My S was accepted at Oberlin College as well as the Conservatory. He has a strong interest in the College, and is highly devoted to (and obviously accomplished in) music. He wants to take advantage of everything the College has to offer - ExCo, January Term, activism, etc. His fear, and ours, is the Double Degree program will just be way too much work, and prevent him having a truly diverse and rich college experience. It’s not that he doesn’t want to work hard - he just is trying to be realistic about the demands of doing both degrees.
We would love any feedback you all might have, and are happy to answer further questions.
It definitely depends on which two majors he’s trying to combine. I know many people who are doing double degree in 4.5 years and I know many people who dropped one when they realize their priorities change (don’t want to be premed, don’t want to be an opera singer, etc). It is a lot of work, but a lot of it is self directed, and professors in the college will definitely understand and in my experience are happy to work with students if they find themselves struggling. Having one Oberlin degree will take him very far and he can still take courses in either division, so unless dropping one will cause financial concern, I would definitely say go for it!