The Ultimate LAC decisions thread! (10 colleges! HELP!!)

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Not exactly ALL LAC, but a lot of them!! So I never thought I would be in this position, but all this admission stuff is unpredictable... I feel so lucky! Here's my happy dilemma:</p>

<p>List of schools and what I assume about them:
Indiana University - Bloomington (safety) - well I'm prolly not going here... even though I could have an opportunity to meet Joshua Bell!</p>

<p>Wesleyan - politically active (maybe too far left to the point of where liberals like me become conservative lol), good in film, serious, lots of asians --> seems intimidating... idk why though.</p>

<p>U of Rochester - good in sciences, I like their curriculum system, Eastman influence (hopefully?), don't know about diversity --> overall impression: sorta "average" (see definition below)</p>

<p>Carleton - one of my top two faves (other being oberlin), people seem awesome, but have to visit!, laid-back but definitely enthusiastic, music department seems sub-par... (I heard the orchestra is NOT competitive at all.), not that many asians --> overall: Awesome!! but idk about their music...</p>

<p>Grinnell - I have yet to visit, but sounds really great! everyone who goes there seems to love it, I don't mind the non-existent town aspect, worried about "fit", pretty good music dept., not that many asians --> seems really nice. maybe too "nice". Seems like EVERYONE gets along...</p>

<p>U of Chicago - first of all, I LOVE the major there! (Comparative human development) It is unique to Chicago and encompasses everything I ever wanted to study. Also, helps in my prospective career choice: working on a Board of Education. However, academics seem WAY TOO challenging and intense courseload. Music program is less than sub-par... probably the worst. No idea whatsoever about diversity or political activism. Close to Obama! lol --> Love the idea, but I think I'd hate to actually be there.</p>

<p>Northwestern - my first dream school, seems like a public school with wayyy smarter population, frown at frats/sororities, too much drinking, haven't heard about political activism? campus is too divided, I don't really go for being anonymous and 300 people classes don't cut it, love music/theater/journalism program!, great reputation, lots of asians. lol --> overall: idk if I'm feeling the pre-professional vibe... not enough academic feel, has many"average Joes".</p>

<p>Colby - seems preppy, most "conservative" out of my schools, seems SO environmental/outdoorsy (Camping is not my thing), I know the least about this school. Not too diverse I bet. --> Overall: outdoorsy, not very diverse, quiet... I need more insight!</p>

<p>Oberlin - musical heaven lol, people are SUUUPER nice, andreally outgoing, I like people who are outgoing, but not really outgoing myself. Academics don't seem as challenging, not too many asians --> overall: my personal opinion of a best "fit", although sometimes too "out there" for me (drag ball), my ideal school except I want more challenging academics and not as extreme (well I guess that's part of the charm! lol). laid-back about academics, not so laid-back outside of class.</p>

<p>Vassar - the prettiest campus!, I love their library, doesn't seem academically challenging, open curriculum = awesome!, really liberal, but NOT active (as I hear), likes to party, laaaid-back about everything. I have no idea about diversity, but pretty low I'm guessing?</p>

<p>I have only visited Vassar, Oberlin, Northwestern, Wesleyan, IU in person. The rest I have NO IDEA.</p>

<p>I'm planning to major in cognitive science, but I also really like languages, writing, and music! I'm not really a science-y person, but I love Biology! Music is really a BIIIG part of my life. When I'm not doing school work, I'm involved in music and vice versa. You get the point. For this reason, I thought Oberlin would be the perfect place for me, but the Con seems too competitive and exclusive to Con students... So I checked out some of the other music departments, and none of them are as "appealing" as Oberlin, but in terms of accessibility, I have no idea. If anyone knows about the cello department specifically, could you let me know?? </p>

<p>Politically, I am liberal, but I am not far left and into the socialist thing. I would like the campus to be politically active because I'm looking forward to getting involved with that. </p>

<p>Socially, I want to meet people who actually get really excited about stuff and isn't the "average Joe". My idea of an "average Joe" is someone who does well in school, but does it for the grades and doesn't really have strong opinions/likes/dislikes about anything. Those LACs stood out to me because they didn't seem to have these types of people, but now I'm worried that they're more eccentric (?) than I expected. On another note, I want some amount of asians because I've lived in a mostly white, conservative suburb for so long, I need to be with my people! haha. Also, I don't drink/smoke and I'm really sensitive to that, so that kind of worries me... </p>

<p>Financial aid is important for me and most of them have replied back. They were all about the same (in a good way!), so I'm expecting that from the rest of them. :) I still have to hear back from Vassar, Northwestern, and UChicago for FA!</p>

<p>Whew that's a lot. Any insight on these colleges appreciated!</p>

2

<p>Aw, I’m so jealous. Now I’m wishing I applied to Wesleyan and U of Chicago. D:</p>

<p>I’m also Asian and looking for more interesting people packed into a tiny place…though I’m hoping to find a place with fewer Asians but enough for me to…not feel alone, I guess. I’ve been to Carleton and I certainly did feel that it wasn’t diverse (almost no minorities in the three classes I visited).</p>

