Oberlin vs. UVM Honors College

Parents Forum
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<p>D. is deciding between these two. She really loved UVM and Burlington, but also likes the idea of the academic advantages of a small LAC, and such an academically respected one as Oberlin.</p>

<p>Her main concern about Oberlin is the location: rural, tiny, tiny town with not much going on; no easy access to Cleveland, even if she wanted to get there.</p>

<p>Her main concern about UVM is whether its academics are challenging; but being in the Honors program, she hoped that it would make it a much better academic experience. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find any specific info about the Honors program, since it's only one year old. Anyone know anything?</p>

<p>All help would be appreciated!</p>

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<p>If your D is interested in music and/or English, there is a lot going on at Oberlin.</p>

3

<p>She can put her concerns about Oberlin aside if she will take time to learn about it. Although it is rural, Oberlin is known as a particularly vibrant environment with a very strong community. She might look at the 'jr year abroad' opportunities small schools often have great access. Don't know anything about UVM.</p>

4

<p>Most people would drive to Cleveland; lots of kids have cars. You can get there by bus too; shuttle to the airport, then change buses.</p>

<p>There's enough going on right on campus, however, that so far my daughter hasn't even made it there.</p>

5

<p>thanks for all your input. Husband will take her back to Oberlin next week for a 2nd visit. How important do you think an overnight stay is with a student? D. is not the type who is inclined to do this (she can be a little shy with strangers), and H. is not pushing it. I think it could really give her a lot of info.</p>

6

<p>Hi WNYDanceMom!! It is great that you posted this. To everyone else, she and I and her lovely daughter met in person when they came to visit UVM. </p>

<p>Anyway, I definitely think your daughter should return to Oberlin, particularly on an admitted student event day if they have one, so she can get the scoop on every aspect of the college, talk to current students and prospective ones as well. Questions about the setting and social life could be addressed to current students. Of course, if they chose this college, they obviously were ok with this aspect but they still could shed light on the ramifications. </p>

<p>The two schools are obviously different in many ways as you know. </p>

<p>As we have discussed before, UVM itself is a very good school and quite atypical of a state university. The majority of the student body, in fact, is from out of state. Also, it is not nearly as big as most state universities. I think they have something like 6500 undergraduates? That is the size of Brown where my daughter goes, so a medium size actually. I know your daughter loved the setting and frankly if my kids had not grown up in Vermont and wanted to try college out of state, they both have said they would have thought Burlington was a great place to go to college. </p>

<p>As we have discussed, the Honors College, which my daughter got into last year as well, is new and small (100 kids per year), is filled with EXCELLENT students. I can think of at least three from my D's class last year who are in it and they were each ranked in the top ten kids in the class. Even the prior year, our valedictorian went to UVM and other years, the sal has gone. My D's best friend is in this program and chose it mostly cause she can go to UVM for free but this girl otherwise was material for a top notch college. I saw her recently when she came to visit my other child in the hospital (which was at UVM) and she loves it there. I just ran into another Honors student the other day when my D was home from college and we went shopping on Church Street (where I had met up with you) and this girl was shopping between classes (sounds like something your D would do, lol. Can you say Urban Outfitters? I recall talking of it with your D and how you don't have that store where you live!). This program would give your daughter a small enclave of highly motivated achievers academically, while amongst a strong student body in a university with many opportunities (she is undecided major, right?) and then the fun of the city of Burlington itself, all in walking distance, and then the surrounding area for things like skiing and such. </p>

<p>If you give me a call, or IM, or email, I would love for your daughter to speak to the girls from our school (all good friends of my older one) about Honors College so she could have a first hand account. I think the best way for a kid to find out more is to talk directly to peers in these situations as "references". I know sometimes it is hard for kids to dial that phone but even an email would be a great idea. I know they would help. </p>

<p>Likewise, I would do that with Oberlin. A friend of my older D's went there and he was also a top student at our school but also a musician (though not majoring in that). </p>

<p>I think these choices are excellent ones for your daughter but it will come down to which feels "right" to her given her criteria in what she would like out of college. Even if Oberlin has more "prestige" so to speak, I think academically, she could get a challenging program at the Honors College at UVM and then have the social life and fun of this great college small city. Only she knows which aspects matter to her the most. But I feel confident that the Honors College would ratchet up the academics (which are already strong) at UVM and then give her a small group to belong to that is made up of top students who could have gone to other selective colleges. </p>

<p>So, I hope you will be in touch and we can connect your daughter with these kids so she can make an informed decision.
Susan</p>

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<p>PS....I think an overnight visit is really really helpful when returning for a second visit to a college, once accepted. My D did this and I know it gave her more of an inside look, particularly in regard to the other kids and the general "feel". I would encourage it. Remember that the hosts usually go out of their way to be friendly and helpful. Is there an accepted student event with overnights? My D went back to three schools last April on their open house events for accepted students and these included official overnights but it was like an "event" and so there were LOTS of students in the same boat that came for the overnight and so that also made it different and I think that sort of situation might be a tad easier for your daughter given what you said...kinda like a little "orientation" style event when there are lots of new kids who don't know anyone.</p>

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<p>It's useful to have as much information as possible to try to discern what the place is really like. My daughter did overnights at both of her final two choices, and what she gleaned from them really provided the basis for her final decision.</p>

<p>Each school had various apparent advantages and disadvantages, but in the end the college she selected was the one where she felt she most "belonged". Someone else looking at the same factors might make the opposite decision.</p>

<p>Personally I think it's better to NOT go on an "admitted students day, since you might not totally be seeing what typically goes on there. But if that's what works best it's better than not going.</p>

9

<p>See a lot about U Vermont but minimal discussion of U New Hampshire....is it the Vermont honors program that generates the buzz? Nothing similar at UNH? Other differences?</p>

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<p>If your D is concerned about being in the middle of nowhere Ohio, you definitely should look into Oberlin's Winter Term. During the month of Jan., when regular classes are not in session, students can pursue almost any interest or opportunity you can imagine. At an information session, an admissions officer described some examples ranging from accompanying a history professor in re-tracing some Civil War underground railroad routes to interning for a newspaper in San Francisco. Separate and apart from the potential for wonderful experiences, Winter Term provides the opportunity for students to gain the benefits of a small LAC, while at the same time being able to get out of the boonies (no offense to Ohio folks), if needed, and spend the month of Jan. somewhere else - a large city, at home, or wherever. In any case, your D has a tough but wonderful choice to make; I hope this information helps in the decision-making process. Good luck.</p>

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<p>MonyDad...while I agree about open houses vs. visiting/overnighting on a more typical day (I'd take the typical day first), I feel differently when it is a RETURN visit in April to decide where to matriculate. I believe this is NYDancermom's daughter's second visit to Oberlin. For THAT purpose, I think the accepted student events/overnights are very helpful. I agree with you that the overnights at the accepted colleges is also what was the deciding factor last April in my D deciding which school to choose because she liked them all and could think of pros about each of them. But RIGHT when I joined up with her at the end of the two day event at Brown, she told me on the spot, "I am going here, I have decided" and so these return visits/overnights did the job we set out for them to do...help her make the final decision.<br>
Susan</p>

12

<p>Wow! Thanks for all your input. Hopefully, I will convince my D. and H. to do the overnight. They are going next Wednesday, one of the admitted student days, but not the "special" program days, which are Fridays.</p>

<p>Judy</p>