Macalester, Oberlin, or Haverford?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Macalester College
1

<p>I applied to a number of liberal arts colleges, but these three have become my top choices. I haven't visited any of them, and as May 1 approaches I'm getting pretty nervous regarding which one I'll choose. I only have time to visit two, so I need to get some accurate information on the three, especially in comparison to each other. To put myself in context: I am a quirky, arty intellectual interested in the humanities/social sciences. </p>

<p>I researched all three schools pretty extensively, and different aspects of each appeal to me. I love how academically intense Haverford is, but I don't love the nerdy naivete it seems a lot of the students possess, nor do I know how I'd handle the small size of the school. I am really interested in how strong the arts are at Oberlin, but I'm worried about the supposed "different for the sake of being different" air of the student body, and I've also heard some negative remarks regarding the caliber of Oberlin's academics (though I've also heard some great things, so I'm not sure what to believe). Macalester's city location and warm student body appeal to me, but it seems like their academics are below-par in comparison to the other two colleges. I eventually want to go to grad school, and both Haverford and Oberlin have high grad school acceptance rates. </p>

<p>I know this decision ultimately comes down to my own, wholly subjective experience on the campus, in the classes, and with the students of each college. Nevertheless, any help with this ridiculously hard choice would be fantastic. Thanks!</p>

<p>(Cross-posted on Haverford and Oberlin forums)</p>

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<p>Macalester academics, while ranked bellow the other schools, are really quite similar. You will get out of your education what you put into it, and while it may be easier to find the more demanding track at Haverford, it is absolutely possible to get that education at Mac. You simply take more advanced courses, with is easy because there are plenty of them offered. I went through a similar choice, but realized that I was much more uncertain about being able to remain happy at a small, nerdy school in the middle of nowhere than I would be at Macalester. I wanted the city and the very interesting and FUN student body, and after looking through the course book, I decided that I could totally get the education I wanted here. Also, there is no reason to think that attending Macalester will keep you from going to grad school (or a very good grad school). Just keep your grades up, the school has a very good reputation.</p>

3

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I’m a current undergrad at Mac, and I’ve got to say that academics here is intense. I’m a sophomore and in a couple of days, I have two 25-page papers due (one for Global Political Economy, and the other is for Geography of Development). Because the classes are really small, there is no getting around not doing your work, and profs notice it. That being said, profs at Mac are not only some of the brightest in their fields, but they’re also the most conscientious teachers and mentors you will find. </p>

<p>Through the school, I’ve gotten really fortunate with opportunities, and when I meet people and I tell them I’m from Mac, there is never a negative vibe from them. In fact, most of the non-profits in the Twin Cities prefer Mac students over any other college students in the area. There’s a lot of Mac alumni presence around the world. For example, when I was accepted to attend a leadership conference at Harvard Kennedy School last month, I was surprised to find that a Mac alumn was coordinating the conference, and she told me that Boston was full of Mac alumns who hail from top institutions. </p>

<p>I don’t think you’ll have trouble getting into grad school after Mac. Mac has one of the highest percentages of alumns getting Ph.D’s (one of my friends just got accepted into Columbia at one of their PhD programs). </p>

<p>That being said, I know how hard it is making a choice between Haverford, Oberlin, and Mac. I have friends at both Haverford and Oberlin, and we all really regard each other as academic equals, and truth be told, there’s not much of a difference. As undergrads, we all use the same foundations textbooks; deriving equations is the same method no matter what school you go, what Plato said thousands of years ago does not somehow sound “more intense” at other colleges, especially not at small liberal arts colleges. </p>

<p>What I recommend you do is to first check out the schools’ Facebook fan pages. You’ll see how the college brands itself. Then, engage in the schools’ Facebook groups for your class and get a feel for how you may fit in with the student body. Who knows, maybe you’ll make early friends. </p>

<p>If you have any questions about Mac, I can certainly make myself available. I’m majoring in Political Science, and minoring in either Econ or Geography (I haven’t decided yet, but it’s ok). </p>

<p>Best wishes on your decision!</p>