| M's Mom: You're right that our analyses are biased and unscientific.
I assume that the point of view that I was given is based on the fact that Oberlin enjoys a more historical prestige, whereas Grinnell's prestige skyrocketed over the past few decades. Oberlin has also produced more future Ph.D. students than any other LAC; however, Grinnell also ranks highly on similar indicators.
Regarding traditionality, my brother said that there was more of a "Midwestern charm" at Grinnell, whereas Oberlin had a bit more of an East Coast feel. We classified both as liberal LAC's from the get-go, so the distinctions I made in my post were an example of the type of hairsplitting that sometimes goes into these decisions.
I'll make a plug here: If anyone knows somebody who would like to go to a place like Grinnell or Oberlin but doesn't quite have the stats, tell them to check out New College of Florida. |