<p>
</p>
<p>Oberlin has a lot of kids from Massachusetts and other parts of New England. I don’t know if the same applies to Occidental. As far as advantages and disadvantages, well, your son will be so busy studying he won’t have much time to venture into the big city (Los Angeles or Cleveland) so I don’t see much point in comparing the closest urban centers. For Occidental, think of the four other LACs in close proximity as an advantage, whereas Oberlin is basically all alone. For Oberlin, think of the world class Oberlin Conservatory a new multi-million dollar Jazz Conservatory and a campus alive with music. :)</p>