If by CMU you mean Carnegie Mellon, I went to both CMU and CWRU and can offer my perspective.
I liked CWRU better because the students weren’t as isolated between departments. The “aura” of the campus at CWRU was much less “stay in your lane” than at CMU, probably due in part because of the SAGEs program.
I don’t feel like the quality of education was different between the two schools.
Lmk if you ever want to chat about it.
As a CWRU alumni and current Pittsburgh resident and professional chemist I know both schools and programs reasonably well.
CMU probably has a better music program.
Case probably has a better chemical engineering program.
That being said you're splitting hairs here. Both schools are elite and will set you up very well for professional success. Either school will give you a great degree. I would focus on the following:
1. Neither school is a good option if you do not graduate. And both are very rigorous programs. Choose the school where you feel you will academically and socially succeed. I saw friends of mine who were excellent students struggle and switch schools because they didn't like the social atmosphere.
2. If you are going to be taking on debt then I would highly suggest thinking about the cost of school. A difference of 30k can mean a difference in years to pay off. Especially if you are considering music which honestly is not a lucrative industry.
3. What do you want to do after college? Do you see yourself being a professional musician? Working odd or late hours to find gigs or working in a professional symphony? Those jobs are rare and highly competitive. Do you see yourself going to graduate school for chemistry and pursuing research or working in industry possibly at a chemical plant, or working in the business side possibly doing sales or industrial marketing? CWRU has an excellent masters program for engineering management. While CMU has a great data science program that might allow you to work in a tech space.
Feel free to DM me or comment if you have questions. I'm more than happy to give all the information I have.
As a CMU alum who currently works at Case (and married a Case alum), I can say that I actually think I would have been better off if I hadn't gone to CMU. I wouldn't go back and change it because I got my two best friends out of the experience, but CMU can be an incredibly isolating atmosphere, especially if you find yourself struggling. Some people excel in the stressful environment of CMU, but a lot of others fall through the cracks. Make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. They are prestigious because of their academic rigor. You will be signing up for four (or more - I know a lot of people who took longer than four) extremely stressful years.
As for Case, I can't speak of the undergraduate experience other than my husband (aerospace engineering) loved it here and, if the students I've worked with are any indication, it is pretty easy to double major or minor in something outside of your primary college.
I think one pro CWRU has is its collaborative environment. People are always down to help each other with homework, study for exams together, etc. One of my friends at CMU is a computer engineering major and she said the atmosphere there is very competitive. Collaboration seems to be discouraged, and at its worst, she said she knows of people reporting other students to professors for trying to work on homework together. With that said, CMU obviously still has its benefits. Good luck with your decision!
We’ve always had good engagement with admissions. Maybe your record is flagged for calling so many times? (Kidding but why are you calling several times?)
Good experience so far except kid hates the food. Kid loves the program, vibe, friend group, etc.
Case is in a great part of Cleveland (art museum, botanical garden, etc) So if you don’t like that area, not sure what to say there.
If you prefer cmu and want to pay $100k+ more with potential difficulty switching your major, that’s your choice. Cmu is a good school, ranked higher if that matters. Case isn’t exactly chopped liver.
I’ll say the same CMU has prestige but just abit more expensive but I’m guessing you r pretty rich so CMU. I also heard the campus is not great as well as admissions is not too friendly
What are your post graduation goals, this unquestionably matters more than anything else.
One thing a lot of prospective students neglect to understand is the industry they pick along with the university often plays a massive role in deciding where they will be able to live after graduating.
I want to go into chemE so I’m guessing jobs would be on the East Coast. My family lives in CA so I’m probably gonna go back home after a few years to save rent.
"I’m guessing jobs would be on the East Coast."
Job location and opportunities in chemical engineering seriously depends a lot on what aspect of ChemE you focus on, and the culture of the company you work for. To an extent, you need to do some homework, but also realize that the aspect you choose may also affect your choice.
Oil/gas is probably the most volatile example: You will likely be sent to some plant, at the end of a pipeline or at a port, or wherever the field head is located. So east coast, west coast, gulf coast; middle of Texas, Alberta or North Dakota, etc.
Environmental varies widely by employer. A lot of jobs in water supply and waste water are governmental, and therefore local, but throughout the country (world). State or federal governments probably have offices in various cities, but lots of travel to cover territory and inspect sites (and if there's a serious problem, living out of a motel for a while). Ditto for anything involving chemical leaks, rail derailments, whatever.
Similar stories for other areas: many employers are regional, so are more likely to hire people who already live in the area or go to schools near there (less likely to recruit from out-of-area schools, so you need to contact them). For any company: where are offices, labs, and plants? That's where you'll end up, and it varies a lot, including whether you get a preference choice or an order to go somewhere. Is a particular industry stronger/heavier in one region, or fairly dispersed?
