<p>swtvtgyrl,</p>
<p>I think you got the best scholarship ($50,000 per 4 years) offered by Oxy. Congratulation!</p>
<p>Our family visited Oxy last summer and took the summer tour. My son has just stayed overnight at Oxy recently with an Oxy host (while the remaining members of our family stayed at the Eagle Rock Best Western hotel), and he attended a Friday Admit Day information session. I will try to answer your questions as much as I can, but please keep in mind that my answer are based on what my son told me and my own personal perspectives which may differ from yours. If youre still interested in Oxy, I strongly recommend you to visit the campus in person. I believe that Oxy still offers another Friday information session on 4/29/05.</p>
<p>I dont know the answer to your first question (What made those who go to Oxy choose it?) because Im not an Oxy alumnus and my son has not decided yet.</p>
<p>Dorm </p>
<p>The dorm that we visited last summer was old and musty and without air conditioning, but the ceiling was high. It was probably built in the late 1800 or early 1900. The room that we visited was on the ground floor, and I think it was comfortable (not very hot). I dont know about the room on the second floor (which might be hotter). There is a small sink in the room for the two roommates to share. We were not shown the share public bath room so I cannot tell you. There are two closets that are probably adequate for the boys to keep their belongings, but the closet doors are old with thick layer of paint. They are probably painted over many times throughout the years. The room is painted in off-white color by the way.</p>
<p>I dont remember what the tour guide telling us regarding how many students per dorm, but if I have to make a guess, I think the number is about 150.</p>
<p>My son told me that the dorm he stayed overnight recently is old also, and he said that it was crowded because he had to share the room with his host and his hosts roommate. He slept on a cot during his stay.</p>
<p>You can look at Oxy web site for the map of the campus which shows all the dorms. I believe the dorms in the northeastern area are newer, but we did not visit them so I cannot tell you about them. I dont know how many dorms there are, but you can count them from the map. As far as I know, you can stay on the dorms through out your 4 years at Oxy. My sons host plans to rent an apartment with his teammates/friends for the next school year, however.</p>
<p>I dont know about the dorm arrangement for freshmen (according to the seminar?) so you may want to send e-mail to your Oxy peer contact and ask him or her.</p>
<p>Lecture Hall Class Size </p>
<p>My son sat in a Physics lecture class, and he told me that there were about 20 students in the class. I look at the Oxy data listed in US News Ranking report, and the school does not seem to have too many large classes.</p>
<p>Campus </p>
<p>The campus is small. I think this is a good attribute. You dont have to travel far between classes or between dorms and classes. The cafeteria is right in the middle of campus so it is very convenient. The cafeteria is new and serves a variety of good foods.</p>
<p>The new Physics building looks good, but the Chemistry building is old. I did not go into the Chemistry building; therefore, I cannot really tell you more.</p>
<p>If you want to be anonymous, this is not the school for you. It seems like everyone recognizes and knows everyone else. When we took our son to the campus for his overnight stays, everybody could tell that we were visitors right away.</p>
<p>Research Opportunity </p>
<p>My son asked a Chemistry professor during the Friday luncheon regarding research opportunity at Oxy. According to the professor, you can start your research as early as your Spring semester at Oxy during your freshman year. My son got the same answer from a Biology professor when he talked to the professor in the afternoon.</p>
<p>I dont know much about Northwestern U so I cannot give you the comparison. Northwestern is mid-size research university while Oxy is an LAC.</p>
<p>Living Expense in LA </p>
<p>I dont have the answer to this question either. The living expense in LA is probably higher than that in the area you live in (the Midwest).</p>
<p>Pre-med (bio) with a Minor in Business </p>
<p>Dont know the answer to this question, but Oxy is an LAC so it might not offer many Business classes. You may want to look at the Oxy online catalog to see how many business-related classes the school offers.</p>
<p>The Chemistry professor told my son during the Friday luncheon that about 75% of the students expressed interested in pre-med program during their freshman year got into medical schools later, and he said that this is a very high percentage (comparing to other schools). Im not sure whether my son remembered the detail information accurately. So if you are interested in this kind of information, you may want to double-check with Oxy faculty to be sure.</p>
<p>During our summer visit, the tour guide said the 100% of the students applied to medical schools last year got in. This information concerned me because it implied that Oxy professors might only give recommendations to the students that they know for sure could get in the medical school. If the Oxy professors unconditionally gave recommendations to all the students who wanted to apply to medical schools last year and all applicants got in, then the 100% number is really impressive.</p>
<p>Good luck </p>
<p>It looks like you have so many good choices. Personally, as a parent, Id prefer that my child go to a college closer to home so I can see him more often, but I understand that my child needs to make his own choice based on his own needs and preferences.</p>
<p>Good luck with your college decision!</p>