<p>My daughter is a freshman at LU, and she pledged to/joined (I don’t know much about the Greek system) a sorority this year. The ladies are not allowed to live ‘off campus’ or in sorority houses, and her group is very into social service projects. The work and activities take up time, but it’s a worthy cause and a way to make more friends/form a lifelong ‘mission’ that helps others.</p>
<p>Lawrence, no question. For saxophonists, it is the best undergrad program in the country. Hands down. The combination of Steve Jordheim, Fred Sturm, and Jose Encarnacion is a perfect recipe for excellence above and beyond your wildest dreams.</p>
<p>My son who attended LU had many friends at Oberlin from a school he attended on the east coast in the summers. He chose LU; he visited Oberlin to visit friends. He loved LU. Hands down.</p>
<p>My son is looking at Lawrence. We’ve visited the campus which seems really nice, and he is a fencer and excited about the possibility of NCAA competition. However, we live near a big city, and he’s concerned that he might feel isolated in Appleton. Yes, it’s bigger than Oberlin, but it is really in the middle of nowhere, whereas Oberlin is quite close to Cleveland. Those Wisconsin winters are long, and I wouldn’t want him driving to Milwaukee or Madison on icy roads!! Any observations from LU students/alums/parents on that point?</p>
<p>My daughter is a current Lawrence student. She also applied to and was accepted to Oberlin. The city of Appleton and the town of Oberlin and very different. The Appleton metropolitan area also includes Neenah-Menasha and Oshkosh, which all sort of flow together. It’s not Chicago, but it definitely feels much larger than Oberlin. There is reasonably good shopping, if that’s important to you, and the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center is just down the street from Lawrence. There are lots of shops and restaurants along College Ave. (And bars- it is Wisconsin after all 
We were not particularly impressed with the town of Oberlin. Didn’t seem like there was much of anything there. Oberlin is 45 minutes or so from Cleveland, which of course has a lot to offer. But really how much time do the Oberlin kids have for trips to Cleveland? My daughter feels that there are plenty of things to do in Appleton.</p>
<p>I got the impression that despite Cleveland being 45 minutes away or so, Oberlin students didn’t venture there very frequently. I believe my daughter went once when her BF came to visit. Most are too busy studying to venture too far too frequently. Additionally, most LACS, including LU and Oberlin, now provide a huge number of on campus activities for their students - certainly more now than when I attended. When I attended, we sometimes went to Oshkosh, Green Bay, Milwaukee or Madison for a concert. It wasn’t that big a deal to make the trip. That was before the Performing Arts Center was built, so I suspect there is even less need to travel now. Personally, I find Appleton and the Fox River Cities way more attractive, with much more in the way of convenient amenities than Oberlin.</p>
<p>S decided on Lawrence, despite being attracted by the Oberlin vibe, partly because there’s a sushi restaurant on College Ave within walking distance of campus. I don’t know if he realizes he’s not going to have too much time or spare cash for sushi, but it was a factor. There’s no sushi in Oberlin (I have no idea about Cleveland). </p>
<p>Also, for the things S wants to study, Lawrence’s smaller size is beneficial. He’ll be one of 10 or so freshman physics majors, which means lots of personal interaction with professors, and the smaller size of the Con means more playing opportunities. </p>
<p>We’re very happy with S’s decision. Lawrence is a good fit for him.</p>
<p>cmscribe: If your son is a senior this is probably too late, but there’s really no reason for him to ever be driving on an icy road to Milwaukee. Having lived there my whole life, I can tell you that Madison has stuff to do but Milwaukee is really uninteresting and frankly anything you can find here can also be found in the Fox Cities. Also, Wisconsin winters are far too inconsistent to refer to as being “long.” Hope that helps with your regional concerns.</p>
<p>True, we very rarely went to Milwaukee. More frequently Madison or Green Bay. Sometimes Oshkosh. Out of town excursions were not particularly frequent in any event, even though several of us had cars. More likely was just going to a supper club in an adjacent town on a Friday evening.</p>
<p>Thanks to all for these great observations. We’re taking our rising junior to visit both campuses on the way back home to WA from (NEMC in Maine) this August.</p>
