My daughter has some great choices among her acceptances, but it seems to be coming down mostly to either Oberlin or Occidental. Here are the considerations:
She plans to major in theater. Her main focus is acting, and she wants a rigorous acting training, but she also wants the opportunity to do and study directing and playwriting.
She loves the feel of a small school. (I worry about the limited opportunities, with less going on, at the smaller schools, but she likes the small-pond feel.)
She’s transgender, and we want to make sure she’s in a place that will be supportive and safe. Not just the campus, but the surrounding area and the state laws. (For instance, I know Oberlin is a very supportive campus, but Ohio, not so much.)
We live in Seattle, so the ability and ease of coming home is a factor.
We want her to be in a place with a diverse student body.
We’re kind of agonizing over this decision, as each school has elements she wants. If she could take Oberlin’s academics, acting program, and reputation, combined with Oxy’s location, access to opportunities beyond campus, and diversity, that would be perfect. But alas, we cannot. Here’s a list of pros & cons I started:
OBERLIN
PROS
Very good academics
Wonderful musical environment
Creative, artistic environment
Excellent reputation
Alumni network
Low cost of living
CONS
Not very diverse
In small-town Ohio
Nearest city doesn’t have a lot of cultural/other opportunities
School & students don’t seem to engage with the city much
Theater department’s connections seem to be mostly with Cleveland/Pittsburgh regional theater
Long, cold winter
OCCIDENTAL
PROS
Beautiful campus
Connections in Los Angeles, broad range of opportunities
Emphasis on study abroad
More diverse
Good academics
Daughter likes the small size
CONS
Because it’s so small, less opportunity for different friends, branching out
Theater department seems less rigorous, less focused on actor training
Seems like less happening on campus, not much evidence of student theater groups, etc.
I’ll add that one of her acceptances that we haven’t had a chance to visit is George Washington, where she was offered a Corcoran Scholarship. I’m wondering if we should try to get out there (very difficult cost-wise and schedule-wise, given that time is so short now). She isn’t a fan of their urban campus, FWIW.
If you’ve read this far, thank you! I’d love any thoughts or insight that I haven’t considered or that could tip the balance. Thanks for any input!
I’d say Oberlin based on what you wrote but you have to consider the trade offs - theater rep vs diversity etc. I can see Oberlin not engaging the town given their lawsuit just settled.
I’ll throw out this anecdote. I went to Syracuse for broadcast journalism. It’s your Oberlin. Yet it was so popular, crowded that the education sucked to put it mildly.
Yes they placed more people on tv but they had more in school. My guess is 95% didn’t make it.
My friend had to drop out. Couldn’t afford it after a few years. Sue transferred to her home school. U of Montana. I visited. They had 20 or 24 kids. All had access to their own equipment. All we’re doing amazing stuff in class and she told me 100% got jobs. She’s still in the bus but not on air.
The point - look deeper (at oxy). Just because a school is less known doesn’t make it bad. Sometimes the individual attention can work better.
And Oberlin, I know has a great rep and it’s likely a great school, but find out - how many short and long term stay in the business.
Find out for Oxy too.
Dig deeper.
You clearly want Oxy. You may find out it’s a perfectly reasonable choice. And a web search shows that actors have passed through (some left early) to go pro.
Not sure what a Corcoran Scholarship is or how much $$. How much does money matter in this decision ?
GW is uber urban. My daughter wanted urban and is at urban College of Charleston. But it has a campus. For her (can’t say for you), GW was over the top Urban. No campus . We left the tour.
Oxy all the way. Also being from Seattle with a kid in college a short flight away in CA, I can’t understate the value of a shorter flight and staying in the same time zone. It’s an easy commute for her. Also more post-grad connections on west coast if that’s where your daughter wants to eventually settle. My queer kids would not consider the Midwest (or South) despite some appealing programs.
This is a fascinating dilemma-- I’ll weigh in as a neighbor of Oxy (we live about 2 miles away) and a parent of an Oberlin student (voice major).
Yes, Ohio is a scary state on paper. But the campus is so inclusive. Our S is not LGBTQ, but his parents (!) are. He is very aware of issues of inclusivity and is very sensitive to them. There does seem to be a really good support system in place for queer and trans students at Oberlin. At Oxy, I’m not so sure that is true. It’s not hostile, but I don’t know how truly liberal it is. It’s a great school, but I don’t think it’s well known for it’s theater department? Around here, UCLA and USC (and to a lesser extent LMU) are kings.
At Oberlin, there is lots of engagement in Cleveland. My S is there twice a week for a singing gig in a very liberal, very inclusive Presbyterian church community. And don’t knock connections in Cleveland and Pittsburgh-- those are two cities with thriving cultural opportunities.
A con is definitely the travel to and from Cleveland, but we’ve figured out a system and we know when flights are, etc. Travel to and from Seattle to LA is obviously very easy!
My DS is very close (99% of the way there) to accepting a spot at Oxy for next year. He’ll be turning down schools that are ranked much higher (Tufts, USC, and several small liberal arts colleges) because he feels like the fit at Oxy is so much better for him. He was super impressed with the campus, academic programs (he’s a polisci/econ/philosophy type kid), campus life, and opportunities in the arts (he won’t major in the arts, but wants choir/theater to be an option). He was also very clear he wanted a diverse student body in a state that was very supportive of queer and women’s rights. Oberlin is an amazing school, but I do think its location could be limiting (and/or concerning based on political climate).
My son is an admitted student at Oberlin (not committed yet). Last week my husband and I participated in a virtual Oberlin event for parents of admitted students, and the topic of the political situation was discussed. The panel - one current student, one professor, and three other staff members - talked about some of the benefits of being in part of the country with a wide variety of political views, and the student talked about how that has made her more effective in her advocacy work. She's learned how to listen to and approach people with very different beliefs from her own. The faculty also described a collaborative and collegial relationship with the city of Oberlin. Residents do things at the college, and students participate in the community. In spring the community and the college join together to have a "silly parade" (their words) to welcome the season.
This sounds defensive, now that I read my own words, but it didn't come off that way in the moment. The panelists were all open, thoughtful, warm, and enthusiastic. The professor has been there 25 years, and he kept dropping anecdotes about students, calling them "amazing" and "incredible". His love for teaching was obvious. I have deep reservations about my son living in certain states right now, but I also want him to be at a school staffed by deeply-engaged, nurturing, passionate professionals who will bring out the best in him. I do feel like Oberlin is that kind of place.
A relative attended GW for music and loved it and really enjoyed the urban campus. DC has a strong trans community and would be a welcoming city. There is an active theater scene and it’s easy to get to NYC.
I wanted my D27 to apply to Oberlin but she restricted herself to the North East. Only had online tours but thought it was really nice and knew a few contemporaries who attended who have done well as actors.
I hear Occidental is great too but have no personal frame of reference.