<p>Here's part 2.</p>
<p>OBERLIN</p>
<p>The Major: East Asian Studies is the oldest interdisciplinary program at Oberlin. There is an Asia House. Chinese language tables at meals. 15 faculty. Requires capstone project. Members of Kyoto program. There appear to be only three years of Chinese available, but I could be wrong about that. There are definitely four years of Japanese. The list of related courses is very impressive.</p>
<p>General: Generally liberal school. Apparently, speaking out is a good thing there. The school uses "interactive discussions, passionate teachers, and stimulating material" in its efforts to "turn students' minds into filters, so they learn to criticize the world." The process begins as soon as undergraduates arrive via the recently instituted freshman seminar program. Students also report favorably on the school's Winter Term— "a great opportunity to get an internship, take on a personal project, or get involved in the community"—and the Experimental College, "which allows you to get credit for a wide variety of student-taught subjects, ranging from karate to Korean." Studying is a big deal. So is partying.</p>
<p>Other: #10 great college library, #16 gay community accepted, #19 great college radio station, #12 great college theater, #17 intercollegiate sports unpopular, #11 reefer madness, #18 most politically active, #13 students most nostalgic for Bill Clinton, #15 dodge ball targets.</p>
<p>PITZER</p>
<p>The Major: You build your own and go through Pomona and Claremont McKenna.</p>
<p>General: Though "it was once said that Pitzer was a school of aging hippies," today you're just as likely to see a student who looks like he just "walked out of a J. Crew catalog" as you are to see a student with a tie-dyed shirt and Birkenstocks. "They tend not to tolerate political views to the right of Lenin," one freshman observes of his classmates. Students here are, on the whole, "ridiculously friendly." Because professors at this "small, liberal, socially aware" college "are actively interested in their students," a student at Pitzer can garner an education that is "a fun, creative, and enriching experience." Don’t seem to like their administration all that much. Dorms are a bit shabby.</p>
<p>Other: #6 lots of race/class interaction, #12 students ignore God on a regular basis, #13 reefer madness, #20 students most nostalgic for Bill Clinton, #14 Birkenstock-wearing, tree-hugging, clove-smoking vegetarians.</p>
<p>POMONA</p>
<p>The Major: See Claremont Mckenna and Pitzer</p>
<p>General: Pomona students boast they're "some of the easiest people to get along with." This is a West Coast school at its best, without any of "the East Coast high-strung mentality." When students at Pomona say their "professors are really interesting, interested, and accessible," they really mean it. Remarks one student, "I had dinner with the dean last night, I received a personal e-mail from two profs in the last 24 hours, and my history prof wrote more about my paper than I did." "People at Pomona amaze me," waxes one sophomore. "They can drink more than humanly possible Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and then ace their organic chem final that Friday." All the Claremont college students have bad things to say about the town. </p>
<p>Other: #7 school runs like butter, #6 students happy with financial aid, #17 best quality of life, #11 dorms like palaces, #1 happy students.</p>
<p>SARAH LAWRENCE</p>
<p>The Major: Only three faculty members. Japanese is offered only through the end of the second year (intermediate Japanese). There is no Chinese that I could see.</p>
<p>General: “Hard to create a community from a lot of individuals. The college "focuses so much on individualism" that "no one remembers to stop and say 'hello.’” Extremely liberal. No tests, no core requirements, no majors. Many, many papers. Most classes are seminars and you meet with the teacher at least once every two weeks. Seems a bit British, that way. Every student has a personal faculty advisor. Trendy. A lot of going into NYC.</p>
<p>Other: #9 best overall academic experience, #5 class discussions encouraged, #11 professors bring material to life, #3 gay community accepted, #8 students ignore God on a regular basis, #7 great college theater, #10 intercollegiate sports unpopular or nonexistent, #4 nobody plays intramural sports, #4 most politically active, #3 students are nostalgic for Bill Clinton, #3 dodge ball targets, #2 town gown relations are strained. </p>
<p>STANFORD</p>
<p>The Major: The faculty is huge and distinguished. No need to count them. If you run out of undergrad Chinese and Japanese courses, you can take grad ones. This is clearly a top progam.</p>
<p>General: "I get the feeling that everyone here is really intelligent and driven, but for some reason, pretending not to be," writes one astute undergrad. The result is a campus of "closet studiers" who act like ducks on a pond: "serene on top, pedaling like crazy below." "Though it is easy to meet people from different backgrounds, there is a certain tendency to form cliques. One must actively set out to interact in order to make the most of this diversity." Stanford will particularly appeal to those looking for a serious school that "doesn't take itself too seriously," as illustrated by a freshman who recounts, "My intro to psych prof spent the last day of class lip synching to The Wiz and dancing around in cowboy boots, and giving everyone in the class hugs as they left from the final.</p>
<p>Other: #8 great college library, #15 school runs like butter, #19 diverse student population, #14 lots of race/class interaction, #5 best quality of life, #3 happy students.</p>
<p>TUFTS</p>
<p>The Major: 16 faculty members. It appears that you can go as far as you want in Chinese and Japanese languages. Tufts also has a top international relations department. Lots of courses. It seems pretty rigorous.</p>
<p>General: Students say, "The presence of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy on campus means that not only are classes available to advanced students but [also] important people in the international relations field often come for lectures." Unlike many Ivies, Tufts focuses on its undergraduates; "TAs only teach labs and study groups, while professors teach the actual classes." This "small-college" vibe extends right up to the top; the school's president "makes it a priority to be personally involved with students. Living right on campus, he is an advisor to undergraduates, has kids at his house for dinner or to go running, and is always available for appointments." "I love Tufts because I love being around intelligent people and being able to have an intellectual discussion, to go to a class and then spend a couple hours talking about the subjects, whether philosophy or international relations, with my friends. I'm just as happy staying in as going out."</p>
<p>Other: #14 great campus food.</p>
<p>UNVIVERSITY OF CHICAGO</p>
<p>The Major: East Asian Languages and Civilization. The faculty is huge. It looks as though you can go as far as you want in Japanese and Chinese.</p>
<p>General: Typically "wonkish, nerdy, cloistered, extremely studious, and religiously dedicated to academic performance," Chicago students are "brilliant, on par with those at any other school, but not the kind of people that you want to have a casual conversation with." That is somewhat attributed to "personal hygiene and social skills [which] are sometimes lacking," and partly because "we ask seemingly strange questions. This is only because, after a few years at Chicago, we only see questions in terms of 'useful' or 'useless.' Strange questions are often the most useful, and we eventually forget that normal people avoid asking the strange questions." The school has attempted to recruit beyond its nerdish base, bringing in more students of the frat boy/jock variety. Most agree the efforts are counterproductive. One student writes, "Chicago has a reputation for its antisocial, elitist student body, but when it tries to change this reputation, it just erodes the reason for its greatness." While the workload can be "hard to the point that people cry after chemistry or math finals [and] a returned paper with high praise is about as rare as a total solar eclipse," few students would trade down for a less demanding school. The school puts students through their paces from day one, challenging them with a broad core curriculum that "is often taught by top professors," including Nobel laureates. One student wraps it up, saying, "If you are seriously academic and don't mind cold winters, Chicago is the best place in the world." "The University offers lectures by Nobel laureates and renowned political figures, film screenings, and SCAV HUNT, in which students spend 3 days without food or sleep trying to do things like build a nuclear reactor or acquire a NASA-certified piece of the Columbia shuttle." </p>
<p>Other: #1 best overall academic experience for undergrads, #5 great college library, #18 intercollegiate sports unpopular or nonexistent, #19 most politically active.</p>