Oberlin College (OC)

Oberlin College is known for its liberal arts school as well as its prestigious musical conservatory. As one student notes, "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." Matriculants appreciate that this structure "allows each and every student to have the undergrad experience for which he or she is looking" and, adds this student, "to change themselves and the world for the better." One student explains that this freedom allowed them to adjust their career goals based on what they most enjoyed: "I ended up loving my college classes and professors. Now I hope to be a professor of religion." Undergraduates feel free to "focus on learning for learning's sake," but don't mistake this as a lack of academic rigor; students note that there are many "difficult exams," but take pride in the overall "cooperative learning environment" that allows them to bond over their studies as opposed to always competing with one another. While "academics are very highly valued," they're "balanced with a strong interest in the arts and a commitment to society." Among the majors available, music performance, biology, psychology, politics, neuroscience, and history are some of the most popular. Professors are the "heart and soul of the school" 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." Students laud the faculty as "excellent instructors and fantastic people" who are "focused on learning instead of deadlines" and who remain accessible outside of class, as with the department-hosted Professor Beers and Soda nights at the on-campus pub, where students can connect with instructors in a relaxed environment.

In line with the institution's long history of social and environmental consciousness, Oberlin's known to have an active, left-leaning student body, the sort of place where you might hear students "throw around the phrase 'heteronormative white privilege.'" Take that as a slight exaggeration: students are "less active politically than they would like to think," says one undergrad, "but still more active than most people elsewhere." What's more important to students is how they see their school as a place of common bonds, where "musicians, jocks, science geeks, creative writing majors, straight, bi, questioning, queer, and trans [students]" all have an equal footing. As one enrollee puts it, "Every student has different interests and isn't afraid to talk about them." If you're the sort of student who believes that "one person can change the world," Oberlin might be the place for you.

Off campus, Oberlin, Ohio "is a small town, and about all there is to do there is go out for pizza or Chinese, see a movie for six or seven dollars at the Apollo, or go to the Feve, the bar in town." Students who are easily distracted may find this an advantage since during the week, life on campus is busy as "almost everyone has to crack the books and study it up." But once Friday classes let out, students make time to enjoy the many "events [going on] each weekend-operas, plays, organ pumps, etc" on campus. And though "there is absolutely no pressure on those who don't," on weekends "people let loose and drink beer. Not everyone does this every weekend. Some don't do it at all." A crucial fixture of life on campus 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." Besides the aforementioned organ pumps that take place every Friday in Finney Chapel, the college has a number of activities and programs for students-everything from a drag ball to community service opportunities. Oberlin provides "tons of student-produced social events like parties, fundraisers, concerts, dances, etc.," which enable attendees to remain "very connected to each other and to what's going on in the community."

Oberlin offers abundant opportunities for students to gain experience that may be valuable to future employers. The Career Center, for example, coordinates Winter Term internships in various fields (past sites have included the Smithsonian Institution, Global Green, and Discovery Communications), usually sponsored by Oberlin alumni. Oberlin's recruiting database, ObieOpps, makes the sometimes daunting search for internships and jobs a simple process. The Office of Undergraduate Research provides support for students interested in faculty-mentored research, and OSU has special scholars programs in areas like law, business, and entrepreneurship for undergraduates who wish to hone their skills. To draw upon the experience of Oberlin graduates, students can visit TAPPAN, an online directory with thousands of alumni career profiles. Finally, there are frequent information sessions about anything you might be interested in pursuing after graduation from Google to grad school. Oberlin graduates who visited PayScale.com reported an average starting salary of about $49,400.