Oberlin...Reed....Bowdoin....Middlebury
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Anonymous
| The locations are totally different, but are these places similar in other ways? |
Anonymous
|
obbie =reed
middlebury=bowdoin |
Anonymous
| Can you explain further? |
Anonymous
|
Sorry, on iPhone. Oberlin & reed, similar hippie/crunchy culture. Individualistic, creative students.
Bowdoin & Middlebury, liberal but more studious and ambitious in traditional fields. |
Anonymous
|
So, given that comparison:
would you want your DC to be at Reed...or Oberlin? Bowdoin....or Middlebury....? What other schools are like this? |
Anonymous
| Oberlin and reed are totally different cultures than middlebury and bowdoin. Middlebury and bowdoin are more traditional new england lib arts. Reed is total hippieville. Oberlin is liberal hippie music and midwest. All are excellent schools. |
Anonymous
What does DC want? What's he or she like -- socially, academically? Who does he/she hang out with? I've seen students go to all of these schools and flourish, but you need to find the right match for the kid. The school you attended or might have wanted to attend, or the school where you picture your child might not be what s/he wants. I've been through this 3 times with my own kids and truly feel that if you listen to them you'll find that they are more self-aware and insightful than you'd expect. |
Anonymous
| DS is at Oberlin in the Conservatory and loves it. He is not a "hippie, granola" type at all and has found Oberlin to be a place for everyone. There are many pre-med students there for science. It is one of the few schools that offers a duel degree. You should see for yourself. |
Anonymous
| The defining characteristic of Reed isn't its hippie culture, but its academic intensity. I believe that Reed is at the top of the lists for the % of graduates who go on to get PhDs and work in academia or research. The kids who go there are smart, and driven to learn for the sake of learning. It's an odd place, and there are lots of liberals, left-wing stuff and a throwback culture, but any kid considering Reed should be ready for four years of incredibly serious study and challenge. It's worth reading that book about schools that change lives - it sounds likes each of the schools you are considering might fit into that theme. |
Anonymous
|
Middlebury then Bowdoin are the hardest to get into. Oberlin and Reed slightly less selective but not by much. Google Common Data Set and then the name of the college to get a look at the credentials of the class of 2015.
Middlebury and Bowdoin are preppier and virtually all the students are athletic and outdoorsy. Oberlin and Reed more hipster but I wouldn't say hippie. Reed students probably self-identify as intellectuals. All are incredibly good colleges. All have incredibly good science programs and humanities programs. |
Anonymous
| Oberlin is truly the most "liberal" of the schools noted....that's "liberal" is the sense of how one on the east coast characterizes "libeal". |
Anonymous
| What about the drug/alcohol culture at these schools.... Reed, especially? |