Help! Difficult Choice: Tufts vs Oberlin vs UVa

Colleges and Universities A-Z Oberlin College
1

<p>Hi there!</p>

<p>I'm now facing a very difficult choice and since I cannot visit any of the three, the choice is becoming more and more difficult. I would be very grateful if any of you can post some suggestions for me(especially some inside information from current student or alumni or parents).</p>

<p>Here is what I am hoping to find in the school:
small classes, easy access to professors, and better advising for my future path; </p>

<p>encouraging atmosphere and curriculum for double majors or taking various classes(not so intense core requirement, I dont have a clear interest right now, but currently interested in fine arts, econ, premed and pre-business); </p>

<p>great reputation among top graduate schools and recruiters(I will go to graduate school but it's also possible for me to find a job first after graduation); </p>

<p>easy access to big cities(I grow up in a big lively city but since I have never lived in a small village I am not really sure about the "rural" life);</p>

<p>I am also not sure how a "preppy" or "hippie" or "liberal" or "conservative" environment may influence a college experience.</p>

<p>For Oberlin, I know it's very strong in academics and professors are supportive and totally on undergraduates. But I am not sure about the rural location, the so-called too "liberal" environment and the opportunities to find a job after graduation. </p>

<p>Any suggestion is welcomed! Thanks in advance!</p>

2

<p>Things to check out:</p>

<p>[Oberlin</a> Blogs](<a href=“http://blogs.oberlin.edu/]Oberlin”>http://blogs.oberlin.edu/)
Blogs!</p>

<p>[YouTube</a> - The Tall and Short of Oberlin](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9WiXNZtAHE&feature=channel_page]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9WiXNZtAHE&feature=channel_page)
Cute movie about Oberlin made by students</p>

<p>[Creativity</a> & Leadership: Entrepreneurship at Oberlin](<a href=“http://www.oberlin.edu/creativity/]Creativity”>http://www.oberlin.edu/creativity/)
Entrepreneurship program at Oberlin</p>

<p>I don’t know much about Tufts, but here’s my thoughts on you + Oberlin:</p>

<p>“small classes, easy access to professors, and better advising for my future path”-
check! A note about advising: Oberlin does 2.5 tiers of advising: a faculty adviser your first 2 years, before you choose your major; a student “academic ambassador” for your first year; and a faculty adviser once your choose your major. That adviser is your source for getting career advice.</p>

<p>“encouraging atmosphere and curriculum for double majors or taking various classes(not so intense core requirement, I dont have a clear interest right now, but currently interested in fine arts, econ, premed and pre-business)”
Over 60% of Oberlin students double-major. So, we make it easy. Also, no core, but we have distribution requirements.</p>

<p>“great reputation among top graduate schools and recruiters(I will go to graduate school but it’s also possible for me to find a job first after graduation);”
Check!</p>

<p>“easy access to big cities(I grow up in a big lively city but since I have never lived in a small village I am not really sure about the “rural” life);”
Cleveland is 30 minutes away, but most folks don’t go there because there’s so much to do on campus. It doesn’t feel rural once you’re there.</p>

<p>“I am also not sure how a “preppy” or “hippie” or “liberal” or “conservative” environment may influence a college experience.”</p>

<p>A college isn’t just where you go to class, it’s where you live for 4 years. What are your friends like? What do you like to talk about and do? Are you really into music? After college, what do you want your peers/friends to be doing? Obies, as a whole, are more interested in starting a non-profit, or a new business, rather than working up the corporate ladder. It’s a campus that’s passionate about social justice and environmental action. College is the sum of its parts: not only academics, but extracurricular and social. The people you’re surrounded with, and what they do, play a huge role on how you learn and what you learn. I chose Oberlin because of the people: they were smart, friendly, passionate and relaxed.</p>

3

<p>Ianmine, just listen to quibbler. She gives great advice. The only thing I could add, having lived in every region of the country except the Southwest and Northwest, I’d take the Midwest over the Northeast and the South any day of the week. </p>

<p>By the way, how could you still be grappling with a decision? It’s May 16th? Do you have deposits down at all three schools?</p>

4

<p>To Plainsman,
No, I am a transfer applicant and since it has a different timeline from the first-year’s, that’s why I am facing this choice now…</p>

<p>Could you please tell me more about why you would pick Midwest over Northeast?
It seems like northeast is the financial and culture center of the country and a great place to have a college experience…?</p>

