<p>stuck between oberlin and swarthmore, help!</p>
<p>seem like really different schools. My son looked into both of these.
I believe Swarhmore has a lot more core/distrib requirements than Oberlin and S seems more intense/stressful.
What are you interested in?</p>
<p>sociology/poli sci</p>
<p>I’m sorry I don’t know anything about these majors. Try posting your query in the Oberlin & Swarthmore forums.</p>
<p>Obviously Swarthmore!</p>
<p>Have you visited either school?</p>
<p>For decades, on paper I love Swat, but in person I can’t stand it. Was just there last weekend for an event after not being on campus for 11 years. Still dislike it. It is beautiful, the students are friendly, everything is peaceful, yet still I am extremely uncomfortable.</p>
<p>If you are unable to visit, then I urge you to apply to both.</p>
<p>On paper, I think both are incredible.</p>
<p>i have visited both, swarthmore has more of a hoey feel which i like but the acaemics i hear are crazy hard. But i’m worried about Oberlin’s poli sci and sociology departments lacking.</p>
<p>Swat is a very difficult school, but I have never heard it describe by any students as competitive – it is always described as collaborative and the profs are known to be available for help.</p>
<p>I know the Oberlin PolySci doesn’t get recognition and students tend to look toward either coast for a school with strength in that major. However, many students change majors. I searched your other posts & you seem to compare all schools to Oberlin. That tells me this school is important to you. IMO, sometimes the overlooked majors can offer the more personal interactions. </p>
<p>Have you considered contacting profs at Oberlin (perhaps in the International Studies area)? I know the Intl Studies requires a foreign language, but with Oberlin’s commitment to designing a major you may actually find you prefer a place like Oberlin to merge your interests.</p>
<p>I assume you are trying to decide where to apply ED. I suggest you apply RD to both.</p>
<p>Oberlin Poli Sci Dept is very good, I don’t know where the expressed concern comes from. As to “lacking”, go to each college’s registrar’s list of courses actually being offered this semester in political science and count them.</p>
<p>Swarthmore does offer the prospects of bolstering course offerings via the Quaker consortium, though this is not extensively utilized there in practice as I understand it. But it means if you get interested in something it’s small department doesn’t cover, you could at least theoretically take it at Penn if you want to badly enough. So that’s a point.</p>
<p>“I know the Oberlin PolySci doesn’t get recognition…:”
How ?
I don’t know this, and my D1 majored in it there.
We were told it’s a pretty good department for an LAC, by a Prof friend.
And as far as I know it’s considered a good department on the campus there.</p>
<p>“Oberlin Poli Sci Dept is very good, I don’t know where the expressed concern comes from. As to “lacking”, go to each college’s registrar’s list of courses actually being offered this semester in political science and count them.”</p>
<p>Oberlin’s politics department is great, especially if you’re interested in studying comparative politics. Had firsthand experience taking several courses in that department…including two 300-level seminars. Practically minored in that field. </p>
<p>Also, that department has several alums who are now tenured/tenure track poli-sci Profs at various institutions…including two I know of at research 1 universities. Doesn’t sound like a “lacking” department to me…</p>
<p>monydad & cobrat</p>
<p>Oberlin simply doesn’t get recognition for IR or PolySci in my area – The “city” schools from DC up to Boston tend to get the recognition. I didn’t mean to imply Oberlin is not good in these fields. Recogized by other Profs is not the same as mainstream popularity.</p>
<p>“mainstream popularity” of political science departments??</p>
<p>ok…</p>
<p>i didn’t mean to impy that it was, hence my question
i know swarthmore is a lot of work, how hard would you say it is if you could</p>
<p>Swartmore>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Oberlin</p>
<p>:) Make the right choice.</p>
<p>What’s an Oberlin?</p>