I have recently been admitted to Whitman College and Oberlin. I am able to visit one school before I must decide on may 1st. I have already visited and really liked st olaf (minus the religious connotation, even tho school didn’t force it).
Whitman and Oberlin cost simlar prices for me to attend and seem to attract simlar students and have a simlar culture. I want to study Athropology and double major with either history, sociology, or English. I am planning to attend grad school and want a college who will prepare me for going to a hopefully really great grad school. I am not super into sports, however I do value good hikes and such (thats the coloradan in me). I want a pretty rigorous and strong academics without students competing against eachother. I lean left pollitically however more moderately (something that worries me a bit at both schools however I tend to fit with far left poeple socially pretty well). I am unsure what school will better prepare me for grad school and has a good anthropology program.
I know nothing about Whitman, but we were very (pleasantly) surprised by Oberlin when we visited - we felt that the videos / pictures did not give a full picture of the size of the campus, its layout or the beauty of many of the buildings (unfortunately not including the freshman dorms from what we saw, but many of the others). The town itself was also super-cute, though very small.
I have never been to Oberlin, but loved Whitman. Our tour guide was an anthropology major. D22 spent a lot of time on her own with a group of students and the students seemed very smart, down-to-earth, and supportive.
Walla Walla was unexpectedly charming with a cute downtown next to campus that caters to the winery tourism crowd. The Blue Mountains are nearby and there is an outdoor activity club that takes students on hikes and kayak trips, etc.
The hardest part about Whitman was getting there. Some cities have easier access to the Pasco or Walla Walla airports than others. And you have to be comfortable with the small town life because there really isn’t much nearby.