Oberlin College - overall a fantastic choice!
Positive surprises:
Not a whiff of the PC excesses covered by the media. Yes, the kids are earnest, kind, liberal do-gooders; that was one of the attractions. But reports that have been silly (General Tsoâs chicken) or worrisome (anti-semitic social media commentary by Prof. Karega, since dismissed) have not been evident. President Ambar, appointed in 2017, sets a positive tone. In addition to the free spirits for which Oberlin is well-known, my child has met lots of ânormalâ fellow travelers and has a diverse friend group from athletes to actors, to writers, STEM majors, community activists, and musicians.
The freshman orientation was very well conceived. Students are placed in peer groups that correspond to their freshman writing seminar selection and have access to a student peer advisor throughout the first year. The inaugural concert performed by conservatory faculty and students was one of the best musical performances I have ever seen. This yearâs orientation included a trip to Cleveland and the college is working to improve articulation with the city of Cleveland starting in Spring 2019 with transportation provided by the college.
I expected the academics to be rigorous and challenging and the professors to be accessible, and they have been. Faculty have ranged from extraordinary (most) to adequate (a very few). None have been awful. What I did not expect were the opportunities for student leadership both academically and extracurricularly. If students demonstrate ability in a particular area, people will notice and will offer opportunities to them, even if they have quiet personalities.
The college does not exaggerate about the quality and quantity of high quality music and theater performances (at zero or very low cost). There are many more activities than there are hours in the day.
There really is no pressure to party and one can have a rich, varied, and active social life without alcohol or drugs. Conversely, if you want to party, thatâs readily available too. Live and let live.
Negative surprises (very minor):
Freshman dorm room was 1960s era institutional, if not grim, although spacious enough and reasonably well maintained. This is luck of the draw as the dorms are variable and at least one freshman dorm (Kahn) is modern and attractive. Others are older and possess quirky charm. Sophomore housing has been much nicer.
Move-in - Clearer instructions and signage about where one could park legally would have been helpful. Available parking was a bit far from the dorm. It took several trips from the car and was more time-consuming than it needed to be.
Registration was challenging for first years. They can select two courses up front and then have a registration window to pick from what remains available. Some gateway/prerequisite courses that have reserved spots for first year students. Still, you donât know your schedule until a couple of days before classes begin and then have to scramble to get books. From comments upthread, this last-minute chaos seems fairly common at small LACs.
Winter term - there are some options organized by the college but students have to show a fair amount of initiative to put together a plan that is both meaningful and feasible. I had expected more advisement for a required, structured winter term. This may vary according to the studentâs major and academic/professional goals, however.
While this should change as of Spring 2019, it is currently very difficult to access Cleveland without a car. There is no public transportation and Uber is expensive. However, the airport shuttles provided by the college during peak travel times are frequent and reasonably priced.
There is no Wawa within walking distance.