<p>Hi everyone... I recently applied to Oberlin as a (potential) transfer international student from a very small (less than 500 students) private school. I've read old threads but haven't found a lot of info from accepted students. I just want to know if you think I could do something to improve my chances..Here's my info:</p>
<p>-Current GPA: 4.0, unweighted.
-Credits: 40 at time of transfer (10 semester courses total). I'm a freshman but I'm taking an overload course each semester to improve my chances. I have A+ in each one so far.
-SATs: 1930 composite. I know it's not high enough but I've only taken it once so maybe I should take it again to improve my chances?
-SAT Subject Tests: 790 Italian, 650 Biology E, 650 Literature
-Rec letters: A superb one and a good one.
-My school transcripts have narrative evaluations in addition to grades, and mine have been pretty good so far.
-ECs: Co-founded an NGO on my senior year of HS, and helped run it for over 2 years. We did social work in indigenous communities.
Co-founded a theatre company and ran it for a couple years, toured Europe with it.
Toured a few states with a Biodiesel Bus giving workshops and conferences in Universities.
Worked in an Animal Sanctuary in CA doing advocacy for animal rights
President of the Spanish Club at my current school.
Assistant director, stage manager and actrees in performances at my current school.</p>
<p>Here's the catch: I'm 21 and I'm a freshman. I graduated in 2008 but decided to not go to school because of my involvement with the NGO, the theatre company and various other projects. I'm worried that my lack of academics could be a problem. I also applied for financial aid and I know that it's limited for international students. Also, my school is veeery small and not prestigious, although somewhat known because of its "non-traditional teaching". I took no APs because they don't have that in my country. And my HS GPA is very bad since, as I said, I did not care about going to college back then. On the bright side, my app essays are pretty good and well-written, I think. I'll interview later this week but I don't know if that will increase my chances. Any advise? Moral support? Please be honest...</p>
<p>Hey people. I could use some help here… I had an interview at Oberlin today and it got me more confused than I was before coming. I am now torn between Amherst, Reed and Oberlin. I am mostly looking for academic rigour/quality and a student body seriously committed to their schoolwork. I don’t really care about the social scene, city surroundings or weather if those 2 requirements are met.
So far, I am under the impression that the students at Reed are more legitimate than those at Oberlin, who seem to be somewhat more hipster-ish. I don’t want to judge yet though, since my experience here has not been long enough to do so accurately.
I think I’ll visit Amherst later this month to get the feel of it. I also applied to Kenyon, Sarah Lawrence and Grinnell but haven’t visited any of them. Any input?</p>
<p>I don’t believe “hipster-ish” is at a distant point from “legitimate student” on some imaginary continuum. I don’t even think they are exclusive or conflicting attributes. But what matters is your perception. If you’re more comfortable being in the environment at Reed and if you find it distracting or demoralizing to be around students you think are hipster-ish, I think you should respect your own internal values. That’s the point of visiting.</p>
<p>I take it that you’re on campus right now. So poke around campus, sit in on a class (although that can be very hit-or-miss anywhere you do that and try to extrapolate to your own experience as a matriculated student). Try to see if Oberlin students are capable of multi-tasking their hipster ways with being legitimate students. If you don’t think that’s happening after seeing the dynamic on campus with your own eyes, or if you’re just uncomfortable with the type of students you see as a matter of principle, then you should set your sights on the colleges where you’re confident that you’re going to get what you’re seeking. It’s your education and it’s your money so if you believe you have better options, you should run with your firsthand, direct impressions.</p>
<p>@D’yer Maker thanks for your insight. Perhaps I should rephrase that sentence. It’s not that people’s lifestyle choices make me feel uncomfortable; they can subscribe to whatever form of subculture they want for all I care. The reason I brought that up is that, in my limited experience, Reed students seemed to be more serious about their schoolwork than Oberlin students who <em>in my very limited experience</em> seem to be more about showing their counter-culture and individuality than about being genuine in their commitment to learning. But again, I have only been here for a day and just sat in on my first class, so I’m still keeping an open heart and mind. It is true, however, that these two tendencies need not be mutually exclusive, as you said. I’ll give that theory some more thought as I wander around today </p>
