Another issue at Oberlin is that the school contracted with a Catholic health provider to run the student health center this year. This organization, and therefore the student health center, will not provide care for trans students for things relating to their transition, such as hormone treatments. So, students have to leave campus right now to access said health care. Not great. Perhaps may change while your student is there, could be worth a call to the school to ask some questions. Good luck.
My son is heading to Northwestern. Very blue and there is a very large queer community (perhaps because of the famous theater school)- he already connected with a bunch of other trans kids. His list included UWash Seattle, Brown, UPenn, BU, Harvard, Amherst, Vassar, Wesleyan, UMd College Park and UToronto.
4 Likes
@Mwfan1921, thank you for the info about the student health centerāthatās very troubling. Iām reading more about that now. Weāre going to visit Oberlin next week, and it will be at the top of my list to find out about.
3 Likes
Definitely ask about this. We have talked about it on the parent FB page here and there, and I am quite surprised this hasnāt become more of an issue with both students and parents this year. Itās quite a mistake and the communications that the school has made about this have been troubling. Do keep me updated as to what you learn, and feel free to PM me too.
ETA: this is also an issue for access to birth control meds and Plan B.
4 Likes
Thought this map will be helpful.
1 Like
Agreed that the issue around reproductive and trans health care is troubling-- it seemed like the college learned late in the game that the organization would not offer it and they scrambled last minute to find a solution. Itās not ideal and hopefully they have spent this year working on a solution for the fall-- I would definitely ask at visits/info sessions.
That said, our S is a first year. Heās not LGBTQ but his parents are 
-- so his awareness of inclusivity is acute. He has found Oberlin to be very inclusive and a warm environment for LGBTQ students and faculty. He also sings with a choir at a Presbyterian church in Cleveland that is led by an LGBTQ pastor and is very inclusive.
Recently I read an article about states that liberal kids are ditching for college (and conversely, conservative kids are ditching), and remarkably, Ohio wasnāt on the list. Perhaps because there are so many liberal arts schools in the state? I donāt know the reason but I was surprised.
Oberlin is definitely worth consideration, especially for a BA in Theater. If a BA is the goal, I would consider carefully schools that offer a BFA degree, as the opportunities for performance will likely go first to the BFA students in most cases. At the very least, ask about performing opportunities for BA students at those schools so you know going in.
1 Like
I would consider Bennington for sure. Very strong in theater, free and independent study, winter term away from campus, very open, inclusive environment. Maybe Sarah Lawrence. Lewis and Clark is good. Clark University in MA?
No. All Catholic healthcare organizations are prohibited from providing birth control (for birth control purposes), plan b, meds for transitioning students, other prescriptions of that ilk, as well as counseling or other healthcare related to those needs. To be clear, that healthcare provider could never have contracted to provide such services so there was never a change in the contractā¦and whether Oberlin admin chose to ignore those clauses in the contract, or didnāt read the contract or whatever, itās unacceptable.
I look forward to hearing how oberlin addresses this when @brillig asks at admitted students day.
4 Likes
No, the change was announced before the start of the semester, according to several articles.
We will have to agree to disagree.
1 Like
Hi there,
Just seeing this and would love to tell you where we are in the process.
My son was admitted to UVM, George Mason, UMD, Brandeis, Muhlenberg, Columbia College Chicago. He was waitlisted at Skidmore and didnāt get into Oberlin. A friend in his GSA got admitted to Oberlin ED and my son applied RD which may have contributed. They had very similar profiles.
Oberlin was amazing and his top choice. Extremely LGBTQ friendly and he felt immediately connected when we visited. We saw a theater performance and were impressed by the acting, staging, choice of content and the conversations of students in the audience. I donāt know anything about the health care.
He has narrowed the choices down to Brandeis and Muhlenberg. Brandeis ASD was amazing. Diversity and inclusion are clearly at their core. Gave out Brandeis pronoun pins. Every bathroom in the theater is gender-neutral. We saw two theater performances and were so impressed. He felt right at home with all the kids in the audience- could picture himself there. Brandeis shared some of Oberlinās attributes but with access to the Boston theater scene.
Muhlenberg has been on the radar the longest. We visited last year for an optional audition and he loved the campus, the production we saw and the food. Uncertain about the culture for trans kids but he loves the many course options and performance opportunities. We wonder with 250 theater majors if there are enough opportunities for all to perform. As of right now he remains undecided.
