jmcomicÂþ»­

The size of Case's chem department is perfect, not too big and not too small. The faculty and staff are all very friendly and supportive, as well as very driven in their research and in teaching. Housing close to campus is very affordable on the monthly stipend and many students, including myself, walk or ride bikes here everyday (not to mention the free shuttle during the fall and spring semesters). There is great research going on here, many top of the line facilities and equipment and a lot of... Read More collaborations with researchers in the med school and in polymer science.

Cleveland is a great city to live in because it has a diverse nightlife and restaurant options as well as many breweries coupled with The Cleveland Orchestra and Museum of Art which are world renowned. All of this is in a city that has a very reasonable cost of living. The Chemistry Department at Case Western Reserve University is not well known and is ranked only 67 by the US News and World Report in 2013. However, the Medical School, polymer science, and energy research are well known and high... Read More ranked in the USA. In addition, the Chemistry Department is across the street from University Hospitals and a 5 minute walk from the Cleveland Clinic. University Hospitals has a Comprehensive Cancer Center, recognized by the NIH, that collaborates with the Cleveland Clinic and other medical institutions throughout Ohio to initiate clinical trials and other patient related research. In summary, Case Western Reserve University's Chemistry Department has numerous opportunities for collaborations that are of high quality. When you are considering a graduate program, don't just compare rankings, but compare the entire research environment.

Pros: - Professors are all willing to help when you first start. - classes are challenging and there are many different lab experiences. Cons: - department should provide more events that opens the opportunities for people who want to go in to industry after graduation. Since only about 10% of the graduate students actually go in to academics. Job search advice is very limited in the department. - department along with graduate school should provide more social events for the graduate students, for... Read More example maybe do something with the med or dental school to provide more social events with other people for different departments.

The chemistry graduate program at CWRU is a good mix of a small school and a research one institution. Most of the students in research groups are willing to help; it's not so competitive that you're worrying that someone will feed you bad information or sabotage your work. Some major pros: Collaborations are common. There is excellent access to the literature. There is a lot of instrumentation available to use. There are hosted social activities. There is counseling support. The bus and train system... Read More are very useful, and with the student bus pass, a commuter can save quite a bit. Health insurance is subsidized. Cons: It's a smaller program, so when things break, they might not get fixed quickly. Many of the things that make up the graduate student experience in terms of the program are reliant upon your advisor, which includes funding (therefore TAing), treatment, quality of life, and so on. Cleveland is actually a pretty awesome city once you learn about the museums, theatre district, restaurants, and general city life. It's a place that is really starting to build itself up.