metro health is one of the teaching hospitals, which is also a trauma center. I guess that for a city of Cleveland's size, one trauma center is needed. Even the cleveland clinic ER is not a trauma center.

 

[geekOCD]

Case is unranked p/f for the first two years, students seem really happy, excellent mph program, excellent research & innovation going on (random ex: cleveland clinic is preparing to do the first full facial transplant surgery in the u.s.), good range of hospitals to rotate through (from metro health to rainbow to the cleveland clinic to UH) including the highly nat'l ranked ones. Good & interesting exposure to clinical med. early on (ex. following a pregnant patient first year), and the new curriculum which incorporates more public health and has a diff. structure...honestly a pro and a con at this point (for me).

 

[.edu-MD]

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[happydays]

This year they're targeting ~950 interviews. They said few will be rejected once invited to interview. The purpose of the interview is to find people who they feel will fit best with their new curriculum. So all my interview questions were geared at answering that question: How do I learn best? How do I learn worst? etc...

I think it's incredibly inconsiderate of Case to interview THIS many people and then put most of them on hold.

From what I was told by Case students, post interview hold = 50% rejection and 50% waitlist. (but I've also heard that they accept a lot of people off their waitlist.)

That's making almost a 1000 people fly/drive HOURS of their valuable life to this place and only accept 1/3 of them.

If they're soooooo keen on taking only those who will fit their curriculum, why didn't they put that question on their secondary?! This shows how disorganized and inconsiderate of them.

 

[.edu-MD]

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[robh]

I think it's incredibly inconsiderate of Case to interview THIS many people and then put most of them on hold.

From what I was told by Case students, post interview hold = 50% rejection and 50% waitlist. (but I've also heard that they accept a lot of people off their waitlist.)

That's making almost a 1000 people fly/drive HOURS of their valuable life to this place and only accept 1/3 of them.

If they're soooooo keen on taking only those who will fit their curriculum, why didn't they put that question on their secondary?! This shows how disorganized and inconsiderate of them.

Huh? If you look at Case's statistics on USNEWS, they are very comparible to other schools and better than a lot of them. Here are a few examples from OH and elsewhere (from 2004):

2004____Interviews___Accepted____%Accepted
Case------831-----------448-----------54%
OSU-------777-----------381-----------49%
UCinc------661-----------399-----------60%
Harvard---711-----------225-----------32%
Duke------751-----------184-----------25%
UPenn-----755-----------242-----------32%

 

[happydays]

I didn't know those stat, but when I was at Case, they gave us a fact sheet that said that they interview ~900 and accept ~350, which makes it just about 1/3 and they're NOT Harvard, Duke, or Penn.

 

[funshine]

I didn't know those stat, but when I was at Case, they gave us a fact sheet that said that they interview ~900 and accept ~350, which makes it just about 1/3 and they're NOT Harvard, Duke, or Penn.

I agree with your sentiments completely. Also, the stats indicate that IN THE END, a total of 448 out of 831 applicants are accepted...I think it includes all those who are accepted but decide to go elsewhere, AS WELL AS those who were initially on-hold or got off the waitlist. The percentage accepted immediately is probably much lower.

 

[diosa428]

What I don't understand is why they put everyone not accepted "on hold" and then decide to waitlist/reject these people. Why not just make the waitlist/reject decisions the first time around?

 

[QofQuimica]

I think it's incredibly inconsiderate of Case to interview THIS many people and then put most of them on hold.

From what I was told by Case students, post interview hold = 50% rejection and 50% waitlist. (but I've also heard that they accept a lot of people off their waitlist.)

That's making almost a 1000 people fly/drive HOURS of their valuable life to this place and only accept 1/3 of them.

If they're soooooo keen on taking only those who will fit their curriculum, why didn't they put that question on their secondary?! This shows how disorganized and inconsiderate of them.

I've seen other people post this same complaint about various other med schools (go read the Wash U thread, for example), and I really don't get it. If you feel that Case is so horrible, why would YOU waste YOUR "valuable life" applying there in the first place? Or accepting their invitation to interview? You do know that you can decline the interview, right? You don't have to go just because they invited you! Or are you saying that you thought they were great until you got to the interview, and now you think they are "disorganized and inconsiderate" because there's only a 1/3 chance that they'll take you?

I'm not trying to put you down; I truly don't understand what you're so upset about. EVERY school interviews tons more people than they accept, and waitlists many of them. There are several schools that interview on the order of 1000 people (and BTW, are you sure that those are all for the UP, or does that include CC too? Because if it's the latter, then you'll have some people who interviewed twice, once for each program, which would seriously skew the stats.) I just don't see what's so different (or horrible) about Case's interview process compared to any other school.

 

[happydays]

oops. double post.

 

[happydays]

I've seen other people post this same complaint about various other med schools (go read the Wash U thread, for example), and I really don't get it. If you feel that Case is so horrible, why would YOU waste YOUR "valuable life" applying there in the first place? Or accepting their invitation to interview? You do know that you can decline the interview, right? You don't have to go just because they invited you! Or are you saying that you thought they were great until you got to the interview, and now you think they are "disorganized and inconsiderate" because there's only a 1/3 chance that they'll take you?