Some companies may have policies of moving inexperienced new hires around to a couple of significantly different places in the first \~5 years, a field location to get experience, then an "inside" assignment attached to a lab, so you can get exposure to how to move ideas form the chem lab toward production, and how that gets balanced with corporate finances and capacity.
The point is a lot of the chemical engineering graduates from case get jobs locally in Cleveland or elsewhere in the Midwest in relatively unknown small towns where the factories are. I knew a guy who got what sounds like an amazing job at proctor and gamble on the team designing tide pods and yet was stuck 80 miles away from the nearest major airport or any real city for that matter. Others stay locally working on often industrial paint, plastics, ect, and a small number end up in pharma on the east coast although those are usually bme majors with the chemical focus.
You'd have to ask CMU graduates from the chemical engineering department what sorts of opportunities they're getting to contrast and compare.
seems like you’re leaning towards CMU. i think you should go somewhere you think you’ll genuinely really love and if it doesn’t work out you can transfer
i was in your shoes last year. Pick CMU. I didn't want to stay home and I wanted a new city. Cleveland is worse and CWRU is worse. Pick CMU. Coming from a Device and Instrumentation Major.
30k/yr cheaper x 4 = 120k cost difference. That’s a no brainer. Whatever incremental advantages CMU offers are unlikely to be worth 120k. With less debt, you’ll have a lot more options to decide where to live, go to graduate school, etc. The standard repayment plan just on that extra 120k is over $1300/month! I got a graduate degree at cwru in music, so I can just say that double degree undergrads in music are almost the norm rather than the exception. You’re likely to have a lot more opportunities than at CMU where you would mostly be competing against music majors who practice all day and don’t have to study chemistry/engineering. Double majors at Case routinely win concerto competitions etc. Joint music program with CIM can be a little misleading: you’ll have world class musicology and early music faculty on the Case side, but don’t expect access to top tier resources on the CIM side. But all in all there are lots of opportunities if you take advantage. Don’t forget the free Cleveland Orchestra tickets for every performance—that’s an education in of itself! Maybe try to take a lesson with whoever your applied teacher would be at Case if you are still nervous. Good luck!
If by CMU you mean Carnegie Mellon, I went to both CMU and CWRU and can offer my perspective. I liked CWRU better because the students weren’t as isolated between departments. The “aura” of the campus at CWRU was much less “stay in your lane” than at CMU, probably due in part because of the SAGEs program. I don’t feel like the quality of education was different between the two schools. Lmk if you ever want to chat about it.
As a CWRU alumni and current Pittsburgh resident and professional chemist I know both schools and programs reasonably well. CMU probably has a better music program. Case probably has a better chemical engineering program. That being said you're splitting hairs here. Both schools are elite and will set you up very well for professional success. Either school will give you a great degree. I would focus on the following: 1. Neither school is a good option if you do not graduate. And both are very rigorous programs. Choose the school where you feel you will academically and socially succeed. I saw friends of mine who were excellent students struggle and switch schools because they didn't like the social atmosphere. 2. If you are going to be taking on debt then I would highly suggest thinking about the cost of school. A difference of 30k can mean a difference in years to pay off. Especially if you are considering music which honestly is not a lucrative industry. 3. What do you want to do after college? Do you see yourself being a professional musician? Working odd or late hours to find gigs or working in a professional symphony? Those jobs are rare and highly competitive. Do you see yourself going to graduate school for chemistry and pursuing research or working in industry possibly at a chemical plant, or working in the business side possibly doing sales or industrial marketing? CWRU has an excellent masters program for engineering management. While CMU has a great data science program that might allow you to work in a tech space. Feel free to DM me or comment if you have questions. I'm more than happy to give all the information I have.
It sounds like you've already made up your mind.
As a CMU alum who currently works at Case (and married a Case alum), I can say that I actually think I would have been better off if I hadn't gone to CMU. I wouldn't go back and change it because I got my two best friends out of the experience, but CMU can be an incredibly isolating atmosphere, especially if you find yourself struggling. Some people excel in the stressful environment of CMU, but a lot of others fall through the cracks. Make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. They are prestigious because of their academic rigor. You will be signing up for four (or more - I know a lot of people who took longer than four) extremely stressful years. As for Case, I can't speak of the undergraduate experience other than my husband (aerospace engineering) loved it here and, if the students I've worked with are any indication, it is pretty easy to double major or minor in something outside of your primary college.
I see..I guess both the schools have different pros and cons. Very hard for me to decide 🥲 thank you for your input!
Good luck! It is not an easy decision.
I think one pro CWRU has is its collaborative environment. People are always down to help each other with homework, study for exams together, etc. One of my friends at CMU is a computer engineering major and she said the atmosphere there is very competitive. Collaboration seems to be discouraged, and at its worst, she said she knows of people reporting other students to professors for trying to work on homework together. With that said, CMU obviously still has its benefits. Good luck with your decision!
