@HCatmom As you say he is interested in “community-oriented living,” before crossing Oberlin off his list, has he looked seriously at the student co-ops? That with environmental and theater interests seem to tick a lot of boxes at Oberlin.
That said, if he isn’t feeling the student vibe, he shouldn’t dismiss that inner voice. Obies have a distinct flavor that isn’t for everybody. That said, the in-your-face SJW stereotypes are exaggerated, IMO.
We also know somebody at Bard who reports a somewhat similar vibe to Oberlin. If your son is looking for a more heterogeneous yet artsy student body, Bates may be the happy compromise.
I have a kid at Oberlin so if you have further questions, feel free to message me.
I can’t add to any commentary concerning the quality of the theater programs at any of the five colleges in your query. But I do have a continuing concern about one aspect of Bard – namely its bond rating/financial strength.
I’ve been criticized before, here on CC, for mentioning this concern of mine. Consequently, I held off until now from writing about it whenever this thread showed up on “Latest Posts.”
Bard’s bond rating by Moody’s sits at “B1,” which is the fourth rung down into “junk-bond” status, or on the 14th quality rung of 21-rung rating scale. This is an measure of the college’s financial health, or lack of it. Personally, I would not want a child of mine attending a college rated so poorly. The poor financials are bound to pose some risk to a student’s undergraduate experience, and the risk could increase if interest rates rise significantly and thus make it difficult for Bard to survive a cash-flow crisis.
I’m prepared to be bludgeoned again by some fellow CCers for writing the above. But I am more at peace now, after sharing it. Maybe Bard’s theater program is the best choice for your son.
Thanks. Looking at between Hamilton and Bates, instagram stories are so different. Bates posts sports every other time. Hamilton, mostly classes and performances etc.
Have you tried the pull a name out of a hat trick? Put all 4 schools in a hat and tell him you’re going to pull the winner, then assess how he feels about it. My sister-in-law tried this with my son, and he just shrugged each time (LOL!), but it might work for yours. My sense is he’s down to Bard or Bates. He wasn’t feeling Hamilton. My son didn’t either, even though he’s a double legacy. It’s nice to have a fairly short trip home, but it’s not everything.
But I will take issue with the characterization of housing at Hamilton. I lived there for 4 years and thought it was pretty fantastic. And that was before they renovated all the fraternities.
@HCatmom - that’s tough. I’m sorry he had disappointing classes. I can’t say I ever had a bad professor at Hamilton Some were more engaging than others, of course, but I felt the faculty was pretty top-notch. But, of course, that was 25 years ago, and most of my favorites have either retired, passed away or moved on to Tufts, Cornell, Northwestern, etc. If it’s near to you, maybe he could go meet some more professors in his intended major and get a better sense of the department? As far as choral groups go, he would certainly not be at a loss for opportunities.
@apple123 and @merc81 I will revise my previous statement! I found the dorm that our tour guide showed us on the tour to be underwhelming compared to the dorms which we got to tour at other colleges. I fully recognize that other colleges may have been showing us particularly nice examples of dorm rooms or Hamilton might have chosen a particularly tight space.
I also want to make it clear the dorm was not bad. It just wasn’t a highlight, particularly compared to some of the other facilities we saw on the tour. I will add that we saw Hamilton on the same tour we saw Smith and Vassar. I think a lot of the women’s colleges (and colleges that started as women’s colleges like Vassar) have particularly nice dorms. So it could be that if I had seen Hamilton’s dorms after having seen more run-of-the-mill dorms, I would have had a different reaction. I certainly wouldn’t rule Hamilton out based on dorms! And Hamilton’s marketing materials were among my favorite, with tabs like like “Study What You Love.” That’s a great approach for an open curriculum school!
@BookLvr - did you tour Hamilton in the summer? We were shown a quad in South. Some of the other parents said, “FOUR people live in here?” I kind of chuckled to myself - it did seem small, but back when I went to Hamilton, a quad in South your first year was highly desirable. Of course, that was also back when any student could have a beer ball on campus and open containers were allowed, so the older students in South would throw great parties open to everyone. Ahh, memories. By my second year, the alcohol policy changed and dorm parties became smaller and more private.
Anyway, my sense is that, aside from the South dorm, which seems to be the one they highlight, housing is much less crowded for first years than it used to be. After first year, the housing options are pretty great. And it’s hard to beat Hamilton when it comes to facilities management. They really keep the campus in tip top shape.
@Trixy34 --Yes, we did! (We prefer to tour during the school year, but we wanted to make sure we got to Hamilton and it is a little off the beaten path.) It was definitely a quad room. It could well have been South.
I love the idea @Trixy34 mentions above about pulling a name out of a hat and now that you’re down to two, it might be revealing to hear how he defends the “losing” choice.
For those who’d like to self-tour a sampling of Hamilton’s residence halls, these might be among those to include:
Traditional: North (open to first-years), South (included on the official tour, open to first-years in the REAL program), Carnegie
Modern: Major (open to first-years), Milbank
House Style Cluster: Wally J and Wertimer (open to first-years), Skenandoa
House Style Row: Morris, Eells, Ferguson
Co-op Living: Wollcott
Apartments: Griffin Rd.
A Separate Peace: Rogers Estate
Regarding South dormitory, which was discussed up-thread, note that the quads (four students) consist of two full rooms plus a bathroom. Interior views of this hall can be seen in The Sterile Cuckoo, a film I’d recommend to prospective students for its visual aspects.
@HCatmom: If your son chooses Hamilton, he should familiarize himself with residence hall options, then express any preferences on the housing questionnaire.
@HCatmom - I hear you on the financial aid. I had a small merit scholarship when I attended ages ago. Nothing for our kiddo since they don’t do merit aid, so we haven’t tried to sell him on Hamilton.
Whatever your son decides, please update us. I’m dying to know where he chooses!
The a cappella groups at Hamilton are phenomenal too. And very well-loved and appreciated I might add. Check out the Buffers, Hamiltones and Special K. I’m sure there are videos of their performances out and about.
It sounds like he may already have taken Oberlin off the list, but if it’s possible he’ll want to teach I would have advised eliminating Oberlin anyway. Oberlin doesn’t have an Education major or minor. Bard also does not have an undergraduate teaching program (although it probably has the strongest theater program), while the other 2 have programs that would lead directly to teaching credentials. Another consideration if teaching is a possibility-he’ll want to keep his debt down. Education’s a great field but it doesn’t pay a lot.
Just my personal opinion, but with close relatives at both Bates and Oberlin I’d say that Oberlin is great for the kids it’s great for but it can be a little ideologically extreme. I wouldn’t worry about Bates being an “all work, no play” kind of place. IME it’s pretty balanced.
I think he is mostly down to Bates and Hamilton at this stage. Both great choices. Bates more aid but further away? but we love Maine. Great folks and vibe for him. Hamilton sounds maybe a bit better for choir options and possibly theatre but teachers look great at Bates too!