I'm not trying to put you down; I truly don't understand what you're so upset about. EVERY school interviews tons more people than they accept, and waitlists many of them. There are several schools that interview on the order of 1000 people (and BTW, are you sure that those are all for the UP, or does that include CC too? Because if it's the latter, then you'll have some people who interviewed twice, once for each program, which would seriously skew the stats.) I just don't see what's so different (or horrible) about Case's interview process compared to any other school.

I thought I was invited because they were impressed, not because they were filling their 950 quota. I didn't know this before I went; if I did, I would have declined.

Yes, every school interviews more than they accept, but most accept 50%.

They're not Harvard.

 

[exmike]

I didn't know those stat, but when I was at Case, they gave us a fact sheet that said that they interview ~900 and accept ~350, which makes it just about 1/3 and they're NOT Harvard, Duke, or Penn.

dude if you're pissed only 1/3 get in off interview, then i hope you didnt apply to GW or Georgetown where they interview like 1400 students to fill classes of 150-170

When did it become an entitlement to have a certain % acceptance off interview from a given school? Look at it in reverse, say the average applicant gets in like four schools but only picks one. Is it fair to the medical schools that they only have a 25% chance of being picked by a successful applicant?

As you can see from the US News stats, case is well within the norm for acceptance off interview. Mind you that those number indicate interviews offered. As with any school, a fair number of students will decline interviews, especially later in the season, so a 50% overall rate is believeable. Either way, I'm sure the majority of premeds out there would take a 33% chance of getting in a given med school over 0% (no interview).

 

[Mixtli]

I think a major concern for people that went to Case interviews is that according to last year's MSAR, they interviewed around 680 people, but this year they are interviewing 800+, a 25% jump. The chances are slimmer this year. Unlike schools that interview 1000+ people, there is a lot less waitlist movement at Case.

 

[exmike]

I thought I was invited because they were impressed, not because they were filling their 950 quota. I didn't know this before I went; if I did, I would have declined.

Yes, every school interviews more than they accept, but most accept 50%.

They're not Harvard.

😕 I dont understand your beef. You were obviously invited to interview at Case because you are qualified. There is no quota, if anything, there are more qualified students than there is room to interview.

So only harvard has the right to reject/not accept applicants post interview? Why, because they are Harvard? Every school wants to bring in the best and most fitting students. That includes realizing after the interview that a given student may or may not be the best fit. Perhaps to some applicants, Case is "harvard" i.e. a super reach school. Do you think those applicants are upset at having "only" a 33% chance of getting in off interview (even though we've established its closer to 50%). Your idea that "most accept more than 50%" is groundless and confusing given that Case probably accepts close to that percentage.

 

[exmike]

I think a major concern for people that went to Case interviews is that according to last year's MSAR, they interviewed around 680 people, but this year they are interviewing 800+, a 25% jump. The chances are slimmer this year. Unlike schools that interview 1000+ people, there is a lot less waitlist movement at Case.

MSAR data is a year behind, it might be due to the additional 32 slots at Cleveland Clinic which is a 25% increase in the number a slots available at Case, and which interestingly corresponds with the increase in # of interviews. just my theory.

 

[.edu-MD]

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[diosa428]

She said they increased the number of interviews this year because they experienced an ~15% increase in applications.

That's wierd, because I thought that they told us that they did NOT increase the number of interviews this year. I remember them saying that we should feel proud for getting an interview b/c they had an increase in the number of applications but they were still interviewing the same # of applicants, so it was more difficult to get an interview this year.

 

[bsteves4]

slightly off topic from a couple of the previous posts...

so how hard/what are the chances of getting an acceptance AFTER being notified of "on hold" status

thanks!

 

[TheMightyAngus]

slightly off topic from a couple of the previous posts...

so how hard/what are the chances of getting an acceptance AFTER being notified of "on hold" status

thanks!

I did a search awhile back and found no one on SDN over the past 3-4 years who was put on-hold then accepted pre-waitlist. A few people were put on-hold, waitlisted, then accepted. But, since the adcom does review the on-hold list during committee meetings, it seems as though that an on-hold-turned-acceptance is possible. Just no one on SDN has spoken up to say that it happened to them.

 

[QofQuimica]

I thought I was invited because they were impressed, not because they were filling their 950 quota. I didn't know this before I went; if I did, I would have declined.

Yes, every school interviews more than they accept, but most accept 50%.

They're not Harvard.

I agree with exmike on several points:

1) You are selling yourself short. If Case didn't think you were qualified, they wouldn't invite you. Period. That they did invite you means that you are qualified and they are interested in finding out whether you are a good fit for the school from both of your perspectives. And I have heard several admissions people say at various schools that they always have more qualified applicants than they have space to interview, and more qualified interviewees than they have space to accept. Hence the waitlists and holds for some people.

2) Most of the top schools do NOT accept 50% of interviewees. You keep going on and on about Harvard, but Harvard is another school that interviews 800+ people for a class of 165, not so different than the odds at Case.

