Is Oberlin or Grinnell better for environmental studies/science? I’m trying to only choose one for a match school, but I hear good things about both schools. I would love to know the pros and cons of the program at each school! Thank you!
Both are great. Oberlin prides itself on its conservation and LEET certified building(s) with aggressive carbon neutral goals so I might give it a slight edge but, frankly, you can’t go wrong with either.
Students who apply to one, often apply to the other because they have so much in common. Both are excellent midwestern LACs. S attended Grinnell - best friend went to Oberlin: Both loved their experiences. Compare the course catalogs in the areas you are interested in to see which has more coursework of specific interest to you. Grinnell has no distribution requirements (other than the fact that you can’t take all your classes in one area, defined as sciences humanities or social sciences). Not sure about Oberlin’s requirements.
Oberlin is slightly larger because of the 600 student music conservatory and therefore attracts students who are into music/performing arts (even the non-conservatory students). Grinnell has gorgeous sports facilities and walk-on sports teams. The towns are about the same size and both campuses are situated in town. Grinnell has it’s own observatory (low light pollution at night) and the prairie research center, (https://www.grinnell.edu/academics/centers/prairie-studies) as well as a lot of new facilities (a big endowment which keeps class sizes small, facilities spiffy, and provides generous merit aid.) Both are about 45min-1hr. to larger cities (Cleveland for Oberlin, Iowa City and Des Moines for Grinnell). Study abroad is about the same for both - the usual array of options.
On carbon neutrality, both schools have signed on to ACUPCCC and have adopted environmental sustainability as one of their goals. (Oberlin is a founding member.)
I’d say that if you were happy at one, you’d probably be equally happy at the other.
Just looking at the college list on your other thread, Oberlin is an outlier in terms of campus vibe. It’s a fantastic school and the students there love it. Just make sure you visit before considering it a match for you. While it looked great on paper, my D realized within ten minutes on her visit that it definitely was not for her.
Thank you so much for all the information! I’m really interested in the facilities aspect of the colleges. Do you know if Oberlin has anything like Grinnell’s prairie research center?
i also took a look at your other thread – and since you are interested in animals, this might be of interest to you:
http://www.grinnell.edu/academics/offices/prairie-studies/opportunities
Edit: i realize now those might be summer internships. But, Grinnell may very well have some local, school-year opportunities to work with animals. Even if not a formal academic program. The school definitely supports individualizing experiences.
Hi again, SDonCC, I responded to this in my other thread. Thanks for checking them both out!