5

<p>This is just my opinion, of course, but I find midwesterners to be friendlier and more down to earth. I grew up in the NYC metro area. I went to undergrad in New York City. I had a lot more fun in the Midwest at Ann Arbor, Michigan and Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I did graduate work, than I ever did in the Northeast. I’ve also lived in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and several other states. I hated living and working in the Boston area. I absolutely loathe Boston, although I grudgingly concede the city has some superior restaurants. But as a student, it’s unlikely you’d get to patronize any of their superior restaurants anyway, unless your family is wealthy.</p>

<p>I was born amidst the urban thing. I’ve worked on Wall Street and in the Manhattan financial district. But I found life a lot more pleasant for sixteen years in Maple Grove, Minnesota. Unfortunately, a corporate transfer has brought me back to the Northeast.</p>

<p>I’ll try to be more specific: I hate mass transit. I hate subways and public buses. I hate traffic jams. I hate toll roads, toll bridges, and toll tunnels. I hate ridiculously expensive parking ramps and places where there is no parking on the streets. I hate cities in which people think it’s okay to double park. For all these reasons, I found going to college and working in the Northeast a major pain in the you-know-what, and I find Northeastern culture (these are my people) rude and fairly ethnically/racially balkanized, and cynical — in comparison to Midwesterners. Northeasterners are also a bit too direct–like me. All things are relative, of course. Now, I realize most Oberlin students are from outside the Midwest. But whenever I call the college and speak with people in different departments, I’m talking staff not faculty, most of those folks are Ohioans or at least midwesterners. I’m the curious type so I tend to ask people on the phone where they are from, especially if I detect any trace of an accent. It’s just a lot different experience than when I’ve spoken with staff at Amherst and other Northeastern schools. A lot more easy going, a lot friendlier. </p>

<p>I find too many northeasterners have a huge bias about this region of the country. To me the Heartland is the best living in America. I wish I could go back. I’m African American, and I’d rather live in a lily white state like Iowa than in New York or Massachusetts or Washington, D.C. I loved it out there. While I was there, I met and married a girl from a small rural farm town in southern Minnesota near the borders with Iowa and South Dakota. I’ve been a happy man ever since.</p>

<p>That Oberlin is in the Midwest (although barely in the Midwest) is a huge advantage in its favor, in my opinion.</p>

6

<p>I am an incoming freshman so I don’t have the credibility or experience as a current student would but I did have a chance to visit the school through MVP. Honestly, I’d have to say that one of the main reasons for why I chose Oberlin was because of money. Not only did they give me a very generous financial aid package but because everything around is so inexpensive. You can go bowling for $2 and go to concerts for free or for a low amount of money. You don’t have those type of deals in cities. My second choice school was in a big city so in order for me to have a social life, I would have had to spend money that I wouldn’t have had. For me, it seems like it’s easier to go into debt in a big city. Also, if you don’t have a car, public transportation is your worst nightmare. I’m not kidding. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t apply to any schools in my current city. Although to be fair, I think we have one of the worst public transportation systems in the entire country. </p>

<p>However, I should also mention that I am a bit of an idealist so maybe that’s why Oberlin appealed so much to me in the first place. While I was there, a few other people who were there for MVP were told by current students to not go there unless it was because of financial aid. I think that there are people who are there who are there because they have to be there. However, the overall impression that I got from talking to students was that they were happy. People randomly say hi to you and when I got lost, someone actually took the time to walk with me to find the building I was looking for. Frankly, I take niceness as a sign of happiness because only happy people can be so naturally nice. </p>

<p>Also, when I was there, my MVP host said something to me that I really think is true about the school. Oberlin isn’t a perfect school and there are things that you’re probably not going to like about it. But the beauty of the school is that you have the power to change things. The resources are there, you just need to put in a bit of passion from your part. I was also stuck between three schools before I had to decide. Two were huge public schools that had top-notch academics and promised great grad school opportunities as well as a good job after graduation. However, when I visited those schools, I felt like everything was so mechanical. Even though those schools promised great things, I felt that I would do best at Oberlin, where I felt like I existed and that I could make a difference. </p>

<p>But I will also mention things I didn’t like about the school (for the sake of stopping you from advising future MVP students to not go to Oberlin):</p>

<ol>
<li><p>There’s a lot of people who smoke. I don’t know how common it is at other campuses and at this point I don’t care. </p></li>
<li><p>It snows. </p></li>
<li><p>I don’t remember anything else right now. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>I think I should also mention things that you might want to consider: </p>

