<p>I am trying to decide between Occidental and Dickinson. I realize these are two very different schools, but to me they seem equal academically, correct me if I am mistaken. I currently live in Washington, so neither one is very close to home. I have visited both campuses (and I liked both), but it was during the summer so I didn't get a full sense of the campus atmosphere and I don't have enough money to visit again. I got wonderful financial packages from both, so financially they are nearly equal (Dickinson has a slight advantage). I am interested in majoring in International Affairs and minoring in a foreign language. Also, I may run cross country and track. Any thoughts/experience you have with these colleges would be much appreciated! :)</p>
<p>I think that Dickinson is the more jock of the two. It’s fairly popular in the DC area. The Washington Redskins use the Dickinson fields in Carlisle for their summer training camp. Do either offer a Washington term with GU or GW?</p>
<p>I am more familiar with Dickinson than Occidental, but Dickinson would be a good choice for IA and a foreign language. My daughter’s French teacher was a graduate of Dickinson, and she loved her time there.</p>
<p>Two of my D’s friends are at Occidental. Both spent a lot of time abroad on various programs. One has graduated and is working for an NGO in Africa. Other than a freshman year roommate problem (which can happen anywhere) there were both very happy at Oxy.</p>
<p>I’d think about where you might want to live post grad. Oxy if fairly well known on the West Coast. Dickenson, not so much and vice versa. You should also look at the language offerings for the language you’re interested in at each school.</p>
<p>if you want to do International Affairs I would say Occidental. They have a great diplomacy and world affairs program which is very popular and they have a semester at the UN program where you intern at the UN headquarters in New York</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice everyone! I really like both schools a lot. I am hoping to join the peace corps after graduation, then maybe going back to graduate school in pursuit of a Foreign Service career. I really like both schools a lot but am leaning towards Occidental right now. The Diplomacy and World Affairs major is a great fit for my interests (especially the semester at the UN program!!!), I love the sun, and there is so much to do in LA. Dickinson does offer more languages than Oxy though, including Arabic which I really want to learn. Could anyone describe the student body/campus atmosphere? I have done a ton of research on both schools, but anyone’s perspective from visiting, attending, or having a son/daughter/friend attend would be awesome.</p>
<p>Hi!</p>
<p>I am a current senior at Dickinson and would love to share my experience here.
Your interests sound very aligned with the programs we have here at Dickinson. We have a lot of study abroad programs that range across many countries. I studied in England my junior year and absolutely loved it. I got to live with British students and experience London for a full month and moved to Norwich for two months after. It was the epitome of a British village–cobblestone streets, tea 
Miss it right now!
But there are many other great locations to go abroad to that are programs coordinated by Dickinson, which is great because the classes transfer easily for credit in your major and you have the comfort of your own community while you are on soil of another country.</p>
<p>As for the language programs, they are really great and plentiful. In fact, I have participated in the Arabic program here and was fascinated with how much I learned in one semester… I could change verb tenses after three months! I was so impressed hah! But if you are thinking of going into the Peace Corps post-grad, I would definitely suggest looking into some foreign language programs wherever you go. I have had a lot of friends from Dickinson end up in the Peace Corps, however, just because their vision for making a positive impact on the world is very similar to our campus ideal of “changing the world.”</p>
<p>Here’s my idea of our campus community: Dickinson is full of students who are ready to learn by participation and creative methods, students who are involved in hundreds of different clubs, activities, sports, intramural teams, that fit the variety of interests that are found on this campus. It wouldn’t surprise me to see varsity athletes in a cappella groups or bio majors in my art class. You can’t put a finger on the definition of an average Dickinson student, which has been amazing for me over the past few years. I have met so many intriguing and vibrant people in my time here…</p>
<p>Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any more questions!</p>