So I'm about to become an Obie - I got in ED last year, and tomorrow I start orientation (!) While I'm sitting waiting to start college, I figured I'd share some of the online resources that were really helpful to me when I was learning about Oberlin. The admissions website is obviously the best place to start, but these are some great places to investigate further and get a more informal perspective. They were really helpful to me when I was a prospective student... hopefully they'll be useful to this year's juniors and seniors as they think about where to apply.
Oberwiki. The ultimate resource: a wiki for all things Oberlin. Unofficial and written by students, its articles are either very helpful or very amusing. If you want a student perspective on the state of the dorms, the stores in town, the music scene on campus, or the most popular graffiti, take your questions here first.
Oberlist. The Oberlin website is... not the most organized, nor the most aesthetically pleasing. But you don't have to tackle it by yourself! Oberlist is a good way to find what you're looking for.
Obie media: The Oberlin Review, our paper of record;
WOBC, the radio station; and the
alumni magazine.
What's to eat? Hey, it's an important question.
CDS menus – note the veg*n options at every meal. Or for an alternative way of dining (and living), check out
OSCA, a system of student-owned cooperatives that house 175 students and feed 630.
Campus resources and virtual tours: A
campus tour from the old admissions site. A
tour of the library – check out the décor. A
tour of the science center – see also the
Center for Environmental Studies, a remarkable example of green design that recycles its waste, generates its own power with some to spare, and contains the largest photovoltaic array in Ohio.
A couple other cool things: The
first-year seminar program; the
winter term website; the
Experimental College; the
bike co-op;
Friday Night Organ Pumps.
So! I hope that was helpful... and I'd be happy to answer questions about Oberlin, too, once I actually get to campus
