Oberlin College Top Questions

I love this school. There is no doubt in my mind that it is exactly where I am meant to be. What makes it so for me is the people. The professors and students are all so dynamic and full of personality and desire, and that makes for an exciting, fulfilling place. It is easy to surround yourself with friends who are both challenging and supportive, and that is the best place for development and growth.

When I first told people I got into Oberlin (if they didn't know someone who went here) they asked, "Where's that?" When I told them it was in Ohio I'd usually get a raised eyebrow or a concerned "why do you want to go there?" response. The person who least wanted me to go, however, recently visited and after staying a couple nights he said, "Okay. I have to admit. It's pretty cool here." Ohio is not so bad. It gets cold and sometimes feels a little middle-of-nowhere. In the Big Picture, though, there are always things to do on campus and if anything else you can bond with someone over how much different Oberlin is than your hometown.

Oberlin is not for everybody! It's the place for me, but if you're not looking for something like this, you might be unhappy: -The students are generally pretty liberal. That doesn't mean YOU need to be liberal, but you better be prepared. They are (usually) reasonable and open to discussion and like to be challenged. -The students are somewhat weird, unique, and awkward but in their own charming way. If you're looking for a bunch of suave athletes who wear designer clothes, you will be disappointed. -The weather is cold. You will survive, but you will complain a lot if you don't like snow. -There's a lot going on in the way of political activism, music of all kinds, art and dance, and some theater and film. But it is not New York City. It's got a very small town feel (everyone recognizes everyone and there are lots of quaint activities like apple picking and a giant parade in the spring). -You will spend a lot of time studying and writing papers. Be prepared to make the most of it. You can make it fun if you study with friends and study things you're interested in. But slacking off isn't really an option. -Sports and drinking are both fun but not the central focus of social life (for most people). In a word, Oberlin is quirky. That means it's heaven for some, but just annoying for others.

Overall, I think Oberlin is a unique and wonderful environment in which to learn and grow as a person.

I couldn't be happier with my choice of college. Academically and socially it was the perfect place for me, and I think, despite its reputation, a wide array of people could comfortably fit in.

Going to Oberlin is a good four year holiday of irresponsibility and childishness. The faculty is pretty aloof. OSCA is a good place to make friends. All in all, you're pretty much on your own. One of the things I truly hated about the place was the ease with which faculty members pursued students for sex--and nobody batted an eye.

You're probably reading this because you're thinking of where to college, so realize that I graduated in 1973 which means I'm probably older than your parents. But I've kept in touch with the school, and fellow Obies, and one of my kids went there and I know what I'm talking about. Oberlin was founded by this guy named Charles Finney who was this super-religious holy roller evangelist. Today he would be a TV-preacher in a megachurch. The only thing is, back then these super religious guys tended to be LEFTISTs: abolitionist, womens-rights, labor-friendly, anti-booze, remake-the-world fanatics. So he figured that if he and his friends founded an integrated, co-educational college in a swamp in the middle of nowhere they could create a college of hard-working, justice-obsessed students who would spearhead the drive to remake the world. And weirdly he was right. Lots of Obies have no idea who he was except that there's a building named after him, but I've never met an Obie that didn't have a piece of Finney in them. The main thing about Oberlin that differs from Finney's vision is "fun". Obies do have fun. Then again, their idea of fun is forming a group to solve a problem by studying it first and then maybe even taking action. Hermiones on steroids.

Oberlin is a place where you'll have the freedom to pursue whatever interests you, be that neuroscience, literature, japanese, music, parties, girls, guys, whatever. There's enough academic structure that you can't get away with only being a whiz in one subject and know nothing about anything else, but there's still freedom to take your interests just about as far as you want.

