<p>I appreciate any insight and suggestions! I am 17, a senior at a good public school in Northern New Jersey. I am planning on playing lacrosse in college, to help me get into a school which I could not without the help of athletics. Oberlin is a 7 hour drive from home for me, and my father and I made the drive a few weekends ago to allow me to make an official visit and overnight stay with the lacrosse team. I sat in on an Econ class, had an in depth tour of the campus and facilities, and was able to see what life at Oberlin would be like. Since then, I have received an offer from the coaches, and am leaning towards Oberlin. Is anyone else from NJ/ east coast and had any troubles acclimating to life at Oberlin? I am look at other schools such as University of Scranton, and I am basically looking for reasons why/why not to come to Oberlin. Hit me with what you guys got!</p>
<p>Don’t know much about the lacrosse program at Oberlin - would it meet your needs as an athlete? You haven’t mentioned anything about what you are looking for in a school. Oberlin has many plusses, but depends on what you want academically/school experience perspective. Do you have any musical interests? If so, that is a plus in considering Oberlin. Give more information about what you want.</p>
<p>Oberlin is a great school, but at a much higher level academically than U of Scranton. Not sure how you can even compare the two. My understanding is that Oberlin has been somewhat ramping up its DIII athletics. Both the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams have gotten new coaches over the last few years and both programs have seen significant growth/success as a result. The music students comprise only about 1/6 of the students, but do add a lot of richness to the campus. I have spoken to a lot of graduates of Oberlin and every single one would choose to go there again. Does this help?</p>
<p>My son plays lacrosse and is an econ major at Oberlin–as are his two best friends and are all from the East coast. PM me and I’ll put you in touch with him.</p>
<p>To the original post:
I am pretty much in the same boat as you, using lacrosse as an advantage in getting into prestigious schools. I did the official visit and was offered a spot on the team as well, but I haven’t committed yet. I live on the NY/NJ Border so that may be close to you. </p>
<p>From what I gathered, athletics are improving and gaining more funding. When us (HS Class of 2014 Grads) get to Oberlin there will be a brand new turf field and upgraded athletic facilities. Compared to Scranton, Oberlin’s team is ranked lower because the NCAC is considered less competitive than more traditional leagues. However the academics blow Scranton out of the water. </p>
<p>In terms of distance its obviously pretty far. The question I’ve asked to myself sounds something like “is it worth going to school so far away to attend a prestigious school and play lacrosse?”. Maybe you like distance or not, but its up to you. </p>
<p>The other thing I would think about is the culture on campus. You might have seen people dressed in ways you’ve never seen before in New Jersey. I have read is that there is a sizable LGBT community and those who might be against that type of thing are generally shunned. If you would be okay with having gay friends, then Oberlin could be in the cards.</p>
<p>The last major issue I had to consider was the price; Oberlin is notoriously expensive. If you had the grades (even with lacrosse) to get into Oberlin, schools like Scranton could offer you merit scholarships to attend their schools. Financial aid is apparently pretty generous at Oberlin because it has a very high endowment for a school of around 3000 kids. I submitted an application for an early package from Oberlin through the “Early Estimate” program which gives an estimate of the merit/need based aid before you actually apply to the school. I get it back this week I think. </p>
<p>Anyway, best of luck to you as a potential future classmate/teammate.</p>
<p>Oberlin students are just back from fall break. My son is extremely happy there playing lacrosse and studying. He is used to a very conservative prep school so it is possible for a traditional athlete to be happy at Oberlin. You would be very fortunate to have a degree from Oberlin.</p>