Academics
Oberlin College, a school “for laid-back people who enjoy learning and expanding social norms, allows each and every student to have the undergrad experience for which he or she is looking, all the while challenging the students to change themselves and the world for the better.” Oberlin is a place where students “focus on learning for learning’s sake rather than making money in a career.” As one student explains, “I didn’t plan on becoming a scholar when I entered Oberlin.... As fate would have it, I ended up loving my college classes and professors. Now I hope to be a professor of religion.” At Oberlin, “academics are very highly valued, but balanced with a strong interest in the arts and a commitment to society.” Some might suggest Oberlin puts the “liberal” in “liberal arts,” and the school’s staunchest supporters agree, stressing the school’s emphasis on open-mindedness and the belief that “one person can change the world.” Among the school’s offerings, “the sciences, English, politics, religion, music, environmental studies, and East-Asian studies are particularly noteworthy.” The presence of a prestigious music school imbues the entire campus community. One undergrad writes, “Oberlin’s greatest strength is the combination of the college and the conservatory. They are not separated, so students mix with each other all the time.” Professors here—the “heart and soul of the school”—are dedicated teachers who “treat you more like collaborators and realize that even with their PhDs, they can learn and grow from you, as well as you from them.” They are “excellent instructors and fantastic people” who are “focused on learning instead of deadlines.” Undergrads also appreciate “a cooperative learning environment” in which “students bond over studying together for difficult exams.”
Student Body
“If you’re a liberal, artsy, indie loner who likes to throw around the phrase ‘heteronormative white privilege,’” then Oberlin might be the place for you. “We’re like the Island of Misfit Toys, but together we make a great toy chest.” “We’re all different and unusual, which creates a common bond between students.” “Musicians, jocks, science geeks, creative writing majors, straight, bi, questioning, queer, and trans [students],” all have their place here, alongside “straight-edge, international, local, and joker students.” Oberlin has a reputation for a left-leaning and active student body. One undergrad observes, “They are less active politically than they would like to think, but still more active than most people elsewhere.” Another adds, “Most students are very liberal, but the moderates and (few) Republicans have a fine time of it. Every student has different interests and isn’t afraid to talk about them.” Some here worry, “Oberlin’s student body is becoming more and more mainstream each year.”
Campus Life
Life during the week at Oberlin can be “pretty bland,” as “almost everyone has to crack the books and study it up.” It’s not always bland, though. Some here manage to find time for the many “events [going on] each weekend—operas, plays, organ pumps, etc.,” or “rally to stage to help the oppressed.” Thursday afternoons at Oberlin mean “Classical Thursdays,” an event during which “you get free beer [or soda] from the college if you bring a professor to the on-campus pub.” Another feature of campus life is “the musical scene, which has its heart in the conservatory. All of the other arts—performing, studio, whatever—are intertwined with the talent in the conservatory.” On weekends, “people let loose and drink beer. Not everyone does this every weekend. Some don’t do it at all,” and “there is absolutely no pressure on those who don’t.” There are also “tons of student-produced social events like parties, fundraisers, concerts, dances, etc.,” keeping students “very connected to each other and to what’s going on in the community.” Hometown Oberlin “is a small town, and about all there is to do there is go out for pizza or Chinese, see a movie for two or three dollars at the Apollo, or go to the Feve, the bar in town.”
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