Springtime is one of the best seasons in my opinion. The weather’s a bit warmer, there are new leaves on the trees, and the excitement of summer break is palpable. It’s also the time when high school seniors are busy trying to do as much research as they possibly can in order to decide where they want to spend the next four years of their life (or maybe 5). In this blog I’m going to be talking about why I knew that I wanted to go to a liberal arts school, and in particular, Oberlin. As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs I applied to around 20 schools, all of which were liberal arts colleges. At the forefront of that list was Oberlin, which I applied to via Early Decision and haven’t looked back since. Here is a short list of the reasons why I knew a liberal arts school was right for me, Oberlin edition.
1) Course Flexibility and Explanation
Liberal arts schools are known for their wide-ranging class offerings that are meant to encourage students to explore varying academic interests. Oberlin is no exception, offering over 44 majors and along with very relaxed course requirements. There are no mandatory classes here at Oberlin but rather a few topics you have to complete credits in such as quantitative reasoning or cultural diversity. This is very easily done and is meant to encourage students to get outside of their academic comfort zone which, very often, can result in a new passion.
Oberlin also only requires students to declare their major(s) at the end of their 2nd year, which gives you tons of time to figure out where your passion lies. And ultimately, even if you declare a major that you aren’t so sure about, it’s super simple to change your major; all you have to do is prove that you can complete your new major’s course requirements before you graduate.
Personally, I applied to Oberlin as a prospective creative writing and politics double major. After a couple of semesters here I quickly realized that my true passion lay with history and global health, which is what I’m currently pursuing. It’s also extremely accessible to do a double major at Oberlin, which many students choose to do. Students are encouraged to explore a variety of academic topics all throughout their time at Oberlin, even after you’ve declared your major. Curiosity is a big theme here, and one that lasts even after you declare your major.
2) Small Student Body
Oberlin has a little under 3,000 students on campus. As I quickly realized once I got to campus, this is really the golden ratio of students to campus space. I’m able to go into a classroom and not know a single person, but I’m also able to go for a quick walk after dinner and pass by a few of my friends without any intention of doing so. I like that there are always new people to meet and new friends to make, while at the same time I also don’t feel isolated from seeing the people that I know during the day. Oberlin students are friendly, curious, and engaged. We’re a somewhat small campus, but there are a lot of us here with insanely different backgrounds that all make Oberlin feel much bigger than it looks on a map. If you visited campus, or plan to, I’m sure you’ll get the same sense.
3) Professor and Student Relationships
Oberlin has a student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1 and an average class size of 14 students. The professors here really care about you, both in terms of academic and personal success. I’ve had professors invite me to their offices for tea, out to lunch, or on walks around campus. Oberlin professors have made me feel important and valued, and I’ve never once been hesitant to approach them for help or just to chat about silly things. In fact, the vast majority of my professors have even incentivized attending office hours with extra credit or candy simply because they are so eager to foster communicative relationships with students. Not that incentive is needed, though, pretty much everyone I know takes good advantage of the multitudes of office hours and support sessions professors offer. And even once they aren’t your professor anymore, every single professor I’ve had always recognizes me and initiates a conversation.
4) Opportunities
One of the biggest myths I had while applying to college was that small schools don’t have as wide a breadth of offerings as schools with larger student bodies. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Not only does Oberlin offer an insane variety of help in all different areas, but each opportunity and service is personalized. I’ve had career advisors sit with me for up to an hour looking at my resume, peer-tutors that offer me extra sessions right before a big exam, and student success coaches that will go searching for a blue crayon so I can make my new academic calendar aesthetically pleasing.
While I won’t go into great detail on these services (check out some of my other blog posts for this) I just mention these because I think it’s important to realize that opportunities are abundant on this campus. Oberlin also wants you to know about all of these services, which is made apparent through inundation of emails, posters, and announcements. As an Obie you have a whole army of campus offices and faculty who want to see you succeed and be able to make the most out of your time here at Oberlin; all you have to do is take advantage of the plethora of (free!) opportunities here.
Well, that’s my short anecdote to the huge advantages of my favorite liberal arts school. It’s a small campus with a whole lot of personality and opportunity. Here I’ve felt the freedom to try classes in subjects I didn't even know existed, form meaningful and long lasting relationships with professors, and ask for help when I need it. I hope this blog helps you on your college decision journey, and lets you see Oberlin as I do--happy college season!
