<p>Colorado College-Mountains, block plan, 2000 students, relatively little diversity
Oberlin- better known, 2800 suudents, lots of diversity</p>
<p>No intended major at this point. . . Thoughts?</p>
<p>What does the money look like?</p>
<p>How excited is the kid about the block scheduling at CC?</p>
<p>Money is about the same- DS is intrigued and somewhat excited about the Block Plan- in some ways, think it will suit him but he has kind of a “first adopter” personality and likes different roads anyway. . .</p>
<p>I don’t think the 800 student difference is very significant. More significant is the block plan and the different settings. Read through some of the student reviews on USNWR to get an idea of what students like (or dislike) about each school. Take them with a grain of salt, don’t be overly swayed by one or two negative reviews, but do look for what students find distinctive about the atmosphere at each school and how that might work for your kid.</p>
<p>[Colorado</a> College | Student Reviews | Best College | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/colorado-college-1347/reviews]Colorado”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/colorado-college-1347/reviews)
[Oberlin</a> College | Student Reviews | Best College | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/oberlin-college-3086/reviews]Oberlin”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/oberlin-college-3086/reviews)</p>
<p>My kid is at CC and loves it. I was a little concerned at first that the Block Plan was a pedagogical gimmick, but I’ve come to believe it’s a very good concept. That and the setting - the two together - are what make Colorado College special.</p>
<p>Can he visit? I’ll put in a plug for Oberlin where my D is a freshman and very happy. The fact that Oberlin has the Conservatory really does change the environment and make Oberlin feel bigger than it is. Also if your kid is into “different roads” the Exco will be for him.</p>
<p>Oberlin - hippy school vs Colorado - military town -</p>
<p>Peace man - take the hippies.</p>
<p>CC is a hippie school too. IN a military town.</p>
<p>I’d recommend making the decision almost solely on the block plan vs the semester plan (if the money is do-able). The other stuff won’t affect you nearly as much as that. Can you stand the thought of having nothing but [yucky class of your loathing] for a whole MONTH? Do you drool at the thought of immersing yourself in [really cool class you love] and not having to worry about anything else? Would you love to take a less-important-but-interesting class and not have to relegate its homework to last on the list because you don’t have time to do it all?</p>
<p>Both Colorado College and Oberlin have been labeled “hippie schools”, but hey, it’s 2011 now. As for Colorado Springs, it’s not Manhattan but nevertheless is a pleasant city (Money magazine’s number 1 “Best Big City” in 2006; Outside magazine’s number one among “America’s Best Cities” in 2009). </p>
<p>I agree with Geekmom, the Block Plan is a very important difference. The geographic setting will be almost as significant for many students. CC is one of America’s few selective LACs located in a downtown area; at the same time, it’s in one of the country’s best regions for outdoor recreation and winter sports.</p>
<p>What is your son interested in generally? We were very intrigued by CC and I have no doubt it is a fine school. But when we visited, the teachers talked about how difficult it is to do research under the block plan. Several actually complained about it, which was off-putting. I think it is much better for certain types of courses – the ones they describe, such as enviornmental studies or areas of English.</p>
<p>Until I took a 200 level physics class in the summer HS program I thought I’d be applying ED to CC. Loved the campus, people, profs and summer in the mountains. But, the block plan was a show stopper. I realized how hard it would be for me to absorb higher level science/math concepts within the compressed time frame or to produce high quality research papers. Got a good grade but changed my mind about even applying to CC. (I’ll be at Carleton in September.)</p>
<p>They both may be hippie schools but Colorado Springs is a conservative military/church town.</p>