D is a recruited athlete and is looking at these 3 schools and a few others. Thoughts on comparison and contrast among these 3?
Oberlin is more artsy/funky. Denison a little more preppy. I’m not sure about Centre.
Oberlin probably has the best name rec on the east coast.
I am not familiar with Centre but Oberlin and Denison are both great schools, but I would think they would appeal to different types of students. Has your daughter had a chance to visit?
I’m not so sure they appeal to different students. One of my Ds applied to Denison and Oberlin. The other to Oberlin and Kenyon.
My son has talked to both Denison and Oberlin as an athlete, and had preliminary conversations with Centre but didn’t pursue that option.
As between Denison and Oberlin, Denison seems much more sports-friendly than Oberlin. Oberlin athletes seemed more marginalized, for want of a better word. Music and art takes up a lot of student attention at Oberlin, and my kid just felt like there wasn’t as much interest and support for athletics. Just one teenager’s perception. Denison works hard to create a diverse community, and the arts are terrific there – one of its appeals to me as a parent. At the same time, the team at Denison, at least in my kid’s sport, draws heavily from east coast private schools, so that seems to be a different slice of the student community. There is Greek life at Denison, though it is non-residential and kids can’t rush, I think, until spring.
Centre was intriguing to me, as a parent, but my kid just didn’t get interested enough. In his sport, the team drew almost entirely from KY, and that did not appeal to him. There is Greek life at Centre, but coach emphasized that it is not like Greek life at big publics. I liked that the sticker price of Centre is significantly less than at other LACs.
All great options. Fit really matters when you are talking about an intense team experience. Are the current players happy? Do they get along well? Does the coach strike you as reliable when it comes to conversations about playing time, expectations etc.
Good luck, and congrats to your daughter.