Name is Ok. Size of college is also optimal. But transportation system (public one) really hurts. If you are American citizen please bring your father car, it would be fun to explore Oberlin. If international student, if possible bring some extra cash for a car. I have a 2007 model bike that ok. Most of my time was spent in my room and library. That's true for Asian students. Don't forget Oberlin has one of the best managed administration. You will notice that by the time you are selected by Oberlin. You will receive emails even helping you about which bus to take from Airport to Oberlin. Besides that, on campus gay and lesbians (LGBQT) are supported. There is a well interaction of departments and various organizations. Now my best experience: One day a bunch of international students went college Disco on Friday night. Everyone was thirsty for a rocking dance to perform. But as usual there is nothing on Friday nights in Disco. One my international friends got so much disappointed that wanted to suicide (funny). I saw pure green nature in Oberlin. See it.

Best thing: People here are friendly, and there are very few bitches. One thing I'd change: I'd love a better endowment. We're poor. Size: Perfect. Campus architecture: kind of lousy. There is a little bit of a town with lots of good eateries, but most lesiure time is spend on-campus -- where there's plenty to due!

Oberlin has about 2,800 undergraduates and the town itself is about 5,000 give or take. Located about 30-40 minutes from Cleveland, therefore you will only go there a couple times a semester for a concert or sporting event. Life is spent in the bubble of Oberlin, although it feels far less like a bubble than nearly any other school I know of. Beautiful architecture, gorgeous campus on the whole. I'd give the dorms a C+ or B- overall, but a couple dorms deserve A ratings. Off campus housing difficult to get b4 5th semester. Oberlin is the epitome of a college where it IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT. Plenty of kids come, go through the motions, drink and smoke every day, earn B's and C's and leave before every really utilizing all this place has to offer. The professors, overall are outstanding (B+/A-), there are concerts all the time just a 2 minute walk away, and teachers are willing to help you if you give it a chance. It's easy to become lazy like at any college, JUST DONT DO IT. Form good habits early...take early classes and then study after lunch. This is the best lesson i have learned after 2 full years.

Oberlin is touted for being on the front edge of academics and research, particularly in the domain of environmental sustainability. It deserves this reputation and is doing some amazing things, its projects serving as models for schools across the nation. However, in order for Oberlin College to have a more far-reaching impact, it must continue to look into ways of spreading its incredible knowledge and resources into the Oberlin town. There is currently a huge disparity between the wealth and resources of Oberlin College and the poverty of resources in the town. This continues to breed animosity between the town and the college. While much has been done in the way of bridging this gap, it is an issue that needs continual maintenance and continual input of creative ideas.

The school is really amazing, however prospective students need to prepare for the fact that Oberlin is in a very small town. There are some good restaurants but the town is pretty isolated from the outside world, if you don't have a car. For the most part I enjoyed the small town life, but there were times that I desperately wanted to get out. Most people spend their time in the dorm room throwing "parties" or at the many concerts at the conservatory.

Best professors you could ever imagine. Lots of individual attention, but make sure that you seek it out. If you go to office hours you will be glad you did, and receive lots of helpful guidance from all of your professors. The political charge of the whole campus was neat at first, but I found the pessimism and eccentricity annoying after about my third year at Oberlin. I'm soooo tired of people contradicting everything I say--this happens to everyone, I'm not special here--and was glad to get back out of the Obie bubble and back to the real world when I graduated. A quality education, indubitably.

I adored Oberlin. I got to delve deeper into the subjects I wanted to build my career on and hone my skills in those fields, but I also got to try new subjects I hadn't had the chance to do before. I loved expanding my horizons, and getting to choose how I did that because of how the distribution requirements are structured. They don't require a language, which I think is actually too bad, but I took Latin for the first time and loved it, and I lived in French House -never took a French class there, but I sorta didn't need too. Some of the best friends I have in the world are from Oberlin. And we're all so different! From different states, different majors, different dress styles, different genders and sexualities, different tastes in food and music a lot of the time. But I think our minds function on a similar plane; we are hungry for life and to explore, and having people with such varied skills and interests but which some common passions around helps you do that so much better. The college has a new president, so where its headed could changes a bit. But I really like the president; he's very visible and has really been interacting with the students and the college itself. I met him at a study break, I see him at school shows and exhibitions. He even read Yertle the Turtle aloud at the Doctor Suess Day at the TOWN's public library. I think he will be good for the school. Oberlin students do like to argue and complain, but its almost like a sport sometimes, no real rancor, but there is a lot of school pride.It shows in unusual things maybe more than traditional baseball games or something like that. It's at the women's rugby matches in the rain, or streakers through the library during reading period, or the rush to sit on the stage during an organ concert to the feel the floor vibrate under you as you're crammed next to three hundred other Obies.

