rachael525

Lol, but seriously, what's the location like? What's there to do in Oberlin (the town) and the surrounding cities? Is there such a strong campus community because the surrounding area is so...dull (for lack of a better word)?

I love Oberlin and it seems perfect, but it'd be nice if it were near a major city, like NYC, Boston, Philly, etc. Then again, if it's a cool town or near one that would make up for it.

Thanks for any help. :]

Plainsman

Haven't you checked out Oberlin dot edu? Or the Oberlin blogs? Cleveland is a major city. It may not be a "cool" major city, but it's a major city. Besides, colleges located in or near cool major cities suck on campus because the kids focus more on the city than the campus. That's why most LACs are NOT lacated in major cities. However, there area a few exceptions (see below).

And what's with the Northeast favoritism? NYC, Boston, Philly? Come on. I'm from the Northeast, born and raised, but once I got away from it and actually LIVED in other parts of the country like the Upper Midwest, I realized how much of life I missed spending so much of it in the Northeast.

If want a cool top LAC that is also set within the city limits of a cool city, go to Reed College. It's in Portland, Oregon. Enjoy a culture that is cool but different than the usual NYC/Boston/Philly. But like most colleges set inside of cool major cities, Reed's 4-year graduation rate suffers because of all the distractions inside a cool major city.

Go to Oberlin.

estargrl88

You definitely got it - there's a strong community because Oberlin the town doesn't have much going on. It's a give and take. There's so much stuff on campus that I'm always busy, and Oberlin the town has a lot of the basics, like some good places to eat and bookstores. However, yes, there are times when you wish there was just a bit going on for once outside of campus since the town doesn't really offer entertainment options. Oberlin really is a cute town though and there are ways to get involved with the community. I'm from a city and I've dealt with it alright, especially since I then get my city-fix when I go home again. For people who want to do more shopping, like for clothes, electronics, etc., there are larger shops in some nearby towns like Elyria. People actually don't go into Cleveland that often; I've been there maybe once a year (though I'd actually like to go more, it's just that without a car, getting anywhere outside of Oberlin is tough).