Case Western probably has a better rep locally than internationally. Being a Brit myself, I hadn't heard of it before moving to the States - and then only faintly.

This has nothing to do with the quality of the program of course. But if you want to live and work in Europe which it seems like you are looking into (judging by your posts about Spain) then I'm not sure the Case Western brand is gonna be such an asset.

Thanks Alan. Good job noticing that I'm the same person! Yes, I am trying to go to Spain. Case has an exchange program where I could go to ESADE for one semester, but I don't think it would be the same... I applied to Case because it's right in my back yard in Cleveland... so it would be kind of convenient.

But, at the same time, I'm not neccessarily looking for convenient. I think doing an MBA is a good excuse to go somewhere new. You're right, if I don't study there it would probably be a lot harder to enter the European job market.

Case just made my decision more complicated by offering me money... my only Spanish admit right now is to EADA and they didn't offer me any scholarship.

My plan as of now is to defer my admission to Case and EADA until next year. In the meantime I'm going to retake the GMAT and apply to the other big four Spanish universities (ESADE, IE, IESE, and Carlos III) so I have more options next year. I figured waiting is a good idea, anyway, because it gives me more time to save money, improve my credentials, and weigh my options.

So, you'll be seeing me around on this message board for awhile longer!

I think that sounds like a good plan. Are there other places to look for scholarships if the business schools themselves don't offer any? I mean third-party foundations and what not.

i think so.. but i haven't heard of anything that's more than $1000 or so.

I think the best chance at getting a significant scholarship is through the school itself (and organizations that provide scholarships for students at that school.)

Once I decide on a program I will likely apply to other, third-party scholarships I can find to try to further offset the cost.

When I was applying to undergrad, however, I applied to dozens of broad third party scholarships and didn't get any! So, it was a lot of time wasted...

I ended up getting a scholarship through the university, though. And then, as an upperclassman, I received additional scholarships through third parties that worked through the university.

My point is, in my experience, it seems you have a better shot at getting a scholarship that is specific to your program. Obviously, the pool of applicants for those is not that big.

Are you looking for scholarships too?

Hi Sally, yes, Case Western isn't very well-known internationally, and honestly, I wouldn't go to a school I don't believe in just because I got a scholarship.. In the first place, I wouldn't apply to a school of I knew I wouldn't accept the offer if I get in..

I guess Case Western in strong in Engineering and the like, but not business.

But it's your choice, though.. Just my advice.

Hmm.. well I didn't say I "don't believe in" the school. I think it's undoubtedly a good program. In Ohio, Case's Weatherhead school is among the top programs, up there with Ohio State's Fisher College.

When I applied -- about 5 months ago -- it was actually my top choice because I was thinking of staying and working in the Cleveland area. And it is very well reputed here, where tons of local companies recruit MBAs from Case.

But increasingly I've grown attached to the idea of studying abroad; specifically in Spain. Originally I was thinking of just going for one semester.. but as I began researching I found that there are some very good full-time programs in Spain, and thought why not just do the whole degree there? That's when I started applying to Spanish programs.

But, I had already gotten the admit from Case. And when they put the scholarship on the table, I thought it was worth considering.

Like I said, I went to a three-day open house at Weatherhead, got to meet a lot of the adminstrators and faculty and was very impressed. They really seem to go out of their way to recruit students coming from a lot of different backgrounds.. so the students and prospective students I met there were really interesting people. And based on some mini-lecures I got to go to I was really convinced that the quality of education is high.

I posted here because I was just curious about what sort of reputation the school has outside of Ohio, which, it seems like, isn't much.

I know its rankings have fallen quite a bit in recent years. I've heard its because they have gone through a few different deans. But, during the open house, we got to meet the current dean and he seems like he was a pretty impresive guy. So, hopefully they now have good leadership that takes them forward.

Edit: All of that said; I am still leaning against going there :P

Well, actually, choosing a school is really a matter of personal choice.. It's where you will fit the best.. Remember, on a personal note, "the best school is not always the best." It's where you will learn and grow more as an individual that's more important..

Any personal thoughts or opinions, you can e-mail me [email protected].