| I've never been to Grinnell and I said nothing about its diversity -- all I said was that there are international students at Oberlin -- for example, the conservatory has admitted many international students from Asia and Eastern Europe; both are about equally diverse. Oberlin has an express commitment to increasing diversity; it is part of its heritage as the first school to admit women and African-Americans, but both schools have a long way to go compared to the schools in California, where I am from.
As to buildings, Oberlin has some very impressive architecture; to me, old buildings are appealing -- the buildings by Cass Gilbert at Oberlin, including the Allen Art museum, are lovely, with gargoyles and fine stone work, stained glass windows, etc. The new science center is attractive, but I find older architecture more distinctive. I've never seen Grinnell and have no idea what its buildings are like.
The English department at Oberlin is one of the best departments among the liberal arts colleges -- it is also a popular major, so is a large faculty. I attended a couple of classes on a visit and was impressed by the level of student interest and participation and the intelligent guidance of the professor. I met several Oberlin graduates in graduate school in English and was impressed by them. I know nothing about the English department at Grinnell. |