Hello all,
I have finally given up scrolling through pages of threads searching for someone close enough to the exact position I am in, and have made a cc account to pose the following inquiry:
I am excited to have been accepted to both Bard and Oberlin (RD) for the class of 2020. I am planning to major in creative writing in conjunction with some arts classes (I know that creative writing is an extremely competitive major at most any LAC, but I am not here to discuss this). While I see advantages to attending either school, I have recently been leaning more towards Oberlin. However, my dad went to Oberlin. He has espoused his great love and dedication to the school since the beginning of my college search, and he even has friends/former classmates that still live in the area and could “take me under their wing” as it were, if I so chose to attend. My worry about attending Oberlin is that I might not fit with present-day Oberlin the way that my dad fit into the school, as well as feeling trapped in the role of continuing some sort of new family legacy…
tl;dr - Present/past obies and bardians, what helped you figure out where you would fit in? Others choosing the right LAC, how are you making the final choice? Anyone else, your comments and advice are very appreciated.
x
My husband’s Dad went to CWRU and so did my husband. He had absolutely no problem.
If YOU like Oberlin…go for it! Tell your dad that you will reach out to him when and if you are interested in contacting his friends…it might be useful for a job or something…but otherwise you can be in control.
Why did you apply to Oberlin/Bard? What attracted you? Have you done admitted student;s day?
Have you explored the professors in written arts at both schools? Are there some writers with whom you’d love to study? (Not to guarantee they’d still be there when you got a chance to enroll in their courses - which are often upper division. Writers tend to come and go, as their need to do their own creative work dictates.) But it might give you a sense of the aesthetic of the department. Take a look at the actual classes you could take - Oberlin and Bard have a lot in common but something might jump out at you. Bard has many writers teaching who come from all over the world. Not sure if Oberlin does?
Is entrance into the creative writing major at Oberlin guaranteed to anyone who wants it - or do you have to apply as at Bard and present a portfolio for admission? If you were at Bard and you were denied entry to the Written Arts program and had to be an English major or Comparative Literature major instead - how would you feel about that?
What about the breadth requirements for graduation - are they the same at both schools? Does Oberlin have a Senior Project requirement like Bard?
They’re both great choices and you won’t go wrong with either one. Time to ferret out the differences.