non-music majors at Oberlin

College Search & Selection
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<p>Could someone tell me about Oberlin- besides the renowned music program- how it stands out from other LAC's, some of its traditions and popular majors, what the atmostphere is like, etc.</p>

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<p>Here's a start..
<a href="http://www.oberlin.edu/alummag/summer2005/feat_paths.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.oberlin.edu/alummag/summer2005/feat_paths.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>as a parent of a kid who just started freshman year there (as well as a professor at a large, highly-regarded urban university) here's my impression: It's a really neat school for intellectually engaged kids who like learning and aren't intimidated by academic rigor. Since it's all undergrads, professsors are committed to teaching them--not focusing exclusively on publishing and research.</p>

<p>The academics seem great: My s. is interested in literature and languages, and the program in those are top notch. Ditto for the program in creative writing. I know the science program is supposed to be very strong, but I have no basis by which to judge that.</p>

<p>The school is in ex-urban (formerly rural) Ohio but the campus seems totally urban and alive. Because of the conservatory, there's an enormous music culture there--classical, of course, but also every other genre you can think of. There's lots of other stuff going on to: kids i know who've gone there say they rarely go to cleveland (about 45 min. away) since there's so much to do on campus. </p>

<p>Oberlin has a reputation for being "out there" and "quirky" and "radical left," all of which hold some elements of truth but I think the hyperfocus on characterizing the school that way does a disservice to a diverse and vibrant community of individuals.</p>

<p>My kid was looking for a small LAC and chose Oberlin over Wesleyan and Vassar because he wanted to get away from usual crop of schools most kids from his h.s. attend. In many ways, Oberlin is the same as those other two schools, but it does seem to have a bit of a midwestern feel -- laid back, unpretentious, genuine -- that he , and his parents, liked a lot.</p>

<p>hope this helps</p>