<p>each to his/her own on this; there’s much to be said for coops for those who enjoy them. But kids can be pretty harsh toward each other at coops, too; “consensus” doesn’t always work out the way it should. I’m an old co-oper from Berkeley; I remember the days.<br>
In any event, Harkness should be visited first, for sure, before selecting it. It has a unique culture that is not for everyone (certainly not for everyone’s parents…).
As to grades and grad school: don’t kid yourself. Grades matter. All of the ones in your major, that is. So don’t screw around your first year, thinking that grad schools are happier with trends. There is way too much competition for that. Think how hard it is to get into Harvard (or Oberlin). It’s harder to get into grad school. You are going to college principally for the education. Having fun is great, eating and making your own food is great, but if you really want to go to grad school, law school, med school, get fellowships (like all those NSF, Walker, Fulbright, and Rhodes fellowships Oberlin students won this year), you have to get good grades.</p>