UVM was another extremely pro lgbtq environment and an unbeatable location but they only allow 45 credits in theater courses of 120 to graduate. Because he wants to take both performance and production classes, he is looking to max theater courses.
GM and UMD were also very trans friendly as institutions though I canāt speak to the student body. Great theater programs according to his mentor. In the end he wants a smaller school.
I will keep you posted on the decision. Only a few weeks away! This is a real nail-biter! Reach out with questions.
6 Likes
Honestly after a lot of research I donāt think there is a huge difference for a trans kid among colleges as long as you stay in a solid blue state. (If you donāt then yes do very careful diligence on the school, the town and the state). The big differentiators that hit a bit differently are school size (my kid didnāt want to be one of a small handful of trans kids at any school even the most welcoming) and whether the school is close to a city (my kid wanted access to a big urban center for more access to queer and/or alternative music, art, theater etc). (Yes I am sure nightlife too, let a mom stay in denial). Of course all trans kids are different and those may not be important issues for others. Schools in or near DC, Baltimore, Chicago, Boston, NYC, Seattle, LA, or San Francisco seemed to us to be the best and safest fit.
Just adding another name to the list. Leslie College in Boston is transfriendly, but offers limited majors. It is well respected for education, counseling and art/music therapy majors. Iām not sure about the campus health center(Iām assuming itās very good) but Boston is a great place for transgender medical care. GeMs Division of BCH is fantastic as is the adolescent/young adult division. All care through BCH will be gender-affirming.
1 Like
This is extremely helpful! I will pass along the health care info to my son. I know he is concerned about finding a PCP near muhlenberg.
Thanks for your thoughts about the city and expanded opportunities. Brandeis is already twice the size of Muhlenberg and then with access to the city, opportunities are even greater.
I know itās too late to add Fordham to the list, but am going to mention it now for future parents/students who may be searching. LGBTQ+ acceptance was something we wondered/worried about ahead of time because Fordham is a Catholic (Jesuit) school. But it has turned out to be very positive. My kid is a first year theater student there and is thriving. The theater department has a very large and visible trans presence. As an example, they put on Moliereās Tartuffe, setting it in the recent past and casting the main female parts as transwomen. Itās also a BA program, leaving room to do both acting and tech (or some other major entirely.)
3 Likes
Hi,
Checking in to see if a decision has been made yet on your end. My son is still on the fence. We visited Muhlenberg for ASD and this week are back to Brandeis. Heās going to meet two students, one running lights and stage managing Hamlet and the other is acting in their department production. The schools offer two really different experiences. Tough decision.
2 Likes
That is a tough decision! We seem to be down to Oberlin vs. Occidental, and sheās leaning heavily toward Occidental. She really liked the vibe on campus, the small size, and everything L.A. has to offer.
Iām feeling pangs of regret about letting go of Oberlinās name recognition and wonderful creative environmentābut glad about Oxyās better diversity, connections to a thriving theater scene outside of campus, and location in a more trans-friendly part of the country. (Not to mention much easier & cheaper to get to from Seattle!).
She does still have some waitlists (including Brandeis), but all at schools we didnāt visit so probably wouldnāt tip the balance in the end. Weāre planning to have a family meeting this weekend and come to a final decision. Good luck to you with your decisionāIāll be interested to hear where your son ends up!
1 Like
Would you be willing to share your daughters reasons for eliminating Muhlenberg?
Muhlenberg was definitely among her good options. She made a real connection with the faculty member she auditioned with, and they gave her a nice array of merit aid and grants. She liked the proximity to NYC and the friendly vibe on campus.
I think the main things that made it not a top choice in the end were that the academics didnāt seem as strong as at some of her other options, and she felt that the size of the theater program would mean constant tough competition for roles. Neither of those were dealbreakers, but other schools rose above it in her list.
Iāll just add that, though everyone was indeed friendly and welcoming, Muhlenberg was one of the schools that gave us the āOh, everyone is tolerant hereā answer when we asked about safety and community for trans students. What Iām always looking for, with that question, is some sign that the school is truly aware of the specific concerns a trans student might have. When the answer begins and ends with basically āWe love everyone here,ā that tells me theyāre not really paying attention or taking responsibility for the specific safety and health concerns. Muhlenberg might be an awesome school for a trans kid, but I wasnāt especially sold on it on that score.
5 Likes