Need help URGENTLY about wheter to attend Oberlin!!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Oberlin College
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<p>Yes, YifanW, the class discussions at Oberlin are all extremely boring and some students don’t have good things to say. You should not attend, as your intellect demands a much more intense institution. At Oberlin, all one has to do is show up for 33 1/3% of the classes and the professors are mandated to award the student an A. </p>

<p>Regarding, omamma’s latest whine, I have laid my cards on the table, but she appears to have an agenda of trashing the school at which her child failed to thrive. Of course, this is all the fault of Oberlin and could never be attributed to her offspring’s shortcomings. Her opinions are patently biased and I find her postings to be completely uninformative and inappropriate due to her unfortunate and suspect prejudices against the school. I would like her to name the school to which her child is transferring, so I can scan that Board for her first complaints, which I predict will start appearing about October.</p>

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<p>YifanW, I am very sorry that SwatGrad has been so disrespectful to you. I will try to give you some additional information to think about. You mentioned that you have never been to the US, so it must be very hard to make this decision.</p>

<p>First, both Haverford and Oberlin have a reputation in the US for strong academics, small class sizes and accessible professors. It is difficult to make direct comparisons because workload and intensity often is more dependent on major choice than school choice. </p>

<p>Second, you mentioned in an earlier post that you would like to major in the social sciences. Since Haverford is smaller than Oberlin, the breadth of available majors and minors and course offerings may be less at Haverford but I am not sure. You could easily check this by visiting their web sites. However, a course can be listed in the course catalog and not have been offered for several years with no plans to offer it in the near future. Oberlin’s computer science majors have created a great web site which allows you to search on all sorts of variables and you can easily determine which courses are regularly offered and which are not. The site is oprestissimo.com but it seems to not like Safari very much, so try another browser. I don’t know if Haverford has a similar open use searchable website.</p>

<p>Third, you mentioned in an earlier post that you wish to be near a major urban center and Cleveland is a much smaller and less diverse urban area than Philadelphia. In addition, there is no public transportation to Cleveland from the campus so Oberlin students really can’t get there unless they have a car on campus. As an international student, you probably should consider whether you would be more comfortable with a population from your country nearby. My experience is that international students do, on occasion, wish to eat a familiar meal or speak in their native language so you probably should try to figure out if this is important to you. I don’t know what country you are from, but I expect neither Haverford nor Oberlin has a large number of students from your country simply because they are small schools. </p>

<p>Fourth, I am not sure if this matters to you but there are many more international flights in and out of Philadelphia than Cleveland because Hopkins airport in Cleveland is a smaller airport serving a smaller population. In addition, people in the Philadelphia area have easy access on public transportation to New York City and DC, although students often find they get so busy on campus that weekend travel during the semester is difficult.</p>

<p>Fifth, if you wish to obtain an internship while in school or employment post-graduation under the OPT option on your Student Visa, you should probably contact someone in admissions to get a sense of the level of support for international students. Do they, for example, help you prepare your resume so that it is attractive to US employers, is someone available to assist with Visa issues or to help you file for a Social Security number? Of course, if you do not think you wish to use your work option while in the US, then this point is irrelevant. </p>

<p>Good luck with your decision.</p>

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<p>Morganhil at Post #10 in this thread nails it. </p>

<p>Son was accepted to both and both were high on his list but in son’s case he chose Oberlin. His choice isn’t really relevant but the fact that he saw two very distinct cultures was key. I think these are cultures you’d have a tough time finding elsewhere. Which one grabs you? It’s not a value judgment. It’s a what works for you choice. If you’re familiar and comfortable with one and not familiar with the other, I’d go with the known entity – because the cultures are so distinctive you could easily land in a world that does not click with the way you’re wired if you choose either of these two colleges without appreciating why they’re distinctive.</p>

<p>All the rest, really, is splitting hairs and/or a function of what you personally choose to make of your college experience. Your choice is a choice between distinctive cultures.</p>

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<p>Many thanks to omomma and d’yer maker!!</p>

<p>To answer your questions, I like the culture at Oberlin better. (I love the fact that they’re passionate and open-minded, but I’m wondering if that would mean they’re a bit reckless?) However, I love the location of Haverford, and the professors in the departments I’m interested in are slightly better than Obelrin. They appeal to me in different ways.</p>

<p>That’s why this is a hard one. What do you think I should do?</p>

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<p>I think you should make up your own mind and not take advice from strangers on the internet.</p>

<p>They are two great schools. While they do have different feels, in many ways they are really more similar than they are different. Sometimes it helps to try a decision on for size. Flip a coin–heads Oberllin, tails Haverford and see how the result makes you feel.</p>

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<p>/\ Strongly agreed!</p>

<p>YifanW, I’m going to give you some “tough love” here in terms of advice so please take what I’m about to write in that context. You mention that you love Oberlin because the students are “passionate” but your perseveration on this forum reflects something counter to that. You’re taking a risk and being adventurous by going across the globe to get a college education (at a LAC no less; I imagine “what the heck is that?” is a question in your neck of the woods) which speaks to a level of courage and independence I’d strongly advocate you continue in the home stretch of your decision. I’m a bit surprised when you wrote “what do you think I should do?” as that’s not going to be the type of education you will get at HC and probably Oberlin too. No spoon-feeding allowed. You can’t plan everything and there’s really no perfect college for you so an important part of your development/education is being able to approach you challenges and find ways to overcome them. If you think Oberlin’s location is less than ideal, are you going to wallow in boredom or be proactive and search out campus activities or create your own? If you don’t jive with the students at HC, are you going to isolate yourself or try to engage with students who may be different than you? You will certainly have greater challenges in life so think of these issues you’re having as opportunities to push your boundaries.</p>

