Inside View: Otterbein College

Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio is a small college with a twist. In addition to the usual liberal arts majors, students can also choose from more professionally-oriented majors such as business, communications and nursing. Otterbein also attracts students for its top notch musical theater and music programs. Otterbein has just over 2,200 students, and can be generous with financial aid and merit scholarships. I asked Kirsten, a freshman music major, to share her experiences as an Otterbein student. Thanks Kirsten!

What were the most important qualities you were looking for in a college?

When I was looking at colleges, I was trying to find schools with a small campus population, first and foremost. I was also trying to find a place that offered a rigorous music program while allowing time for students to pursue other activities. Finally, I was looking for professors who seemed to care about what they were doing, and had small classroom settings where students could talk and discuss what was presented to them. I don’t really do the whole lecture hall thing.

What other colleges did you apply to or consider?

I applied to American University, Hobart and William Smith, Goucher, Earlham, Otterbein, and Central Michigan. I had my list pretty early in the year, which I had to, since I had to audition at all of my schools for vocal scholarships.

What were the main reasons you decided to attend Otterbein?

I decided on Otterbein because its BA in Music was exactly what I was looking for. I’m a music major who has a lot of different interests, and I didn’t want to spend all my time practicing and performing. I like politics and international affairs and stuff like that, so having a major that would eat my time didn’t really appeal to me. Otterbein’s BA program is rigorous and is by no means easy, but I have time in the day to be part of other groups and, if I want, take a class outside my major. With a BA, I can also double major if I want. Otterbein also had really small classroom sizes, which is great, because I like my professors to have some idea of who I am and what I need. The professors were really passionate about their work, and they seemed to enjoy talking about it with me, and they answered all my questions thoughtfully. After looking at some bigger schools and have them blow me off, it was nice to see a college community that was invested in its students.

What has been your biggest surprise about Otterbein - something you expected, that didn't prove true, or something that you didn't expect that has surprised you?

I don’t necessarily mean this as a slam against the students, but there is a LOT of apathy in regards to political issues. I don’t really know what I was expecting, but I came from a high school that was very politically aware and active, and here on campus, when I start talking about something political, I either get the cold shoulder or blank stares. It can be a little frustrating. Something that was good, though, would be how very interested the other people on campus are in the artistic stuff. People who aren’t music majors or even involved in the program come to hear the recitals and attend the concerts, and they visit the art gallery a lot. It’s nice to see people who care about the arts. Also, they use Fair Trade coffee!

How would you describe the "typical" Otterbein student?

Oh, the typical Otterbein student… well, I’ve already described how they have no clue what’s going on politically or in different countries. Otherwise, they’re pretty laid back. They don’t tend to get really hyped up about anything, but they’re not depressed or anything. They just kind of go with the flow. Now, if you get into the Music program, you’ll see people who are mainlining coffee to stay alive, but that’s mostly the music education majors and BM’s. Otterbein students are pretty friendly - they hold doors open, they smile at strangers, they apologize if they bump into you, stuff like that. Striking up a conversation with a total stranger in the supper line is normal. A lot of the people you know on campus you’ll never have had a class with, you’ll just have sat with them one day and talked about random things. They’re a pretty normal bunch, all things said.

How would you describe the academic climate at Otterbein? How accessible are your professors and how intense is the workload?

I wouldn’t say that Otterbein is the most academically intense college in the world, but it’s not a slacker school. Students don’t get out of class and immediately run to the library, but they can’t just blow off a paper for weeks at a time. The professors are really accessible. All of mine so far have given me their e-mails addresses, cell phone numbers and home phone numbers. They all have office hours, and if you can’t meet with them during those times, you just have to talk to them and they’ll work something out around your schedule. They really like it when students come to them. I spent a lot of time in my humanities professor’s office talking politics and literature, even though I only came to ask a quick question. They’re very friendly and personable. I don’t know how the workload is for the average student (though the Nursing major across the hall from me is always buried beneath homework and test deadlines), the normal Music major has a few hours of homework a night. That doesn’t count practicing. You still have time to have fun and go out, so long as you manage your time well. I’m writing out this questionnaire between Theory I homework and College Algebra homework, for instance, and I’m not worried about getting it all done. Otterbein offers a really nice Writing Center and Math Center as well, so if you’re a moron in math like I am, there are always tutors there to help you out. The Music department also posts the tutors for each quarter, so if you’re having trouble with Music History or Theory, you can just call someone to help you. My Western Civilization class has an extra study group on the side that the professor organized. If you’re struggling in any class, or just want to meet with other people and discuss the work, Otterbein has a lot of opportunities to meet with people.

