| It's interesting that the Oberlin/Grinnell decision is a quite popular one.
After all the acceptance letters arrived, my brother also narrowed his choices to these two schools. He has visited both over the past few weeks, only to meet several other people who were also choosing between the two.
His Oberlin visit was extremely enjoyable, but he questioned whether the outward eccentricity would become irritating in the long run. When he later visited Grinnell, he didn't have as much fun, but he was impressed with the facilities and all of the amenities the bloated endowment could provide. For about 24 hours, he thought he was going to go to Grinnell.
But then he thought about how limiting and isolated the location was, and how much more rustic the Oberlin campus was. A left-leaning, liberal student, he liked the idea that Oberlin was known for being progressive. Grinnell, while certainly not conservative, was more traditional.
It looks like he'll be choosing Obie, but he has yet to send the deposit.
Both schools are top-notch academically.
M's Mom: Being the child of an academic who has spoken to several professors about my brother's decision at New College of Florida (another progressive LAC), I can safely say that Oberlin is more prestigious in both academic and non-academic circles. |