<p>Hello. I am a new member of college confidential.
I am an international applicant and I've got admission from Oberlin College & Macalester College.
Thankfully, I got financial aid from both colleges. (Macalester-$30000 / Oberlin-$38000)
I know both colleges are good. It is very difficult for me to make a final decision.
I now plan to major in economics and also I want to study in a great graduate school in the future. (However, I can not sure... I also love to study politics, international relations...)
I know that Macalester College is in urban area and has more international students
while Oberlin College is in countryside and has less international students.
Now, what I want to know is academic side.</p>
<p>(1) Which school is better in economcis & politics?
(2) Which school has better faculty in economics & politics?
(3) Which school is better for me to prepare for graduate school or professional school?
(Not just a graduate school but one of the best ones in the U.S. - I wish to study in
IVY League after undergraduate... Of course... I know I have to work hard...)
(4) Which school has better alumni...?</p>
<p>Please Help Me to make a fine decision... Thank you...</p>
<p>^^</p>
<ol>
<li>Equal</li>
<li>Equal</li>
<li>Equal</li>
<li>Slight edge to Oberlin? … What do you mean by “better alumni?” Better looking? LOL. Admission requirements are very close, so alumni at one school are probably as smart as alumni of the other school. It’s my understanding that more Oberlin grads (historical) have gone on to earn PhDs, so maybe a slight edge to Oberlin. I can’t comment about looks. LOL.</li>
</ol>
<p>It’s true that Mac is in urban metro area so more to do (like prostitutes and strip joints, LOL) without driving 40 minutes to get to it (Obie to Cleveland). But it’s also true that Mac is frozen tundra - you will freeze your azz off (I used to live there, I know) versus normal cold winter in Ohio. </p>
<p>Where are you from? If you’re from a warm weather climate, you don’t know what you’re getting into if you pick Minnesota. I spent 15 winters there and the temp in Ohio in Dec.- Jan. is beach weather compared to how it can get in Minnesota. The cold in Minnesota is a wet cold, which means it slices through thick clothing like a razor and then slices through bone. I remember a winter in which we got 30 inches of snow within 24 hours—in October! The unique thing about Minnesota snow is that once it snows, it stays so cold the first snow sometimes doesn’t melt until April. By then the snow is almost black; it’s filthy. I don’t know about Ohio, but some people plug their cars into a power socket overnight or even during the work day to keep the engine from freezing solid. I’m not talking about electric batteries; I’m talking about heating the engine block. I remember winters when I had to walk to a bus stop in 26 below zero temps, and that’s without adding on the wind chill factor, just the raw temperature. I remember driving when it was 40 below ZERO (not below freezing)–BELOW ZERO! It was Siberia. If you think you’d enjoy that, go for it.</p>
<p>Oberlin has great politics and economics departments. It has politically engaged students who like to talk about politics.
It also has one of the best records for producing future PhDs of any liberal arts college (or any undergraduate college of any size) in the US.
It has a pretty good number of international students, including from India and China (there is even a theme housing option, Asia House; there is a very popular East Asian Studies department; there is a longstanding relation with China through the Shansi project)
Oberlin alumni in politics include Adrian Fenty, mayor of Washington DC, Richard Haas, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, Steven Mann, Deputy assistant secretary of state and Ambassador to Turkemenistan, and politics writer for Time Magazine Michael Duffy. So plenty of famous alumni in that area.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Richard Haass was on TV this morning.</p>
<p>I went to high school with Richard Haas. I would never have predicted his future employment. :)</p>
<p>U r an international student?/ What country r u from? My twin sis got into Oberlin and she’s an international student also. </p>
<p>BOth schools are great but I suggest Oberlin coz of lots of things.
Though Mac has more international students, Oberlin has ALWAys ALways been knwon for being open-minded and liberal.
If ur liberal and like individuality, Oberlin is a place to be. </p>
<p>Both schools have gud economics programs there so you dunt have to care abt that that much. 
Also, Oberlin rank higher than Mac. </p>
<p>—> Oberlin. Btw, My twin sis is visiting Oberlin my our mom right now. WHile i’m h0me al0ne. :P</p>