How are the dorms at Otterbein? How do you find the food?

I love my dorm. It’s freaking huge! I was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to handle it, because I’m an only child, but the rooms are big enough that I have my own space. Clements Hall, which is where I live, has two closets in each room and ten drawers for clothes, and they’re both built into the wall, so they don’t take up any extra room. The desks are wide and spacious, so my crap is scattered across it (I’m not the most organized person). The bathrooms are meticulous. The showers are really cool, because they’re a curtain off recess and then an actual shower door behind that, so you don’t have to worry about wandering around in your towel and trying to jump in the shower without anyone seeing you. My only complaint about the dorms is that there aren’t enough outlets, but if you bring a surge protector, that’s not a problem.


The food is a little bit… um… interesting. We’re going to go with interesting. They have a lot of selections each night, which is nice, because the main course is usually a little gross looking. Not so bad tasting, usually, but the meat always looks vile. They have a really nice salad bar, and they always have pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken patties, etc. They also have a “Global” section, but when they say global, what they really mean is fake-Mexican. Sometimes they serve semi-decent Chinese. My favorite meal is on Tuesday Nights- it’s a Pasta Bar, where you can make your own pasta dish. That’s really nice, and very popular. They also have a little Waffle bar, where you can make your own waffle, and that’s out every night. Good dessert selection. They also always have stuff so you can just make a sandwich if you want.

What is your favorite place on campus? What's the worst part of campus? How would you describe the surrounding community? Is a car necessary?

My favorite place on campus would probably be Battelle, which is the music building, but that’s probably just because I’m there so often. But they have two really comfortable lounges, and if you have to be there for two or three hours doing your homework, it’s comfortable. I also really like the OtterBean, which is the coffee shop.

My least favorite place on campus is the Rike Center, which is the fitness place, but that has nothing to do with the actual building and everything to do with its location. It’s on the complete opposite side of campus for me, and if you’re trying to get from Rike to Battelle in less than ten minutes, it’s a nicely paced jogging distance. In terms of aesthetics, I would say there is really no place on campus that you just don’t want to be. It’s an intimate, beautiful campus.

Westerville, the town Otterbein is in, is really nice. It’s a quiet community, with a lot of restaurants and strange folk-y shops. We have an Amish Furniture Store. I guess if you like Amish Furniture, you’ll like Westerville.

What do people at Otterbein do for fun on the weekends? Where do people hang out, both on and off campus?

Well, a lot of people go back home, which is annoying. I’m an out-of-stater myself, and all of my friends live within two hours, so they tend to go home and leave me here, which I really don’t get. As for the people that stay here, we just tend to stay in our dorms and do our work, meet up for meals and stuff. Weekends are quiet. I know some people go to parties, but I’m not a partier myself, so I wouldn’t really know. Right now, people are rushing for frats and sororities, so there are a ton of parties. When my friends stay, we go to the library in town and wander around the town. There is a GREAT donut shop called Schneiders, and it opens at 1 am, so it’s college tradition to go to Schneiders and get donuts at 1 am. To get a donut and milk it’s only $1.00, so it doesn’t cost a lot in the end. And they’re fantastic donuts. I can’t eat any other donut anymore because Schneiders is just that good.

What do you like best about Otterbein? What would you change?

I love my classes and my professors and the actual college. It’s fun, and it’s beautiful, and I like the challenge that it offers me. In terms of what I like least… gotta say, the parties. As I said, I’m not a partier, but a lot of the girls on my floor are, and they spend hours getting ready, which involves a lot of needless shrieking and screaming. I understand wanting to look good for a party, I really do, but the shrieking could stop. Especially when I’m trying to do some of my homework that requires listening to pitches… plus, the parties tend to mean that people start banging on doors at 4 am, and I’m right next to the stairwell. But overall, there isn’t much to dislike about Otterbein. It’s laidback, all around. It isn’t pretentious, but it offers a lot of opportunities.

What advice would you give to high school juniors and seniors about choosing a college?

My advice to juniors and seniors in regards to picking your college- go with your instincts, and don’t over think it. You’ll know.

W