<ol>
<li><p>The music culture is huge. I don’t know how to play an instrument but I love music and it’s one of the reasons I love the school so much. Of course, if you’re not that into music this can be a problem. My other top choices had amazing school spirit which was very appealing to me. However, as soon as I visited, I realized that most of it was because of sports and prestige. Even though I initially found it fun, I don’t care at all about football and having pride based on prestige seems kinda shallow and overall isn’t fulfilling. Therefore, my school spirit would have eventually withered. I think I read somewhere that Oberlin had one of the worst football teams. So if you’re into football, you definitely want to consider this. </p></li>
<li><p>The school seemed really laid-back. I am a competitive person which has helped me do great in high school. However, I don’t want a competitive environment in college because I feel that it simply takes away from the learning experience. </p></li>
<li><p>The classrooms sort of reminded me of high school. Although it was a lot better than my other top choice, where I sat in two auditoriums for a lecture. </p></li>
<li><p>It’s a small school so there’s going to be drama. I confirmed this with several students. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>I think that what really helped me decide whether or not to attend Oberlin was looking at the things I hated about it and deciding whether or not I could live with them. For me the two main things were that it snowed and the fact that it’s in the middle of nowhere (I was scared to death of living in a rural area but now I don’t mind at all). So definitely remember to look at the bad things as well as the good for your three choices. I realize how restricted you are by not being able to visit the schools. I think that Oberlin is your riskiest bet out of all three because it has the smallest student body and overall seems different from what you’re used to. I hope that I wrote something that you’ll find helpful in this massively long post. Good luck on choosing and just remember to not look back on your choice.</p>

7

<p>“While I was there, a few other people who were there for MVP were told by current students to not go there unless it was because of financial aid.” - donaperfecta</p>

<p>Can you say more about this? It sounds like a negative attitude by some URM students. Or something we may have overlooked in our evaluation of the college? I’m curious about the reason(s). Were they expecting a strong social focus on black/Latino culture and didn’t find it? Was it boredom because they wished they were in a more urban environment? I’m very interested to know why some felt this way. My D is a URM (she’s biracial) but was not part of the MVP. We visited twice on our own. Most of the URMs must’ve been part of MVP, because during our visits we saw very few URMs around. This isn’t a problem for my D, because she was raised in a 99% white environment. Okay, maybe only 98%. She has demonstrated no problems fitting socially or adapting within a overwhelmingly non-diverse, in terms of race/ethnicity, environment. She went to her prom yesterday with the white kid who won out over a long line of white boys who competed for months to take her out. </p>

<p>At the same time, I think she would be disappointed to arrive at Oberlin and learn there were “issues” with the URMs on campus. She takes great pride in her diverse heritages. All of them.</p>

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<p>Ianmine-</p>

<p>I went to HS in the Northeast and looked at a lot of colleges there. In my humble opinion, the mentality is very different than the Midwest. Northeast schools are much more competitive and many lack the strong, tight communities I was looking for in a college. With a city like NYC down the way, students have less of an incentive to put on their own shows, to have their own poetry readings, make their friends on campus…etc. There’s less need to buy in when there are many other places to be.</p>

<p>I see the buy in to campus being very, very useful. Small communities and campus culture allows one to become a campus leader. It allows you to learn and build on the ground and interact with people in settings beyond class. While Oberlin is close to Cleveland, students make campus their home. </p>

<p>While closeness to finance/business in NYC is an asset in terms of internships, I wasn’t looking to do internships while taking classes. Oberlin’s Winter Term and alumni network allow students to do business/finance/arts internships while they aren’t writing papers, going to clubs, excos, etc. </p>

<p>That’s not quite the question you asked. :D</p>

<p>But in general, as Plainsman and do</p>

9

<p>Another reply to the “rural” (more like small town) question.
I am from a town of about 100,000, and although it is not a huge or really exciting place, I was nervous about going to school in such a small town, especially because a lot of my friends go to schools in big cities. It is very different from going to school in a big city, but I think it is wonderful. As someone mentioned, there are huge financial benefits- the only thing I really spend money on at Oberlin is alcohol, going out to eat sometimes, and concerts once in a while (and we’re talking about $5-8. the most expensive on-campus even is Drag Ball, which is about $15 but definitely worth it and pretty cheap when you think about it). Oberlin’s also not really rural- the town is small, but bigger than the towns some other colleges are in, and there are some wonderful restaurants and cute stores. Since the town is small, it means the focus is on campus-- the school is really campus-oriented and everything happens with students. It is wonderful. Moreover, there are tons of students from big cities like New York and LA who seem to have no problem having fun at Oberlin. It’s just different.</p>

<p>But if you are truly afraid of not being near a city, then I wouldn’t go to Oberlin. Cleveland is close, but it’s kind of gross and not too exciting.</p>

10

<p>This might help with the location issue:</p>

<p>[Oberlin</a> Blogs | Blog Entry: ““The middle of nowhere””](<a href=“http://blogs.oberlin.edu/living/town/the_middle_of_n.shtml]Oberlin”>http://blogs.oberlin.edu/living/town/the_middle_of_n.shtml)</p>

