<p>My son is at Bennington & my daughter has applied to Oberlin - so I decided to look at the Oberlin discussions & saw your question.</p>
<p>Bennington is a truly remarkable school, but you design your own plan so it is what you make of it. The 7 week field work term is more structured than Oberlin’s & there is an office that helps you find internships - really good internships. FWT has been an amazing experience for my son; he’s in LA right now, working 40 hours a week (and no xeroxing!)</p>
<p>The small size is great in some ways, you get written evaluations along with grades & you really get to know your professors. It would be hard not to feel like part of the community at Bennington. But the small size is also a drawback. They aren’t big enough to have multiple sections of a language class for example. Check their course list & see what they offer in Chinese each semester - they may not be able to offer as many choices as Oberlin.</p>
<p>Financially, they are actually in very good shape. But, I am sure that they cannot offer as much financial aid as Oberlin. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>