<p>Not sure what it means to be “genuine in their commitment to learning.” Speaking for my D and her friends, they’re working very hard, and seem very engaged in their classes. However, what has impressed me about Oberlin was not so much that the kids were engaged with the class stuff, but how much the kids were engaged in incredible non-class stuff–not just the clubs, but the social activism, organizing winter term projects, the Co-ops, the Ex-co, the various speaker series, the musical offerings etc. Don’t know Reed, but you may be right that a lot more student energy does get channeled into classes there than at Oberlin.</p>
<p>Don’t let those hipsters fool you! They are extremely intelligent people. As an international student, I am constantly surprised by the high capabilities of my peers in spite of them having an apathetic air about them. They APPEAR laid back and unmotivated, they won’t wear their shoes, and they will dress dingily, but it is those same people who scoop prestigious fellowships and do research and play instruments at the highest level. That is the great paradox about Oberlin students. They take their work seriously(trust me, we work hard) but they rarely ever take themselves too seriously.I hope this makes sense.</p>
<p>Oberlin students are second to none in their commitment to learning–they are fiercely dedicated to getting as much as possible out of their classes. But as others have said, they wear their dedication lightly and unpretentiously, and they don’t strive to impress others with it. Nor do they compete with each other to demonstrate how smart they are. I think this may account for your impressions in your brief visit.</p>
<p>@qialah, @lipitopapito, @dave72 thanks for sharing your opinions. I’m leaving Oberlin today and I’m very glad I came to have a closer look at the school and the student body. I agree with you Dave, it does not seem like students strive to be better than their peers in the competitive fashion I’ve seen in other places, which is nice for a change. They were also very helpful in sharing with me both the pros and the cons of the school. The classes I audited left me with a better understanding of the teaching style at Oberlin. I saw kids studying at the library until 2 AM which is a great sign in my eyes.
All I really want is to be intellectually challenged, surrounded by people who like to do so too and not by slackers like in my current school. At Reed it seemed like students wanted to give the best of them not because of grades or evaluations, but because they were truly passionate about learning. I don’t know if this is the case at Oberlin? </p>
<p>I really appreciate all the advice you have given me, it’s great to find a community of helpful individuals willing to spare a few minutes to clear other people’s doubts!!</p>
<p>Well, I went to Oberlin, and I have several good friends who went to Reed (and now work at Oberlin). Oberlin students are definitely committed to their classes and passionate about learning, but they do make a point of making time for their non-academic passions as well. That’s one of the main reasons why I chose Oberlin-- I wanted a place where people take their rigorous academics seriously, but don’t just spend all their time in the library or talking about how many hours they spent studying.</p>
<p>My impression of Reed is that, while there isn’t necessarily much, if any, difference in academic commitment or achievement, there is significantly more academic pressure felt by the students. </p>
<p>Culturally, I think the students at both schools are very similar, but displays of individuality or whatever you want to call it seem to come out at a slightly lower, but more constant level at Oberlin than at Reed, where it seems to come out in a more concentrated way over shorter periods of time.</p>
<p>Both are certainly fine schools, and you would probably end up being happy at either institution. Since transfer acceptance rates are typically quite low, you might want to hold off on deciding on a clear favorite until after the acceptance letters roll in!</p>
<p>Hi Elizabeth. Thanks a lot for your well-thought answer. Those are precisely the kind of things i have been considering as determinants in choosing a school. I’m glad to hear that Oberlin students are serious even though they might not be as outspoken about it as in Reed. I’m just hoping to find a healthy amount of intellectual stimulation whichever school I end up in. And it’s true, at this point my decision depends on admissions, and I won’t hear from them in over a month! I just want to have a clearer impression about the schools in case it falls on me to choose between them.</p>
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