<p>Finally, I don’t know how you’re defining “passionate” and “open-minded” but those words I’d use to describe my time at HC as well. You don’t get into schools like Oberlin and HC by having good test scores alone. Students may not be “passionate” with what you are passionate about; they may not be loud/screaming their politics but conviction can be something quiet and reflective as well.</p>

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<p>Thanks HC Alum! </p>

<p>I understand your surprise, because I knew I didn’t make myself clear. What I mean by that is that I wish to hear more opinions from all perspectives. And in fact I’ve tried the coin flipping thing, but it didn’t work very well for me cos I can’t feel the way as I make a serious, nonchangable decision. Last person I am is one who would listen to someone else than myself.</p>

<p>I hate to be defensive, but I really don’t see much need for this many judgments. </p>

<p>I think I’ll give this post a break and make the decision.</p>

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<p>If I could add my 2 cents. At either school, you can get an excellent liberal arts education. I know recent graduates from both, and both enjoyed their time at their respective schools. Both require much from their students. Both have enthusiastic student bodies. Haverford is Quaker and as such has a character that reflect Quaker ideals. Oberlin’s character is different, but underlying it are many of the same values and principles. But it is unique in it’s feel. I suspect that it is a more collaborative atmosphere where you will find a broader range of views and activities. Personally, I find that exciting and a great experience, but not everyone does. To know which one is the right fit for you, you really need to visit, or at least spend some careful time studying as much as you can from actual students at each.</p>

<p>If you are looking for an off-campus experience and an ability to spend more time in a city, then Haverford wins hands down. It’s very accessible to Philadelphia, which has quite a bit more to offer than Cleveland. </p>

<p>As for a previous posters criticisms, I think that several may have some validity, but I don’t think that they are different than what one finds at many schools.
Are there some less than perfect dorms at Oberlin? Yes. Having toured and visited students at many schools over the last several years, several of Oberlin’s dorms certainly do reflect their age. This is the case at many schools however. Others are new and modern. And there are a variety of housing options.They certainly weren’t the worst dorms that I’ve seen lately by a long shot. They are basic dorms that one finds at schools across the country. And most students could care less. When I was an undergrad a jillion years ago, the most popular dorm on campus was probably the most run-down, but it had a certain character and location that made it very desirable. The lack of new amenities didn’t matter one bit.</p>

<p>As for difficulty in scheduling classes and meeting requirements, I haven’t heard this to be any more of a challenge at Oberlin than at other similar schools. It’s a reality that at a liberal arts college of a certain size, class choices will be limited and scheduling can be a challenge, especially if you are pre-med or have a major that requires lots of requirements. This is also a big complaint about the flagship state university down the road from me however. The previous poster’s specific complaint about chemistry only being offered in the fall is again, a common occurrence at many schools. Not all courses will be offered every semester. This information was readily available to the student ahead of time - when courses are offered is in the catalog and available when planning your schedule so that students can avoid getting caught unaware. Unfortunately, the student in this situation must have missed that. The new curriculum changes - having spent some time looking at it, it does require some planning, but it still seems more flexible than the core requirements from many of the liberal arts colleges that both my kids considered.</p>

<p>As for the drug scene - every college has some of everything. Some things are more prevalent than others at different places. And yes, I think it’s fair to say that drugs are available at Oberlin to students who seek them. But the difference is that there are alternatives to using, and many students have plenty of fun and socialize without drugs or alcohol. At some schools the entire social scene revolves around getting drunk or high, but this isn’t the case at Oberlin. I can’t speak for Haverford on this point as it isn’t something I’ve discussed with any current/recent students.</p>

<p>Because you have two excellent schools to choose from, I don’t think there is a wrong choice here, it’s a matter of preference, which really is all about your gut.</p>

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<p>OP has had a lot of choices on top of these two: Colorado College, Kenyon, Reed, USC, JHU. I understand Haverford as OP’s choice before getting into Oberlin, but what’s Oberlin got over Reed or even CC? Certainly not location!</p>

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<p>Grading is somewhat easier at Oberlin compared with the others. In addition to the Pass Fail option, the supportive student-teacher dynamic makes it possible for the motivated scholar to shine.</p>

<p>Anecdote: My son did extremely well freshman year, even better than HS. His buddy at Haverford with same major had better GPA and scores than my son in HS but Haverford has been more challenging grade wise. Although this may not/should not matter, it is good for ego and grad school to do extremely well starting in the first semester of college.</p>

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<p>oberlin
85% graduate within six years
<a href=“BigFuture College Search”>BigFuture College Search;

<p>haverford
94% graduate within six years
<a href=“BigFuture College Search”>BigFuture College Search;

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<p>I hope we learn how OP decides. </p>

<p>I went to Oberlin and absolutely loved it. The academic standards were very high, the students were intelligent and passionate if a little too liberal for my taste, and the professors were eminently accessible for the most part. </p>

<p>But I am sure that Haverford is very similar. I think how the OP feels - his intuition - is what he should trust.</p>

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<p>OP decided not to attend Oberlin. (Side note: Oberlin admissions doesn’t usually make any effort to determine the true identity of prospects posting on College Confidential, but in this case, with the original message posted at a time when only a handful of wait list admit offers were on the table, and with a username very similar to the student’s real name, it was pretty obvious.)</p>

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<p>Thanks Elizabeth, for the news. I guess he decided which fit him. I loved Oberlin, as I said, but when I took my daughter there she firmly said “no”. When I read the stories here, I wonder what happened to everyone.</p>