3) You do sound a little like you think Case owes you something. I'm sure you're an excellent applicant, but there are lots of excellent applicants out there, again, more excellent applicants than there is space to accomodate them all for interviews or acceptances. And what does Harvard have to do with anything anyway? Case doesn't HAVE to be Harvard. FWIW I disagree with you that Case is not in Harvard's league. Harvard's NP and Case's UP have so much in common in terms of their curriculum innovations that it kind of freaked me out. (I interviewed at these two schools in the same week.)

Anyway, it sounds like maybe Case isn't the school for you, and that's fine. But that doesn't make them an objectively horrible school.

 

[happydays]

I agree with exmike on several points:

1) You are selling yourself short. If Case didn't think you were qualified, they wouldn't invite you. Period. That they did invite you means that you are qualified and they are interested in finding out whether you are a good fit for the school from both of your perspectives. And I have heard several admissions people say at various schools that they always have more qualified applicants than they have space to interview, and more qualified interviewees than they have space to accept. Hence the waitlists and holds for some people.

2) Most of the top schools do NOT accept 50% of interviewees. You keep going on and on about Harvard, but Harvard is another school that interviews 800+ people for a class of 165, not so different than the odds at Case.

3) You do sound a little like you think Case owes you something. I'm sure you're an excellent applicant, but there are lots of excellent applicants out there, again, more excellent applicants than there is space to accomodate them all for interviews or acceptances. And what does Harvard have to do with anything anyway? Case doesn't HAVE to be Harvard. FWIW I disagree with you that Case is not in Harvard's league. Harvard's NP and Case's UP have so much in common in terms of their curriculum innovations that it kind of freaked me out. (I interviewed at these two schools in the same week.)

Anyway, it sounds like maybe Case isn't the school for you, and that's fine. But that doesn't make them an objectively horrible school.

I didn't say they were HORRIBLE. I just said they were disorganized.

Like you said earlier, schools make their own choices regarding who to interview; that it's not up to us to decide which school has a better system. Therefore, one of the few rights for applicants is the right to talk about the process anonomously at a discussion board. None of this talk even matters; it's not going to change anything. one day I'll be a great doctor and I won't even remember all of this. So please, don't take everything so seriously.

 

[.edu-MD]

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[pnasty]

Does anyone have a link for these USNEWS stats about acceptances and interviews...I would really appreciate sending it my way? I also interviewed at case and really liked it. Dr. Mehta did say that the application numbers were up this year and I think I remember her saying that they were holding the interview numbers steady (could be wrong...it was a long day). I think this is a general trend across all med schools this year though, there are a lot more students applying (or applying to a bigger number of schools).

 

[ntc1983]

Sorry pnasty for not answering your question (although I do have the US News numbers from the 2003-2004 cycle if you want them; not helpful, I know), but I was also put on hold at Case and was wondering if we can send them update letters with grades/activities and an additional LOR. They said not to call them, so I feel kind of torn.

 

[TheMightyAngus]

For those of you who interviewed at both Case and CCLCM, do you have a strong preference for one program over the other? Or would you happy to attend either?

Personally, I interviewed at Case just because I was already interviewing at CCLCM. I didn't like Case much, but loved CCLCM. Most people in my group interviewing at both felt the same way.

If I dont get in to the college program, I probably wouldn't attend Case if accepted. Does anyone else feel similarly?

This phenomenon might take into account at least some of the increased number of interviewees and/or increased acceptance rates.

 

[dajimmers]

Personally, I interviewed at Case just because I was already interviewing at CCLCM. I didn't like Case much, but loved CCLCM. Most people in my group interviewing at both felt the same way.

I feel pretty much the same way. I didn't like the ambiguity of Case's curriculum, and felt it was similar to a lot of the other schools I've seen. A great school, yes, but hard to shine next to CCLCM (at least to me). I'll stick with them untill Finaid/scholarships are announced, though.

 

[.edu-MD]

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[exmike]

For those of you who interviewed at both Case and CCLCM, do you have a strong preference for one program over the other? Or would you happy to attend either?

Personally, I interviewed at Case just because I was already interviewing at CCLCM. I didn't like Case much, but loved CCLCM. Most people in my group interviewing at both felt the same way.

If I dont get in to the college program, I probably wouldn't attend Case if accepted. Does anyone else feel similarly?

This phenomenon might take into account at least some of the increased number of interviewees and/or increased acceptance rates.

I think thats the great thing about having two programs. People tend to like one or the other, and many people interview at both.

There is a bit of a difference between small group and PBL although to someone that has yet to experience them both, they may seem the same. Yes, the UP is more similar to the LCM program now that there is reduced lecture time, but believe me, they are still quite distinct in terms of style and focus. UP and CP rotate together. In any case, it ends up being personal preference, so fortunately you have two choices!

 

[otemd]

Just because you get an interview does not entitle you to be accepted. It simply means that you got one step further in the process towards being accepted. It is pointless to be angry at Case when they interview and accept a lot more people than other schools. I was interviewed and accepted by Case a few months ago and thought they were extremely fair compared to a lot of schools I have gone to.