11

<p>First thanks a lot to those who reply!</p>

<p>Generally do you feel that Oberlin is filled with students who love to be here, who love their school a lot, or just come here because of the fin aid?
I guess students all want to be an environment where every member just love it there. </p>

<p>And I am now leaning to Oberlin and Tufts, because I really don’t like the size of UVa, and from your points of view, what would be Oberlin’s advantage point over Tufts?</p>

<p>And if anyone can give something like, “If you like city life, then Tufts” sort of conclusions (more in depth of course), I think it may really help me to have a clear idea of the different feelings of the schools(as I cannot visit them myself).</p>

12

<p>I don’t know a single student who is at Oberlin because of the financial aid. People I know are passionate about the school. You’re never going to find a college “where every member just loves it there”–that’s simply unrealistic. But Oberlin inspires great affection and loyalty among its alumni.</p>

<p>Sorry, I don’t know anything about Tufts, so I can’t compare them. And honestly, that’s likely to be true for just about anyone, unless you happen to find someone who transferred from one to the other.</p>

13

<p>I’m awfully glad I ran across this discussion because I see exactly where you’re coming from lanmine:
Next fall I’ll be an incoming transfer at Oberlin and I luckily for me,I spent pretty much every other weekend at OC because I went to school in Ohio(although I’m from the largest city in the midwest)Even though I didn’t go to Oberlin this year,students definitly made me feel like I was a psuedo-Obie because of how much time I spent there.Whether you’re on South campus(more URMS & more diverse) or on North campus(more athletes & more affluent students) you’ll notice that most students are generally happy to be at Oberlin.Whether they were a football player or a Con student,everyone I’ve met truely does seem to love the school and love being there.Oberlin does give pretty amazing financial aid(I’m so glad about that)but I’ve never heard anyone say that they’re there because their parents made them or because of the fin aid.
Oberlin vs Tufts:
I know a few people that go to Tufts and from my understanding,the students love being there more because its well-known rather than because of its academics.Clearly,Tufts is an amazing school,but Oberlin for me was a better choice because students make the campus their own and don’t feel the need to go off to Cleveland(a poor excuse for a city,in my opinion).At Tufts,the enviroment doesn’t seem that comfortable to me primariy because students don’t take the effort to love the school the way Obies do at OC.Also,my friend that goes to Tufts often talks about how much time she spends in Boston;I wouldn’t want to go to a school where students go to a big city to leave their campus.But,thats just me.
If you like city life:
You should go to Tufts if you’re worried that being in a rural environment.However,I’m from Chicago and was pleasntly surprised by how much I enjoyed being at Oberlin(the many times I’ve visited)The ambiance at Tufts is def. suited more for a trendsetting/Gucci wearing student, whereas at Oberlin,if you walk to class with no shoes on,no one will bat an eye.I can’t stress enough how AMAZING Oberlin students are;they truely know whats up(socially) and bring so much happiness to the campus.Snob factor?Might as well be zero.
Hope this helped!</p>

14

<p>One question, Prospie67, could you clarify what you meant by “…South campus (more URMs & more diverse) or on North campus (more athletes & more affluent students).” </p>

<p>How did the “URMs” get segregated? That’s what your statement seems to be saying. What is it about North campus that attracts the affluent? And why don’t the “affluent” want to be with everyone else?</p>

15

<p>Oops,I guess I did make it sounds like Oberlin was somehow segregated:
It’s def. not though.A good portion of URMS that I know live on South Campus I think because of the program housing.Pretty much all program housing(Afrikan Heritage House,Third World,etc)is on South campus.I think only Asia house is considered to be on North campus.However,there are also a lot of students that live in these program houses that aren’t a minority.URMs def. don’t get segregated at Oberlin; I just happen to spend the majority of my time on South campus because my friends live in the program houses I mentioned before.North campus is just as amazing as South campus and students that live there are just on the other side of campus…thats the only difference really.
Students that are affluent don’t show off their money(in my eyes)so its kind of hard to tell whose parents have a lot of money.Students don’t feel the need to talk about their families wealth and thats one of the reasons why I was attracted to Oberlin.</p>

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<p>Plainsman, I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. I didn’t mean that URM’s were discouraging URM’s from going there. From what I heard they were just general students. I’m a URM and after hearing that I still chose to attend so I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I don’t think race or any type of divisions are really prevalent. I had white students as well as URM students give me advice on how to introduce myself to professors or they simply told me more about their school. Socioeconomic status doesn’t seem to matter either. I think that the general things that divide people in real life are simply not as prevalent in Oberlin.</p>