Rochester and Case Western comparison

[Anonymous]

If you have visited both University of Rochester and CWRU with a prospective student (even better if you saw them both and have a student who enrolled at one of these schools): Can you tell me about “vibe” differences and similarities? We toured Rochester last week and my DC (current junior) had some reservations after the tour. We are trying to decide whether to make a visit to CWRU at some point since it checks many of DC’s boxes, but I’m a little hesitant if the feeling is a lot like Rochester’s.

While the Rochester campus is attractive, self-contained, and close to downtown (all pluses in DC’s book), it was hard to get a sense of the student body’s personality. We did not see a lot of students walking or studying together. It was a chilly morning and the tour guide took us inside very few buildings (only the library and dorm, not any of the classroom buildings or campus center or athletic spaces). At other schools we have seen indoor spaces where students can sit together to study or chat, but we weren’t able to get a sense of that at Rochester. The tour guide mentioned a competitive vibe among her classmates that had turned her off from her original major and led her to pivot toward something more social-science related than STEM. My DC is already interested in the social sciences but is hoping to avoid a very competitive atmosphere. 

We also didn’t love that the walk from Rochester to any off-campus restaurants, coffee shops etc. would take at least 15-20 minutes. They’re trying hard to promote their “Collegetown” strip of businesses, but it’s not adjacent to campus.

Thanks for any insights if you have enough experience to be able to compare the two schools!

[Anonymous]

CWRU gives more merit money than Rochester.

[Anonymous]

Bumping: Any thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Cleveland is a better city than Rochester

[Anonymous]

Applying to both and decide post-acceptance.

[Anonymous]

I’ve had kids apply to and visit both schools (they ended up elsewhere) and can just tell you the vibe that they got: Case seemed friendlier and more typical. Kids hanging on the quad and goofing around. Rochester, even on the very nice day we happened to be there, did not feel like that. A soccer team was practicing on a field but we didn’t see students hanging out. Or even studying together. I am sure they do! Just a different feel.

Case gave us a little more money than Rochester. Cleveland is easier to get to than Rochester- you can fly, or the drive from DC isn’t too bad. The drive from here to Rochester is about the same length of time but seems more onerous for whatever reason. Cleveland seemed like a more vibrant town. The campus at Rochester feels cut off from everything.

Anyway- my two cents. HTH.

[Anonymous]

My kid chose Rochester because she liked the social vibe more there and because of the flexibility of the curriculum. She also liked Case though and I’m sure she would have been happy there as well.

It’s hard to describe the difference but there’s slightly more of an alternative/artsy vibe I think (maybe because of Eastman Conservatory) without it being overall a particularly artsy vibe.

[Anonymous]

Although we haven’t been to CW, we were at Rochester in February on a Sunday. There were tons of students in Wilson Commons coming and going and socializing outside the Starbucks and in other areas of the building from lunchtime onward. There was also some sort of live music get together in Douglass where students were playing and singing pop songs. A basketball game was happening in the gym, and there was a good crowd. I was surprised to see so many students out and about on a Sunday, especially during the winter, and this was the first school we’ve visited that I felt a sense of the student body (a bit artsy, academic too, the library was pretty busy).

[Anonymous]

We visited CWRU earlier this year and are headed to Rochester later this month.

CWRU had a campus within a city feel. It is right across from the major hospitals and there are restaurants, museums, parks, and the symphony all nearby. sort of like GW, but with an actual campus and maybe in a busier area. Rochester sounds like AU in terms of location within the city and what is close by.

The kids at CWRU seemed happy. We were there mid-week. There appeared to be a ton of student events happening based on the posters throughout campus. Lots of advising opportunities and support as well.

I will say that the admissions session was lacking and that our very nice tour guide was more informative than the session was. My kid got a mailer from CRWU that they are doing a local event in Bethesda in the next few weeks. Might be worth going to that instead of heading to Cleveland if it hasn’t already happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cleveland is a better city than Rochester

Rochester is a better campus than Case.

[Anonymous]

My kid visited both, though I went with her to Rochester and my spouse to Case. I think she was leaning toward Rochester at first, but the Case visit changed that, though it may have more to do with what she learned about the programs involved in her particular desired double major. Her impression was that Case was geekier, but not in an overwhelming way, and she seemed to regard the social scene about the same (though she's not a very group-joining person and protests that she wasn't really looking at that). She still thinks either would have been a good fit for her.

Personally, I went to Rochester with no pre-formed opinion and came away favorably impressed. Nice, self-contained campus (except Eastman and medical stuff), though a isolated as others have said. Faculty and staff were very welcoming and seemed interested in talking/helping, which made a pretty stark contrast to the T20s we'd visited earlier in the trip.

Just to note, at most schools you're not limited to where the tour guide takes you! Even on the Sunday we arrived were able to wander around unlocked academic buildings at Rochester. Some schools lock things down more these days, especially in big cities and/or on weekends, but in my experience most still don't (and even at those I'll tailgate absent explicit signage).

[Anonymous]

A few comments.

I was just in Cleveland for Easter and went to a lovely ticketed art exhibit "Manet & Morisot" at the free to get into Museum of Art.

As I drove past the art museum, there were tons of happy college students lined up for food trucks in the University Circle area. Seemed like informal socialization because of good weather and a big mixed crowd with no obvious focus of attention.

CWRU buildings are likely to be secured, unless public like a medical building. I couldn't help my friend get into the business school building even though he graduated from a joint Case MBA program that was run in Europe. If you didn't have a current ID, no luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A few comments.

I was just in Cleveland for Easter and went to a lovely ticketed art exhibit "Manet & Morisot" at the free to get into Museum of Art.

As I drove past the art museum, there were tons of happy college students lined up for food trucks in the University Circle area. Seemed like informal socialization because of good weather and a big mixed crowd with no obvious focus of attention.

CWRU buildings are likely to be secured, unless public like a medical building. I couldn't help my friend get into the business school building even though he graduated from a joint Case MBA program that was run in Europe. If you didn't have a current ID, no luck.

Awww! I wonder if you saw my son. He told me he got food from the taco truck and the burger truck. 😂

The secured buildings are new this year and a result of the Brown shooting.

[Anonymous]

My child is a senior at case- accepted at both Case and Rochester. Picked Case because Cleveland is more of a real city (sports town) and loved his time. Is planning on staying in Cleveland after graduation.

[Anonymous]

We live in a nearby suburb and know lots of kids at University of Rochester. Some are pre-med, some not. We’ve never once heard it described as “competitive.”