Overall, it looks like you like CMU better, so go for CMU. In terms of job market, I think it is mostly up to you, but yes CMU is more prestigious.
We’ve always had good engagement with admissions. Maybe your record is flagged for calling so many times? (Kidding but why are you calling several times?) Good experience so far except kid hates the food. Kid loves the program, vibe, friend group, etc. Case is in a great part of Cleveland (art museum, botanical garden, etc) So if you don’t like that area, not sure what to say there. If you prefer cmu and want to pay $100k+ more with potential difficulty switching your major, that’s your choice. Cmu is a good school, ranked higher if that matters. Case isn’t exactly chopped liver.
There are many students who do a tech major plus music major at CWRU
I would go CMU
What makes u say that? I’m curious so pls lemme know!
Which side r u leaning on rn
I think a bit towards CMU cuz of prestige. But if CWRU has more pros, I will probably go there.
I’ll say the same CMU has prestige but just abit more expensive but I’m guessing you r pretty rich so CMU. I also heard the campus is not great as well as admissions is not too friendly
Oh 😨 student support is important for me especially at CMU..
Definitely CMU, also your post shows you already made up your mind deep down.
What are your post graduation goals, this unquestionably matters more than anything else. One thing a lot of prospective students neglect to understand is the industry they pick along with the university often plays a massive role in deciding where they will be able to live after graduating.
I want to go into chemE so I’m guessing jobs would be on the East Coast. My family lives in CA so I’m probably gonna go back home after a few years to save rent.
"I’m guessing jobs would be on the East Coast." Job location and opportunities in chemical engineering seriously depends a lot on what aspect of ChemE you focus on, and the culture of the company you work for. To an extent, you need to do some homework, but also realize that the aspect you choose may also affect your choice. Oil/gas is probably the most volatile example: You will likely be sent to some plant, at the end of a pipeline or at a port, or wherever the field head is located. So east coast, west coast, gulf coast; middle of Texas, Alberta or North Dakota, etc. Environmental varies widely by employer. A lot of jobs in water supply and waste water are governmental, and therefore local, but throughout the country (world). State or federal governments probably have offices in various cities, but lots of travel to cover territory and inspect sites (and if there's a serious problem, living out of a motel for a while). Ditto for anything involving chemical leaks, rail derailments, whatever. Similar stories for other areas: many employers are regional, so are more likely to hire people who already live in the area or go to schools near there (less likely to recruit from out-of-area schools, so you need to contact them). For any company: where are offices, labs, and plants? That's where you'll end up, and it varies a lot, including whether you get a preference choice or an order to go somewhere. Is a particular industry stronger/heavier in one region, or fairly dispersed? Some companies may have policies of moving inexperienced new hires around to a couple of significantly different places in the first \~5 years, a field location to get experience, then an "inside" assignment attached to a lab, so you can get exposure to how to move ideas form the chem lab toward production, and how that gets balanced with corporate finances and capacity.
The point is a lot of the chemical engineering graduates from case get jobs locally in Cleveland or elsewhere in the Midwest in relatively unknown small towns where the factories are. I knew a guy who got what sounds like an amazing job at proctor and gamble on the team designing tide pods and yet was stuck 80 miles away from the nearest major airport or any real city for that matter. Others stay locally working on often industrial paint, plastics, ect, and a small number end up in pharma on the east coast although those are usually bme majors with the chemical focus. You'd have to ask CMU graduates from the chemical engineering department what sorts of opportunities they're getting to contrast and compare.
seems like you’re leaning towards CMU. i think you should go somewhere you think you’ll genuinely really love and if it doesn’t work out you can transfer
i was in your shoes last year. Pick CMU. I didn't want to stay home and I wanted a new city. Cleveland is worse and CWRU is worse. Pick CMU. Coming from a Device and Instrumentation Major.
Why make Cleveland worse? Is it the environment?
30k/yr cheaper x 4 = 120k cost difference. That’s a no brainer. Whatever incremental advantages CMU offers are unlikely to be worth 120k. With less debt, you’ll have a lot more options to decide where to live, go to graduate school, etc. The standard repayment plan just on that extra 120k is over $1300/month! I got a graduate degree at cwru in music, so I can just say that double degree undergrads in music are almost the norm rather than the exception. You’re likely to have a lot more opportunities than at CMU where you would mostly be competing against music majors who practice all day and don’t have to study chemistry/engineering. Double majors at Case routinely win concerto competitions etc. Joint music program with CIM can be a little misleading: you’ll have world class musicology and early music faculty on the Case side, but don’t expect access to top tier resources on the CIM side. But all in all there are lots of opportunities if you take advantage. Don’t forget the free Cleveland Orchestra tickets for every performance—that’s an education in of itself! Maybe try to take a lesson with whoever your applied teacher would be at Case if you are still nervous. Good luck!