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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There's two different points people have made that the evidence doesn't support.

1. Oberlin's selectivity is declining.  Evidence does not support this.  20 year history of applicant SAT/GPA statistics is very consistent, with some evidence of slight upward trends. 30 year history has a distinct upward trend.  Using  %ages admitted/yield is too complicated to include because Common App has changed how many students apply to liberal arts schools and their yields and these percentages

2. Oberlin's students are equivalent to top 5-10 USNews ranked schools in terms of SAT and GPA.  Evidence does not support this--they are slightly below and are more typical of LACs enrolled students in the 15-35 range.  The conservatory makes things a little trickier, but this is the case even when you look at the data separated out.

Upshot in my view--Oberlin continues to be the same good school in terms of academic selectivity it has always been--not top 10 LAC academically but consistently strong.
Endowment is strong compared to peer institutions so I'm not too worried about its financial stability--and that there was any flack about a financial mismanagement issue just shows there's a board who's actually watching the finances.  Middlebury had the same thing, as did Earlham.  Clearly it's now got some political identity to some folks (likely due to dislike of Lena Dunham as vocal alum), but they are not likely ones who would be applying there anyway and  it's pretty much the same place it's always been and not that dissimilar from other strong, selective liberal arts colleges but with particular excellence in music.  It's a very different place than NYU, so I think that's why this thread is so derailed.

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[b]Do you know enough about NYC schools to know which, for liberal arts students, would be very roughly comparable to Oberlin?[/b] In other words: Places for serious students, but not as hard to get into as Columbia.

My thinking is that Fordham, Pace and Marymount Manhattan aren't selective enough to be great safeties for any kids who have a shot at getting into a place like Oberlin.

My very rough impression is that the New School might have the right vibe but isn't nearly as strong.

It looks on paper as if Queens College and Hunter College (part of the CUNY system) might be somewhere in the right neighborhood, and a lot cheaper, even out-of-state, for full-pay students.

If you were a would-be history major who got rejected by Columbia and Oberlin, but[b] could choose between NYU, Queens College and Hunter College[/b], with NYU costing about $20,000 more than the CUNY schools, which school would you pick? [/quote]

For a history major in NYC that didn't get into Columbia, NYU would probably be worth it in this case IF it didn't create too much financial hardship. None of the other schools stand out really for history to me--that's a major where you really need close faculty attention and critical writing support.  I'm a fan of the CUNY system for its accessibility and quality, but maybe not a good fit kid who really likes a school like Oberlin and who wants to do history. But maybe there's a hidden departmental gem? Worth checking out.  New School is an idiosyncratic institution so that's a very individual decision--but someone with decent stats and a good fit would likely get merit aid.  But what about elsewhere in NY? Skidmore (in Saratoga Springs, NY) would be lot like Oberlin but a touch easier to get in (though also expensive and not known for giving merit aid).  Colgate/Hamilton would be a touch more selective, but with small LACs it's hard to predict admission.  If looking for a city environment not just NYC, University of Pittsburgh might be a good safety for this student and it's reasonably priced out of state, with lower CoL.  Overall, it just seems like an odd choice--Oberlin (great school but in the middle of nowhere) vs. NYC schools other than Columbia. Hard to know how to advise.

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