<p>Yes, Appleton has come up in the world. When I attended LU, I had to make my own sushi if I wanted any. And kimchee and teriyaki. There was one ersatz Chinese restaurant in town, way down the avenue. The culinary choices now available are quite a substantial improvement. The food at the LU dining center is also quite a substantial improvement (keeping in mind that the former dining center was appropriately named Downer Dining Center).</p>
<p>That is hilarious! That would be a factor for my daughter as well. I’ll have to tell her! I wonder if the sushi is any good?</p>
<p>I will have to speak with the school admissions folks again–but if one were to apply to the 5 yr dual college-conservatory degree at Lawrence, I’ve been told that one has to audition (in early Jan, here in Seattle) & apply Regular Decision. Are there many instances, when after the audition, where an applicant is denied at the conservatory but accepted at the college? I understand that attending the college does not prevent a student from still participating in the music programs (and even music degrees) offered by the school? If someone could speak about how this also works at Oberlin–this would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Hi, oompaloompa64: I think your idea to speak with the admissions folks again is the best to get up-to-date info. I know my daughter, who is a junior this year, loves to sing, but in talking with the admission rep for our state, decided to apply for regular admission with the understanding that she could always check out music programming/apply for the five-year program if she wanted once she arrived on campus/started studying at LU if accepted. In the end, it took her a whole year just to get a studio/lessons with a voice professor even though she auditioned welcome week, and she is so super busy with her other classes that she ‘makes do’ with the voice lessons and repeated attempts to get some type of band going. Definitely connect with your area admissions rep and I wish you the best through the audition and application process. :)</p>
<p>lawrencemom, thank you for your helpful response. We were told by a young man who gave my son & I a tour of the campus a couple summers ago–that if you have an interest in applying to the dual degree program, that it is easier to get into the program when a student initially applies to the school, rather then waiting until after having matriculated. I understand the the Lawrence’s curriculum is quite rigorous – and that the dual program, though do-able, requires good time management skills.</p>
<p>You are right about the time management/rigorous part of the message. Lawrence is a tough school, and my daughter has had her ups and downs, but in the end, it all works out, and LU liberal arts is where she is ‘meant to be,’ I think. One of her teachers even had a discussion about that in a class: where did you all think you’d be/is this where you thought you’d be/how’s it going type of discussion. My daughter often comments on how stressed out the music students can get. The academic load is no picnic, but it is so wonderful to have music ‘all around’ the place so that even if one does liberal arts/ non-con, the students are ‘all one’ and there do not seem to be big divisions between the ‘connies’ and the 4-year liberal arts degree students. I do know a couple of my daughter’s acquaintances stopped the con/went to l.a.; but again, when she was applying/had her interview, the rep did say it was totally possible to go from four-year to five-year combined if desired/if accepted. LU seems to be very flexible to me in helping students achieve their goals. Best of luck to all who are awaiting admissions decisions. As for me, I can’t wait until 12/20 because that is the day my LU junior returns from a semester abroad. :)</p>
<p>Thank you for your insight, Lawrencemom. I remember hearing from a Lawrence Rep that those students who initially start out as dual degree students diminishes over time. We also have a college junior (@ Swarthmore) who is returning home from a semester abroad program this coming weekend. We’re pretty darn excited about her approaching return! :)</p>
<p>What a coincidence, oompaloompa64. Enjoy the homecoming. The culture shock is going to be ‘something else’ to deal with, plus only two weeks until it’s time to go back to school. My kid still has to sort and pack the bins we always shlep to LU. I can’t wait, ha ha. :)</p>
<p>My son just learned about Lawrence within the past two weeks. The school sent him a note about its physics program and invited him to a workshop this winter (he’s a real math/science kid). Don’t think we can visit until his spring break. What made a visit tempting is that the track and field/cross country coach called, got my son excited about his program and offered him a fee waiver if he would apply. He did. This would be a dramatic change if he selected Lawrence. He has never seen to Wisconsin. We live in Virginia. And Appleton does not have a Chick-Fil-A.</p>
<p>^ only a small piece down the road to Chicago, can get your Chick-Fil-A there :)</p>