Though I chose Oberlin relatively randomly during my college process, I really believe it was the perfect fit for me. It's just the right size, at about 2800 students- there are few enough people that you can recognize someone virtually everywhere, but enough people that you are meeting new people every day. It is a little bit out of the way, since there isnt too much to do around Cleveland and Lake Eerie, and the town of Oberlin is literally 4 blocks. But the campus makes up for this rural setting by providing endless options for activities, and the town really does have everything students need, including a great pizza place that closes early and a pretty bad one that stays open till 2. I approve of the new administration; President Krislov makes a very visible effort to spend time with students, hosting Coffee with Krislov every other week. They have made some changes, however, the most notable being the change in Oberlin's ad campaign- from "Think one person can change the world? so do we" to "we are oberlin. fearless." This has most certainly been the biggest recent campus-wide controversy, as most students felt that they were not consulted about the changing advertizing campaign and didn't approve of it at all. There is a lot of school pride, but not in a typical paint-your-stomach-for-a-football-game way. The typical oberlin student is really involved on campus, either with athletics or various jobs around campus or the student union (all student clubs and activitites), and we love it. One of my favorite experiences at oberlin will always be the first time my friends and i went swimming in the reservoir in our arboretum late at night- so much fun!

Choosing a college is what I imagine picking out a wedding dress must be like for a bride; you know when it's the right fit. No college is going to be right for everyone and Oberlin is no exception. If you are looking for a big party school than it may not be right for you, though we do party. If you are looking for a big city, Oberlin might not be for you. If you are a political conservative looking for other like-minded individuals Oberlin might not be right for you, though we do have a few. It's an accepting place, one where almost anyone can find their niche.

Oberlin is definitely a small, secluded place. At times, you might kick yourself when you aren't nearby anything you might be used to. However, the atmosphere of Oberlin provides you with something that could be used as a sanctum for allowing individual growth. Oberlin even has opportunities throughout the academic year that are dedicated to personal growth. Oberlin wants you to succeed academically, and it also wants you to grow as a person.

The best thing is the atmosphere. Everyone wants to learn, everyone is passionate about something and has talent. It's just too big to get to know everyone, but you feel like you can almost do it. In the conservatory, it may be possible to know everyone. The reactions I get after telling people I went to Oberlin vary depending on who asks. People who haven't heard of Oberlin say, why do you go to school in Ohio? Doesn't the weather suck? For me, there are other reasons to go to school than for good weather. I always tell them that although Oberlin is in Ohio, it is not Ohio. It has a very different feel from nearby areas. If they have heard of Oberlin, they usually ask what instrument I play. If they are a professional scholar, they usually say, Oberlin, yes, that's a very good school - good sciences, and good humanities. The town surrounding Oberlin College is very small and has its issues. It's cool to try and help out for after school programs and tutor struggling students at the high school and middle school. I like the new president and the people at the registrar's office, but other than that, I do not like the administration. The conservatory makes Oberlin great. There are concerts all the time. Amazing music. I'm going to remember the Bela Fleck and the Flecktone's concert probably for a long time coming. I'm pretty sure a blur of spandex parties will be lodged in my cortices floating around for a pretty long time, too.

Oberlin is truly something special. I wouldn't have moved from the SF bay area to middle of nowhere ohio if it wasn't =) The music scene is awesome, you can play soccer in the streets, there's an amazing co-op eating and living system, and most importantly, most of the student body is very open and accepting. People are happy. We actually ENJOY going to class (most of the time), and can have discussions about anything, from super smash brothers to politics, to the ethics of buying a banana to sexual orientations. It's great. Weird coming out of the bubble to the real world for the summer, but still, i wouldn't give up my time at oberlin for anything.