Why is it that you feel Oberlin is the better choice?
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Itās more that itās hard to let go of what Oberlin has over Oxy: larger creative community, things happening there all the time, lots of student-run theater orgs in addition to the official theater dept. And the name recognition. But Oxy has some things over Oberlin, tooāthere are pros & cons either way, for sure.
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Are ābean bootsā the lined duck boots? Or something else?
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You posted yesterday on this?
I personally thought Oxy was the better choice.
The big, better known names get all the accolades and they place more because they have more.
But if read on Oxy alums or at least attended, they have their fair share.
Great talent will need luck - i.e. getting discovered - but ultimately will rise to the top no matter where it goes.
I went to a school with quantity and reputation - and for the 5 they constantly brag about, thereās tons that didnāt make it - so she may (or may not) miss something while at Oxy but I bet she gets as many, if not more chances, to have critical opportunities.
You can ask - but sometimes smaller is better - especially in the low outcome professions.
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Was he reassured on the politics at Bama? I know the school itself has many students from NY and CA (and is known to have a mix politically, maybe even lean progressive) but were they assured that the state politics wouldnāt intrude on academic freedom of professors or ban classes on race , LGBTQ themes, womenās studies or equality? My son was ok with going to a red state but refused to consider a public school that might have state influence. He will likely end up at Case Western (Gov. DeWine is pretty moderate I think) but he feels ok about it since itās private and seems very progressive. Plus Cleveland is definitely a progressive city. Just curious if Bama addressed that at all.
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Honestly, the politics of Alabama are not hugely different from Floridaās; itās the governor that was the wild card, and his meddling in Florida higher education.
Plus, from what my husband, the political junkie, tells me, Alabamaās state legislature is not a well-oiled machine that can get a lot of alarming stuff done, lol. Donāt know how true that isā¦
Kiddo wants social justice law, and Southern Poverty Law Center, in Montgomery, is something he has his eye on for internships etc.
Speaking as someone who attended UF, located in a bright blue bubble in a bright red part of the state, if thereās no meddling from the statehouse, the vibe is pretty similar to any college town. I believe Bama is more conservative as an institution, but he will have no problem finding his tribe, discussing differing viewpoints, etc. He thrives on that stuff.
But to answer your overall question, no, he did not ask those types of questions.
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It is such a big decision and it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Itās your baby after all and itās also usually a LOT of money. And this process is a long difficult one and it makes it strangely hard to let go of, Iām finding.
I have been where you are and keep telling myself that at this point - when itās down to a couple choices after so long a process chances are your child will do great at any of the options. Youāve done your job well. And the most important factor for us was FIT. Your child is more likely to find success in a place they like and feel comfy and excited about.
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Even though my kid ended up at the university I thought was best for him all along, Iām having trouble letting go of some of the other schools, and of the whole process. For him, itās exciting. Done! Committed! Although, I think thereās always nervousness about going away, meeting new people, etc. For me, I think itās one step closer to him moving away from us. Heās going far.
I think youāre right about the last few choices coming down to good options. Any one of them has been vetted by the process. I agree kids will find success where they feel comfortable and inspired. My son was down to choosing between Loyola and USC, and for various reasons very adamantly chose Loyola. Either one would have been a great education, but he felt right about the place and the people.
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Iām with you on this 100%! I have the same problemā¦ Luckily I am not the one who has to make the decision, or I would be second guessing it all the way to May 1st.
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This gives me hope for the future! 
I hope he goes on to do that.
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Iāve personally not seen or heard of anything political from my son - of course, he probably couldnāt name the VP. Totally apolitical.
I think there is a difference between the two states.
Florida is looking to remake the educational system, starting with New College - where they want to emulate Hillsdale - and running through the elimination of majors and some labor type ideas.
Not to say it couldnāt happen in other places - including Ohio with their moderate governor who has been overridden on some things - but I see or hear of nothing like this coming from the U of Alabama or even the state.
I think what you are hearing from Florida is extreme relative to other states who - from an educational POV, seem to be holding to their status quo.
Obviously, issues at the state level with LGBTQ or reproductive rights, are other things of concern for many.
But I would not brush Alabama at all like Florida - at least in my opinion.
Florida is looking to do zany things - like put a jail next to its largest employer out of spite. So thatās an entirely different situation 
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If I were a student, I would chose Oxy too. First, for the beautiful campus. Second, Los Angeles over Cleveland (not a knock on Cleveland, but Los Angeles is hard to beat with its weather and cultural diversity). Third, the student body definitely felt very artsy during our visit.
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And you know, the ability to engage and discuss is a piece that is missing these daysā¦ at least in my opinion. So if your son thrives on that, that will actually be really great. He has social justice on his mind and in his heart and hopefully he can bring those discussions to others who donāt really realize the need for such concerns.
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Skhoop jacket here from Title Nine! Excellent quality.
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Back 7 years ago when I was traveling on work to Alabama, I had a book on the history on Judaism in my bag. I was told not to take that book out in the state of Alabama :-). I am a neutral party ā not Jewish, and not of the majority religion in the state of Alabama. Just saying ā¦
Thatās pretty strange and seems clearly a joke. As a student at UA, I took one year of modern Hebrew in a fully enrolled class and another semester of Biblical Hebrew taught by a rabbi who was a beloved professor there. He also taught my History of the Middle East. When I lived in the state again the in 2000s, I also saw nothing that indicated someone āshouldnāt take out a bookā in the state.
I do tend to be surprised by some of the things posted in broad strokes on this forum about some states or some groups of people, but not about others. Then again, I have lived in twelve states from coast to coast and different sized cities/towns/hamlets in them, so I tend not to be prone to broad generalizations, and they grate on me.
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Well the state has a sizableā¦not large, but sizable Jewish population and Bama upwards of 1k Jews. I have been calling on car dealers there for 10 years, throughout all parts of the state. I stay in hotels. Eat in restaurants.
Someone was being either ignorant or just playing a sad joke with you.
Iām sure, like everywhere, there are intolerant people. But what you describe really doesnāt exist in any state and Iāve been to all 50.
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I had no idea, and my friends were well meaning. This was not a joke played on me. This is an adult situation with work place colleagues ā not a prank at a college. But maybe they were also ignorant. It is possible.
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I could never work at those firms. I graduated from HS in 1984 and canāt actually remember my SAT and ACT scores (or even my LSAT) at this point. I know they were decent but not spectacular. Would I even be able to get score reports almost 40 years later?
I also happen to think emphasizing test scores from even 5+ years ago is very fixed mindset. People grow and there are late bloomers. People develop new skills. We should all be growing daily. Iām no where close to the kid I was at 17 or 18 so itās laughable to judge me based on that.
I interview and hire for roles globally. Iām much more concerned with what someone has done and tangible accomplishments than test scores from high school. I actually donāt care where they went to college or law school if they have the practical skills I need.
I realize firms look at scores but that is not the culture of an employer I would want. I want a growth minded, innovative employer.
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I had a friend tell me that BCG asked him for undergrad grades from about 9 years prior to the offer of employment ā the employment offer coming after an MS, 5 years of work, and 2 years of a Harvard MBA (some 25 years ago).