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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Ohio native- here are some very rough stereotypes about the SLAC’s that I observed 30 years ago and it doesn’t look like a whole lot has changed:

Oberlin- outspoken difference-makers who aren’t afraid to be different or be around others who are different

Denison- preppy jocks

Kenyon- politically moderate/apolitical  UMC who want a nice, close-knit community

Wooster- more intellectual vibe, more along the lines of Oberlin but a tad less liberal[/quote]

Oberlin: I want to be a non-conformist like all my other friends. And I'm always looking for something to complain about (sorry, they refer to it as "protesting").

There are plenty of others there who are more mainstream. But this is a very big part of the culture.[/quote]

Oberlin produces a jaw dropping number of Fulbrights (some years ranked first, based on per capita among all colleges) MacArthur winners, Peace Corp Volunteers, etc.  a recent Nobel laureate in economics was an alum. They were a decent part of USAID.  And obviously they produce a slate of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winners each year.  Business CEOs  and corporate lawyers? Not so much.  You can call that non-conformist, I guess. They don’t have “make as much money as possible by whatever means possible” goals.

You could also call it impressive and laudable. Oberlin has kids who want to make the world better. Which does start with complaining about the status quo. Which is another way of saying looking for ways to make the world better. And if you think contributing to the arts or helping others makes the world better, then they are succeeding. In spades.

It’s not a school for every kid. But don’t pretend they just gripe and hold signs. They graduate and are very over represented in prestigious and well respected programs that do help others, create change or make the world a more beautiful place. They walk the walk.

So no, it isn’t for every kid. It isn’t for your Wall Street 1% whatever.  Which is fine. Plenty of great schools for those kids. [/quote]

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