<p>Anyway, you seem to fit many of these schools very well…suppose my only real piece of advice is pick a place where you think you’d be most comfortable but still academically challenged.</p>

<p>And I think there is a musical sphere outside of the conservatory in Oberlin. It seems pretty much everyone has some musical obsession there (check out the Facebook 2013 group), so I suspect that they have groups that aren’t professional and super serious there.</p>

<p>Good luck. I’m really, really jealous of your choices.</p>

3

<p>I would go with this (note that there may be biases):

  1. U Rochester (seriously, for pre-med/bio, you can’t get much better than URoch. Other programs aren’t half bad, either.)
  2. Northwestern (reputable, great/well-rounded education)
  3. Wesleyan (most reputable lac on your list gives great/well-rounded education)
  4. Vassar/Oberlin/Grinnell (seems like you would be a good “fit” there, not as reputable as Wesleyan, but still good)
    UChicago may be too “quirky-nerd” for you, Carleton may not be a good fit, and Colby…</p>
4

<p>Okay… I may be a little biased but if I were you I’d choose Northwestern. It does have a famous music school, and though its campus is sorta divided, the more artsy half of it has many talented theatre and music students. BUT if you choose cognitive science you’ll live with the engineering students (I guess?), then you get to live on the quieter half of the campus with less partying but less artistic people too. You can still join Northwestern’s excellent musical activities, though, and find friends there.</p>

<p>As for the drinking and partying… well, you’ll meet that problem at many universities. So the best you can do is to stay out of them. Remember a good amount of students at Northwestern don’t drink or smoke like you. You’ll find your crowd.</p>

<p>Oh I’m so jealous of you. I’m Asian (international) and got waitlisted at Northwestern…</p>

5

<p>I think you’re over-callibrating your political comfort zone. Yes, Wesleyan has its socialists, but, what activist campus wouldn’t? Meanwhile, the socialists are all thinking how apathetic everyone is. A recent, unpopular student judiciary decision garnered 700 e-signatures after a week of pretty intense online debate. That means, three-quarters of the campus either did not follow the debate or actively sided with the SJB (which was later overruled by the president of the college.) If Wesleyan were anymore laid back politically it’d be – Grinnell. :D</p>

6

<p>If I were faced with those choices, I would go with either Chicago or Northwestern.</p>

7

<p>I think Oberlin sounds perfect for you. The academics are as challenging as at any of the other colleges on your list–I’m not sure what gave you the impression otherwise. Oberlin students do not compete with each other–they’re anything but cutthroat–but they take their work very seriously and are highly self-motivated. To get a sense of what they’re like, take a look at [Oberlin</a> Blogs](<a href=“http://blogs.oberlin.edu/]Oberlin”>http://blogs.oberlin.edu/) if you haven’t already.</p>

<p>And specifically on music opportunities for non-Con students:
[Oberlin</a> Blogs | Blog Entry: “Opportunities for College Musicians”](<a href=“http://blogs.oberlin.edu/applying/applying/opportunities_f.shtml]Oberlin”>http://blogs.oberlin.edu/applying/applying/opportunities_f.shtml)</p>

8

<p>Alexandre - why would a music major go to Chicago (other than to hang out at clubs?)</p>

9

<p>^and, of course, the symphony. :)</p>

10

<p>The OP seems to have music as an important HOBBY. I think the OP would find opportunities for that at any of the listed schools. I know they are there at Chicago.
Chicago is known for being particularly strong in music theory. But that of course is mostly for people who want to make music their life work.
Oberlin seems to be the closest to fitting the bill. My only doubts would be your take with the politics there (the recent graduates I know hated Bill Clinton) and how you’d feel as a dabbler among so many professional musicians-to-be.
If you are worried about the music tail wagging the academic dog, then the University of Chicago is the class of the academic lot.</p>

11

<p>My daughter is considering some of the same schools as the OP. I have a couple of points to make: </p>

<p>Music performance for serious-but-less-than-conservatory-level students: U of C and U of R might be pretty rewarding for you. They both have students orchestra and ensemble programs intended for non-majors. U of R offers lessons (I think with Eastman (grad?) students, but there’s nothing wrong with that!) Oberlin…you can audition for the orchestras. There are definitely non-con cellists that play in Oberlin large ensembles, but they are pretty serious musicians. There are also non-con cellists that have lessons with the cello professors at the con. So, how far you go musically depends on you, no structural impediments. </p>

<p>Not enough academic rigor at Oberlin? Really? Tell me what you mean - that would matter a lot to my daughter. She has not sat in on classes, but the non-conservatory students we met and spent time with seemed every bit as academically inclined and passionate as people we met at U of C and Yale. I don’t know Vassar as well as some of the others I’ve mentioned, but the kids I know who have attended have not seemed to be lacking in academic seriousness and ability. </p>

