SLAC vibes? Kenyon, Susquehanna, Muhlenberg, Univ of Richmond, Denison, Wesleyan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wesleyan then a tier including Richmond Kenyon and Denison (not any particular order) are most well known. I’m sure you can get a great education at all, but might be easier from employment perspective to go to one of the better known schools. Probably strongest cohort at Wesleyan but it is def not a place everyone loves. Kenyon is very small and a bit isolated so make sure kid is ok with that. Richmond has very interesting PPE type program if kid is interested.

Denison also has a great PPE program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wesleyan feels like the outlier here. He hasn't visited? What appealed to him about it?

Nope, we have not visited. He applied because of their open curriculum which intrigued him. He likes the idea of designing his own course of study.

Is the open curriculum what makes Wesleyan the outlier here?

I’m the PP who said it was the outlier, and I think others have largely covered why: more selective, artsy vibe, very (but not exclusively) progressive, basically no Greek life (there are a few co-ed “frats,” but maybe a couple hundred kids are in them, and they are nothing like traditional Greek life).

Open curriculum is nice but not on its own a reason to attend.

My kid is there and loves it. I just don’t see a kid who likes UoR finding Wesleyan appealing.

[Anonymous]

Definitely a range of schools in this mix of options. We visited Muhlenberg and it’s lovely but a very sleepy area and campus. My student ended up not applying, just found it a bit dull. It’s really strong for performing arts.

Seems like other schools on your list may have more in common (Kenyon, Denison, Richmond are a bit more preppy). Wesleyan definitely well regarded and known for being progressive. I’d put Muhlenberg and Susquehanna lower in terms of ranking and reputation so would probably eliminate those unless they offer something particular your student seeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wesleyan feels like the outlier here. He hasn't visited? What appealed to him about it?

Nope, we have not visited. He applied because of their open curriculum which intrigued him. He likes the idea of designing his own course of study.

Is the open curriculum what makes Wesleyan the outlier here?

I’m the PP who said it was the outlier, and I think others have largely covered why: more selective, artsy vibe, very (but not exclusively) progressive, basically no Greek life (there are a few co-ed “frats,” but maybe a couple hundred kids are in them, and they are nothing like traditional Greek life).

Open curriculum is nice but not on its own a reason to attend.

My kid is there and loves it. I just don’t see a kid who likes UoR finding Wesleyan appealing.

Oh and one more thing about open curriculum—it’s not really designing your own course of study. It just means that there are few required courses. Everyone still has a major (often two). And if you want to graduate with honors, you do need to meet a very flexible distribution requirement.

[Anonymous]

Surprised your student didn’t apply to Oberlin! What does he want study?

[Anonymous]

Richmond is the best school on your list. Since your kid already got in, it's a no brainer.

[Anonymous]

Richmond is good but very different from Wesleyan. Def worth visits before deciding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two kids at Denison. Do you have a specific question? I’d say it’s a close-knit community where kids are smart and serious about what they’re doing—whether that’s sports, arts, or academics—but the Denison culture is inclusive and balanced rather than intense/cutthroat. Students come from all across the country. President Weinberg is fantastic and really sets the tone.

Great to hear all this! Thanks! Is Greek life dominant at Denison? Are there some classes that are so popular they're hard to get into? I've heard conflicting info on their career center. When we toured, they highlighted their career center as one of the best in the country. What's your kids' experience?

Greek life: about 30ish% of students participate. It's present, but it’s non-residential and doesn’t dominate campus culture. My kids are active in their fraternity/sorority and have had good experiences, but they also have close friends in other houses and many friends who aren’t involved in Greek life at all. It's not siloed. I think most parties are open to anyone who wants to come. It’s definitely part of campus life, but not the defining feature.

Classes: I haven’t heard my kids struggle to get what they need. Like anywhere, some professors/classes are very popular and may fill quickly, but students rank their course preferences during registration, so you just have to be thoughtful and strategic. You may not get it the first time around and of course freshmen and sophomores may not get all the classes they want at first but they will get classes they need.

Career Center: Denison's career center is nationally recognized, but I have no experience with other schools so it's hard for me to compare. Both of my kids attended Knowlton Center programs over winter break. One did the three-day Senior Career Bootcam (focused on resumes, interviewing, networking, and job search strategy), and the other did a 2.5-day Journey Program retreat, which helps students explore career paths. These programs are free for Denison students. The boot camp was at Denison and the Journey Program was at a Lodge/Conference Center 90 minutes away from Denison. They’ve also taken Denison Edge courses online over summer and winter breaks.

President Weinberg talks a lot about the importance of relationships and relationship-building, and that emphasis shows up in how the career center operates. Students are encouraged to connect with alumni, and there are tools like the "Talk to an Alumni" platform that make those introductions easier. Because Denison alumni are spread across the country and internationally, there isn’t a built-in pipeline to one specific city or industry so that makes networking especially important. The school provides access and preparation, but students have to take initiative and build those relationships.

Denison seniors exercise career-building muscles at boot camp - https://denison.edu/career/feature/161145
Podcast: Developing an Early Career Exploration Program for Sophomores (I haven't listened to this) -
https://www.gouconnect.com/podcast-episode/developing-an-early-career-exploration-program-for-sophomores-michele-doran-melanie-murphy/
Denison named a ‘dream school’ in new best-selling book - https://denison.edu/news-events/featured/159972

Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

Can anyone speak to the cost differences of these schools? For example, Richmond is pricey and I have heard they do not give much merit aid. While I have heard Susquehanna and Muhlenberg can be very affordable with merit. Any truth to this? What about Denison, Kenyon and Wesleyan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone speak to the cost differences of these schools? For example, Richmond is pricey and I have heard they do not give much merit aid. While I have heard Susquehanna and Muhlenberg can be very affordable with merit. Any truth to this? What about Denison, Kenyon and Wesleyan?

Wesleyan is a meet-need school. No merit. But their need-based FA is known to be quite generous relative to peers and much wealthier schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Richmond is the best school on your list. Since your kid already got in, it's a no brainer.

Richmond is tied for DC’s top 2 and we think it’s great, but it’s not better than Wesleyan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone speak to the cost differences of these schools? For example, Richmond is pricey and I have heard they do not give much merit aid. While I have heard Susquehanna and Muhlenberg can be very affordable with merit. Any truth to this? What about Denison, Kenyon and Wesleyan?

This website is really helpful for comparing merit aid: https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/merit-aid

Kenyon, Denison, and Muhlenberg give good merit aid.

[Anonymous]

Susquehanna is very "sweet." They are extremely generous with merit -- without knowing a thing about your specific situation, I can almost guarantee you it will come in as your kid's cheapest option.

But it's not really on the same plane academically. In my head, Wesleyan and Richmond are quite selective; Kenyon and Denison are selective, but I can never distinguish between them; and then Susquehanna and Muhlenberg are similar LACs with Susquehanna skewing a little more sporty and Muhlenberg a little more artsy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wesleyan feels like the outlier here. He hasn't visited? What appealed to him about it?

Nope, we have not visited. He applied because of their open curriculum which intrigued him. He likes the idea of designing his own course of study.

Is the open curriculum what makes Wesleyan the outlier here?

It is not an open curriculum if you want to graduate with honors or do a thesis. Kind of false marketing. Don’t go to a school like Wes unless you want to do a thesis, so…

Wes is very woke. Kenyon in in-between. Richmond is fratty. Strange mix of schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richmond is the best school on your list. Since your kid already got in, it's a no brainer.

Richmond is tied for DC’s top 2 and we think it’s great, but it’s not better than Wesleyan.

Richmond is also very expensive and doesn’t give much merit money.