Case Western Reserve

[theorygrrl]

. . . I have a pretty good offer from them, and I wonder if anyone can provide some objective information, like their reputation outside of Ohio, what you've heard on the street, etc.

Thanks in advance.

[teaganc]

Theorygrll,

My only knowledge of them is that my legal skills professor went there for Law School. She's a pretty dull bird --- but I don't know if that really says anything about the university or the other departments in general!

Actually, most of the things I know about this school apply to its Law School, and I think it's ranked around 60th in the nation (not great, but still pretty good).

[Hypnertomachia]

I wouldn't go unless you have no other option. I did English there as an undergrad and transferred out before the end of my first year to an Ivy. Case is a small place with a small faculty comprised of small-minded people. On the other hand, if the package is generous, I would take it for a year and if you don't like it, there's always the option of transferring or of opting-out after the MA. The place doesn't have a great reputation probably because it's a top-four school for engineering and therefore the university pours money into that leaving the humanities to languish in the worst buildings on campus, with little conference funding, summer stipends, and so on. And people tend to be really territorial both when it comes to the students they're supervising and the courses they're teaching. Would it help to know that their undergrad retention rate is about 60%? Most of my friends left with me that year. I too only went to Case for the funding, but decided that student loans was a better option than having to live in a place like that for four years. And Cleveland is well.. brutal in the winter. Though it's by no means a bad program. Especially if you're doing comp lit or languages, in which case, email Per Aage Brandt, who is head of cogni-sci but does a lot with comp.lit. he's amazing and well-regarded and super-nice.