<p>You worry that U of C is too hard. I don’t think you should let this stop you from attending, particularly if you are faulting NW for pre-professionalism and various highly selective LAC’s for lack of academic rigor. </p>

<p>Bottom line: you don’t have infinite amount of time to re-visit, but a return look at U of C, Oberlin and U of R look like good bets to me, based on your desire for:</p>

<p>politically liberal and active
academic rigor
non-preppy, non-pre-professional, non-Greek
good music opportunities</p>

<p>I really would like to know more about your estimation of lack of academic rigor at Oberlin, Carleton and Vassar. I know kids considering these schools in particular who would find that a very relevant factor.</p>

12

<p>I just re-read and see you haven’t visited U of C and U of R yet. You DEFINITELY should. They are both very different from a LAC (and very different from each other).</p>

13

<p>I think Vassar would be an excellent fit for you, it is more challenging than you think and many people on campus are involved with music as non majors. (Every residence hall has a Steinway). Being so close to NYC they get popular artists and concerts weekly on campus and vocal music is big. I know an asian girl who recently graduated and loved Vassar but I am not sure of the exact % of asian students. You would be warmly welcomed.</p>

<p>Congratulations on all your acceptances and good luck with your decision.</p>

14

<p>I think Vassar would be an excellent fit for you, it is more challenging than you think and many people on campus are involved with music as non majors. (Every residence hall has a Steinway). Being so close to NYC they get popular artists and concerts weekly on campus and vocal music is big. I know an asian girl who recently graduated and loved Vassar but I am not sure of the exact % of asian students. You would be warmly welcomed.</p>

<p>Congratulations on all your acceptances and good luck with your decision.</p>

15

<p>Wow lots of comments! Thanks!!
Birdhouse: I think we’re looking for a similar place. Like I don’t want to go to a place like Berkeley, but I don’t want to be one of ten asians. The problem is that most of these places seem comfy and their academics are great, so I really need a criteria that would rule some out.</p>

<p>vinnyli: I’m not pre-med, despite wanting to major in cognitive science. lol I’m really a humanities person at heart, just that I like psychology and biology!
Also, I’m looking to work in a Board of Education, college administration, or something government related, so really, I’m a clueless person. haha. Hoping college will straighten things out…</p>

<p>wonderwhy: Yeah Northwestern has been on my mind lately, but there is definitely a divide between North and South campus I heard. I heard all the frats are in North campus = loud? If I DO go there, then I want to be in a residential college in the South and take classes in the North. lol I think I would fit in better in the South campus anyway.</p>

<p>johnwesley: haha I know there would be socialists everywhere, but I just don’t want that to dominate. (like Brown as my interviewer emphasized…)</p>

<p>danas: I’m not really into music theory… more performance than anything. Actually, I was looking to get a double degree at Oberlin, but I decided against it because I didn’t want to spend five years. lol I mean if I could, I would love to double major, but depends on my course load, which at UChicago seems TOO much.</p>

<p>memake: Those were my assumptions, not exactly the truth because I wouldn’t know the truth. lol I just read student reviews on some sites and they said that they were somewhat prepared for grad school. It really depends on the person I think. I’m planning to visit Chicago in April, but Rochester is too far for me to visit… :frowning: I’m pretty serious about music. I spend the majority of my week doing rehearsals. lol</p>

<p>Anyone else? :)</p>

16

<p>LOL. I know. Socialists will always have the advantage, passion-wise. If liberal Democrats called for a demo in favor of bailing out AIG, how many folks do you think would show up? :D</p>

17

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<p>OOPS, I’m really sorry, livemylife, I made a mistake in my previous post and you reminded me. Actually the residences with Engineering students are the loud party-ish ones. I can’t remember it’s the South or the North though. So it depends on what major you end up choosing - is it the arts or the sciences? But like I said, you can always join in NU’s many artistic activities on campus. It’ll satisfy your passion for music as extracurricular but not let it overshadow the academics.</p>

<p>The frats do accumulate in one area. That’s good news for you isn’t it? You just need to stay away from them if you don’t like the partying, and you avoid nearly the whole pack. That is my ASSUMPTION. And you shouldn’t take this factor into serious consideration; Greek life on campus won’t affect you that much, so make your decision based on other more important factors such as academics, atmosphere, campus, majors, prestige, etc.</p>

18

<p>Northwestern offers both a BA and BM in music cognition. That might cover both your interests.</p>

19

<p>Do yourself a favor and VISIT the U of Chicago. (that would be my choice.) Don’t be intimidated, you got in you can handle the work. And the workload is the same at most elite universities and LAC’s anyway.</p>

20

<p>Northwestern is very large compared to your other choices… I think that’s why you got a “public” feel. I want to challenge that feeling you have… make sure a small campus is large enough for your varied interests. Oh, and I don’t think the students at NU are any less intelligent than any of your other choices… they certainly test higher than any of them.</p>

<p>Oberlin seems like your choice. It makes rational sense, and you connect with it. I think your decision is made, and you’re just making sure you haven’t overlooked any important factors. I don’t think you have.</p>