Help me help a friend choose between Cornell and Oberlin

<p>So I have a friend who needs help choosing between Cornell and Oberlin college, and he asked me a few questions which I can’t answer with much certainty (I’m not very college savvy).</p>

<li><p>What is the general population of Cornell’s approach towards homosexuals?
I know Oberlin is VERY accepting of it (it’s almost standard, if I’m not mistaken), but what about at Cornell? We come from a very liberal high school where it’s a non-issue, but I don’t know what to tell him about Cornell. He is a gay male, and is understandably taking this issue into consideration.</p></li>
<li><p>How much prestige does Cornell actually have? Do most people know what Cornell is? (I know this is a stupid question, but I honestly have no clue. We both come from fairly uneducated famililes who did not go to college, and we both had no previous knowledge of colleges. The only thing I knew about colleges was that Harvard, Princeton, and Yale were good schools. I had kind’ve heard of Columbia).
He surprisingly doesn’t want to go to a big name school. Something about being embarassed about it.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>He knows both schools are VERY different in terms of what they offer and size and stuff, but still can’t choose between the two.</p>

<p>Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much, guys!</p>

<p>1) Cornell is no Oberlin, but it's still pretty liberal. Being a diverse population, there are obviously some very conservative people, but not very many. People are generally accepting, and I don't think your friend would have a hard time here just because of his sexual orientation. </p>

<p>2) Cornell does have a big name, but not very many people are going to hear the name "Cornell" and think, "Oh, this kid must be a rich snob," if that's what he's concerned about?</p>

<p>What does he want to study?</p>

<p>2) In my humble opinion, Cornell carries with it all the perks of going to a big name school (respect from graduate schools and employers, good national and international reputation, people have prior knowledge of the school you attend, etc.) without having all the negative stuff generally associated with elite schools (elitism, snobbery, etc.). So, it’s a win-win, in terms of the name recognition. </p>

<p>THis is just me and it's just what a typical person may think, so I don't want to offend anybody, but for example: Generally when the ordinary somebody hears that the John Doe goes to Harvard. The first impression is usually: wow, he must be really smart and/or rich, I could never talk to him. While that same person would probably say this about Jane Schmoe, a Cornell grad: Wow, it would be interesting to talk to her. </p>

<p>I know the examples I gave are pretty stupid. But I'm trying to convey the sense that Cornell is elite, but not elitist.</p>

<p>He knows both schools are VERY different in terms of what they offer and size and stuff, but still can't choose between the two</p>

<p>Yes, they are as different as any 2 schools can be. I'm assuming from your post that your friend hasn't visited these 2 schools. I'm sure if he had,he'd know which one was right for him. It's so important to visit a school to see if you can picture yourself there for 4 years.</p>

<p>i have a friend at oberlin. she loves it, but she says that she is bored a lot. there is practically nothing to do there except hang out with people. no parties or anything near in town. even though cornell is in the middle of nowhere, ny, at least we always have fun stuff to do rather than oberlin in middle of nowhere, ohio</p>

<p>yeah, good point, Momoftwoteens. If your friend doesn't get to visit the two schools, then I would try to gain as much second-hand info as possible. I know that's what youre doing by visiting this board, but I think face-to-face contact is much more beneficial.</p>

<p>I'm fairly knowledgeable about both schools and I would recommend Cornell. </p>

<p>Your friend should get over being embarrassed about a school's name. A lot of different types go to Cornell - I had friends whose parents were janitors and whose parents owned global corporations. Someday your friend's going to outgrow that and say, "I turned that school down because I was embarrassed?!?"</p>

<p>There'll definitely be a niche at Cornell for your friend. Not so sure about Oberlin simply since it's smaller. Oberlin does have a very inquisitive, open-minded culture. </p>

<p>Homosexuality isn't an issue at Cornell, either. Obviously not an issue at Oberlin.</p>

<p>As long as your friend doesn't mind a large campus, I would recommend Cornell. It's not hard to find 1500 kids at Cornell who would fit the Oberlin mold. And Cornell has a very active LGBTQ community.</p>

<p>The major advantage Oberlin has going for it is the music conservancy. But between Ithaca College's Conservancy and Cornell's Music program, musical education in Ithaca is first class as well.</p>