I can’t figure out what you are getting at here. Could you please enlighten us what this means? (This is on-topic, since the poster is clearly making a point relevant to college selection, but is not spelling it out.)
1 Like
I think you need to distinguish a poor process from a poor outcome.
You are looking back on how and why you decided to apply ED to Oberlin and realizing that you gave too much weight to trying to use ED to “game” your way to the highest-ranked school you could access/afford, while giving too little weight to academic and social “fit,” and leaving too much of your research until after you’d already received a binding decision. “Mistakes were made,” as they say. I can understand how this could lead to misgivings and cold feet. Hopefully it’s also a good learning experience.
However, none of this means that you ended up with a bad outcome. You got a great financial package at an excellent college. Will there be aspects of the culture there that will grate on your nerves? Probably so, but this is also true for many students who were sure they had found The Perfect School For Them before they arrived on campus. No place is perfect, and nobody has to engage with every aspect of a given community.
Even if you were to pull the plug completely, take a gap year, start over in the next admissions cycle, find The Perfect School and secure a well-funded acceptance there, you would get there and discover some things about it that you didn’t love. This happens with “dream schools” all the time.
So in a way, you’re at an advantage now, heading off to Oberlin, because you don’t have artificially inflated expectations. You know there will be some parts of it that you don’t love, but that’s okay! Maximize the parts you do love. It will be the same way with many other situations in your life - jobs, relationships, and so on. You commit to the best situation you can, but making the best of the situation you get is crucial.
People have mentioned study abroad - to that advice I would add that it is possible do a term abroad (or domestic exchange) in your sophomore spring term, if you are proactive. (This means investigating possibilities in the fall of your first year, and starting the paperwork at the very beginning of freshman spring or even earlier.) If you start this ball rolling early, you can set up a situation where you are committed to on-campus study at Oberlin for three semesters, followed by a well-funded term away sophomore spring. (For Computer Science, the program in Budapest is particularly well-regarded; for econ, there are many options including Washington DC.)
The beauty of a sophomore spring term abroad is that you can have this experience under your great aid package, and give Oberlin a fair chance without being committed to two full years on campus. If, by sophomore fall, you have decided you want to transfer, you can submit applications before you leave for your term away, and transfer when you get back. If you decide to stay, you can still line up another term away for junior year if you want to. No matter what you decide, you’ll have something to look forward to, and a plan that will preclude waffling about “should I stay or should I go” for your whole first year (which is a recipe for self-fulfilling-prophecy misery). Instead, you’ll know that you’re committed for the three semesters and that you might as well give it a fair chance before spiraling about whether to transfer. You can focus on making the most of your time, both for your future generally, and so that you’re well-positioned to transfer if it comes to that.
I hope you’ll come back here and update us on how the realities of life at Oberlin end up comparing to your expectations and apprehensions! Some great suggestions have been made here as far as groups/programs to connect with. Good luck!
11 Likes
Withdrawn.
1 Like
The listing on the Oberlin study abroad website mentions computer science. Regardless, it’s just one example, and OP should do their own research.
1 Like
That’s spot-on. Quite frankly, I should’ve actually considered my ED to Oberlin before just spontaneously jumping into it and not looking back till February. Really wish I didn’t do this, but can’t undo what I’ve done like you said.
Anyways, that’s a fascinating prospect! I’ve definitely got some digging to do, thanks for bringing this to my attention.
I will certainly give you and everyone else an update after my 1st semester! Still can’t shake the hesitation I’m feeling, but I feel way better about the place I’m headed. And hey, I got a good lesson. I’ll do my best to save transferring, provided I dislike Oberlin, for my sophomore year. Although… if I’m being honest, I still want to shotgun transfer apps as a freshman. At the very least, I never got to see how my HS app holds up to top schools and that honestly really bothers me — but I’ll try to resist this temptation.
4 Likes
It already has (held up at a top school). Get the T word out of your mind. And Shot Gun too. You won’t have time. You’ll be studying.
Btw one needn’t go to a ‘top’ school to be successful.
I can think of few ‘top school’ grads that I’ve ever worked with and I work for a large multi national (as was my last) in a county where the median home price is $869K. My neighbors range from Ms State to MTSU to UTK to Lee, Belmont ahd Lipscomb. There’s a Rutgers, some Alabama, Auburn, Nebraska, and I think a Vandy. I met a young Cornell couple whose parents bought them their home.
I have an MBA. I’ve had a boss with no degree and from U of Phoenix. We have a Harvard Law under a Fairleigh Dickinson. A West Georgia which I had never heard of - over me.
‘Top school’ isn’t a necessity for top outcome but reputationally Oberlin is up there. Someone above gave you the comparator from a Life article. Also the rankings far exceed the top 80 that you presented.
Going to Harvard gets you little. You taking advantage of resources and being a stud - wherever you are - gets you a lot. And I think you’ll be surprised by the quality of your classmates - many will make you think - wow - and yep, they’re there.
Ok look forward to hearing back in 9 months.
Best of luck to you.
Best of luck!! I know students and faculty at Oberlin (none protesters), and it is an AMAZING school.
As many have mentioned, it is one of the very top schools at producing PhDs (for the longest time, was no. 1 in the US per capita). It is the only liberal arts college that is included in the curriculum for AP US History for a reason. The econ faculty are top notch. The classroom experience will be astounding.
In the new world that you are entering (the world of elite education), everyone knows Oberlin. And no-one thinks it is a top 80, or top 50, school.
Guarantee that it is not more radical or liberal or LGBTQ friendly than lots of other top colleges and universities - but it has been held up as a poster-child for radicalism run amuck due to the Gibson’s case.
All the while, it keeps churning out amazing grads.
The students I have known there found their people (not the political activists types). You will too!
7 Likes
Congrats! Let me share my recent Oberlin grad’s experience. She applied ED (and was rejected) from a top 10 LAC. She was crushed. She then added some additional applications RD. She ended up applying to Oberlin last minute, never having visited. She got in and went to accepted student’s day. She felt it was a good fit after her visit (like you did after your overnight) and decided to attend. That summer (after high school graduation) she panicked and had buyer’s remorse. She started second guessing herself and her decision, and even briefly entertained taking a gap year. Like many here have told you, she decided to go and if she didn’t love it, she could transfer after a year.
Long story short, she ultimately was so involved in the college/campus, and it truly was the right school for her. The Oberlin alumni network is fantastic (Oberlin has many famous alumni who are big supporters of the school as well) and the internship opportunities are unbelievable. She had an all expenses paid internship in NYC the summer after her junior year, and her dream job offer before she even graduated. She had a wide variety of friends (variety of majors, some athletes, etc.), activities, jobs, etc.
I truly suggest you go and give it some time. It’s a phenomenal, well-regarded school with amazing resources.
15 Likes
First of all, you can do very well coming out of a LAC for comp sci, even if it’s not a top ranked comp sci program. You really must go start in August, and probably, all will be well.
Oberlin, despite our having a family member who was there in the late 60’s to early 70’s (music and liberal arts) who used to be a strong supporter, was off the table for my music and science kid, because the school has acquired a reputation for hyper left wing antisemitism. As it turned out, kid wound up encountering the same thing at the school they attend.
When you describe your high school career, I would say that ED got you exactly what you needed - a school with a good academic reputation at a near full ride. You’ve got to give it a try.
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. If you’d like to reply, please flag the thread for moderator attention.