<p>Hi! I like both of these schools a lot. Obviously this forum may be a little biased 
but what can you guys tell me about the differences between these schools, and the pros and cons?</p>
<p>Hey DazedE!
I am not overly familiar with Oberlin, but I can tell you about W&M. Defining the College (as it is known, despite technically being a university) is kind of hard. The most accurate way would be to call it a small, public, liberal-arts (meaning it focuses on undergraduate education in the humanities and sciences), research university. The definition, however, misses what W&M really is. </p>
<p>The size is such that there are endless opportunities to get to know new people and be involved in new activities, yet you still greet many friends as you walk between classes. You meet new people everywhere and see old friends everywhere. I am also amazed by all the clubs and organizations that I discover every month. Despite trying to join every single one my freshman year, I still talk with people and discover that we host an English as a Second Language program or that we send a group of students to Belize every year, or that we have a Bridge club. There is something like 1 organization for every 3 students in an incoming class. </p>
<p>Its a public school, which means a significant portion of funding comes from the state. This keeps the costs down for both in and out of state students - the reason W&M has consistently been ranked the best (or one of the best) âdealsâ in higher education.</p>
<p>Its a liberal-arts research university. This combination of traits means that it is undergraduates who assist professors with research. In the summer after my freshman year, I was doing some of the same work as a graduate student at another top public school. It also means that there is a diverse academic focus. We have one or the largest electromagnets on the East Coast for physics research AND have one of the most respected history departments in the nation. The professors are dedicated to teaching and are always willing to provide students with guidance and counsel as they undertake independent research opportunities. Interdisciplinary work is also encouraged. Our newly formed Committee on Sustainability has faculty, staff and students from virtually every department. Our international Relations major focuses on government, history, economics, and culture, rather than just being a subset of political science as it is at many other schools.</p>
<p>But what really defines W&M is the community. The feeling of living on what is, for America, ancient ground, provides a perspective on the future. Students donât attend the second oldest college in the nation to compete with one another nor are they here to just goof off. They realize their place in shaping the future of our nation and our world, and carry with them a certain seriousness in their studies. Academics are important, and I think I remember correctly when I say half of all undergraduates do research with a professor in their time here and half of all students do study-abroad, which are both extraordinary amounts. âTribe Prideâ is also prevalent and is shown in many fashions. It is shown by going to every football or basketball game and shouting your voice out or by representing your school at the World Model UN conference where the alma mater is sung after being named the best MUN team in the world for the third time in a decade. It is also notable that being an admissions tour guide is one of the most sought after volunteer positions around! I donât remember the exact numbers, but something like 300 people apply for 20 spots year in and year out. Volunteering is also a big part of the campus community. We have one of the highest percentages of graduates who go on to do Teach for America or work for the Peace Corps, and we provide an extraordinary amount of community service in the Greater Williamsburg Area. I have yet to get to know a single person who doesnât volunteer their time in some form or fashion - and this is on top of maintaining a rigorous course load. </p>
<p>I hope this conglomeration of information helps in some way!</p>
<p>What an interesting question and choice! My daughter is at William and Mary but had visited Oberlin while exploring colleges. Clearly I know much more about William and Mary, but here are a few observations:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Academically, both are very strong. Music is clearly a strength at Oberlin, and itâs a better choice for hard core sciences, although William and Mary, with its emphasis on undergraduate education and highly supportive faculty, is also very good. For humanities and social sciences, one would do well either place, in general. The students at William and Mary are high quality and, for the most part, serious about their studies and futures.</p></li>
<li><p>Iâve seen nothing to contradict Oberlinâs reputation as very liberal, even permissive. If my daughterâs experiences (inside and outside of classes) provide valid insights, William and Mary shares many of those qualitiesâD is very liberal, thought Oberlin might be too much so, thinks William and Maryâs administration could be more soâŠ</p></li>
<li><p>We recall Oberlin as very isolated compared to William and Mary, which could be good or bad depending on what you are looking for.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>We toured both last year. Have you visited them? What are you looking for in terms of your major and your extracurriculars? Theyâre both solid LACs with a strong emphasis on undergraduate education; their âpersonalitiesâ are different. What are you looking for?</p>
<p>Itâs the personality of the schools Iâm most concerned with. I know I could get a stellar education at both.</p>
<p>this isnât really worth anything, but I also had Oberlin on my college list, though I ended up not applying. As a Virginia resident there was no way to justify the cost when compared to the instate options.</p>
<p>I can only speak to the personality of the schools from the point of view of an outsider parent. From that perspective:
Oberlinâs motto is âfearlessâ. Youâll see that on banners across the campus. They stress pursuing your passions and pushing your limits. They try to live what they preach - they built an environmental sciences building that actually generates energy and recycles its own water. Their music program is top notch. They have the third largest art museum on a US college campus - AND you can rent the art for your dorm room for $5 a semester.
The social environment is what you have probably heard about. They are very openly supportive of different lifestyles. Be sure to swing by the food co-ops when youâre there, and ask about that program. The campus has got fun quirks - as our tour guide explained, every dorm has a piano because, well, every dorm needs a piano. The town is pretty much nonexistent - youâll be driving through soybean fields on the way in, and once youâre outside the school property thereâs not much there. The point is, you canât go in planning to escape to town - you have to feel youâll fit in there, and youâll have to be comfortable challenging your limits. Get the insiderâs guides to colleges where students write about the college environments and get the scoop.</p>
<p>W&M, from my perspective, as a LAC in southern state, has a combination of liberal and conservative influences. W&M emphasizes the whole person in its selection process, so it should not surprise you to find that once the students get there they branch out in all directions. Youâll find lots and lots and lots of a capella groups, bands, and clubs. Thereâs AMP provides entertainment alternatives every week, and the other respondents here have already given their perspective on W&M so I wonât go into great detail. The local churches are just across the Jamestown Rd. The shopping part of Colonial Williamsburg is within reach; the tourist part is probably another 1/2 mile down the road. </p>
<p>Both are excellent schools, and both will do a great job of preparing you for grad school or the workplace. If youâre instate, W&M is an incredible bargain; as an OOS it will still be less than the privates. Where do you think you would flourish?</p>
<p>lol, DazedE⊠Iâm also applying to both of these schools, and are def, both on the top of my list. Hereâs what I noticed:</p>
<p>1) William and Mary is definitely much less isolated, and itâs a little more Greek-oriented (but by far not dominant on campus), while Oberlin has none; also, Oberlin is MUCH MUCH smaller than W & M (4-5,000 compared to 1,800-1,900)
2) Oberlin is more of a hard science/music school, while W & M leans more toward the humanities (although youâd be fine in either)
3) Oberlin is a lot more politically oriented, w/ the students being very liberal, while W & M has a slightly conservative feel</p>
<p>Otherwise, everything matches up pretty similarly. Besides these few differences, the schools are very similar and have a large amount of overlaps. Good luck!! =D</p>
<p>The isolation factor should definitely be a consideration. There is a lot happening at Oberlin, but hardly anything happening around it. The town is kind of in the middle of nowhere. I drove through last year, because my wife went there and wanted to show me her alma mater, which she really loved during her student days.</p>
<p>On the other hand, my D just graduated from W&M. Itâs in a tourist town. Lots of restaurants. Not like a big city, but there are certainly a plenty of things to do there. We loved having the excuse to visit Williamsburg these past four years and will miss that now that sheâs moved on.</p>
<p>I just came across this old thread and decided to respond because it contains so much misinformation about science.</p>
<p>Oberlin and William and Mary are both strong in the sciences.
Oberlin and Williams and Mary are also strong in humanities and social sciences.</p>