Kenyon vs Denison

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for all of the helpful comments. Booked our trip to Ohio to visit both schools and will see how he feels about them. Other decisions have been rolling in and he will have lots to consider over the next few weeks.

[Anonymous]

Maybe this will help?

https://collegeboundmentor.com/ohio-ohio-wesleyan-wittenberg-college-of-wooster-oberlin-denison-and-kenyon-2/

[Anonymous]

Both are great colleges (as are Miami of Ohio and College of Wooster for anyone reading this thread with students who have not yet applied).

Based on firsthand knowledge at Denison (my kid) and secondhand at Kenyon (kid’s good friend), one thing we liked about Denison is that it seems to attract all types - sporty, quirky, etc - with the common threads of the students being smart, nice and supportive - so a bit more room for DDs to branch out and possibly even experiment with his own identity. The Kenyon students seem a bit more cut from the same mold.

Fwiw we are Jewish and our son has friends of many religions but main point is that it isn’t reigious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both are great colleges (as are Miami of Ohio and College of Wooster for anyone reading this thread with students who have not yet applied).

Based on firsthand knowledge at Denison (my kid) and secondhand at Kenyon (kid’s good friend), one thing we liked about Denison is that it seems to attract all types - sporty, quirky, etc - with the common threads of the students being smart, nice and supportive - so a bit more room for DDs to branch out and possibly even experiment with his own identity. The Kenyon students seem a bit more cut from the same mold.

Fwiw we are Jewish and our son has friends of many religions but main point is that it isn’t reigious.

Not our kid's experience at Kenyon, but, out of curiosity, I'm wondering what mold you think that is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both are great colleges (as are Miami of Ohio and College of Wooster for anyone reading this thread with students who have not yet applied).

Based on firsthand knowledge at Denison (my kid) and secondhand at Kenyon (kid’s good friend), one thing we liked about Denison is that it seems to attract all types - sporty, quirky, etc - with the common threads of the students being smart, nice and supportive - so a bit more room for DDs to branch out and possibly even experiment with his own identity. The Kenyon students seem a bit more cut from the same mold.

Fwiw we are Jewish and our son has friends of many religions but main point is that it isn’t reigious.

Not our kid's experience at Kenyon, but, out of curiosity, I'm wondering what mold you think that is?

Not PP, but I have visited Kenyon several times and it is my impression that the vast majority of students are quirky in one way or another. That is not the case at Denison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both are great colleges (as are Miami of Ohio and College of Wooster for anyone reading this thread with students who have not yet applied).

Based on firsthand knowledge at Denison (my kid) and secondhand at Kenyon (kid’s good friend), one thing we liked about Denison is that it seems to attract all types - sporty, quirky, etc - with the common threads of the students being smart, nice and supportive - so a bit more room for DDs to branch out and possibly even experiment with his own identity. The Kenyon students seem a bit more cut from the same mold.

Fwiw we are Jewish and our son has friends of many religions but main point is that it isn’t reigious.

Not our kid's experience at Kenyon, but, out of curiosity, I'm wondering what mold you think that is?

Not PP, but I have visited Kenyon several times and it is my impression that the vast majority of students are quirky in one way or another. That is not the case at Denison.

Wait -- what? Are you saying that Kenyon students are all cut from the same mold *and* they're all quirky? If they're all quirky, aren't they all different?

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both are great colleges (as are Miami of Ohio and College of Wooster for anyone reading this thread with students who have not yet applied).

Based on firsthand knowledge at Denison (my kid) and secondhand at Kenyon (kid’s good friend), one thing we liked about Denison is that it seems to attract all types - sporty, quirky, etc - with the common threads of the students being smart, nice and supportive - so a bit more room for DDs to branch out and possibly even experiment with his own identity. The Kenyon students seem a bit more cut from the same mold.

Fwiw we are Jewish and our son has friends of many religions but main point is that it isn’t reigious.

Not our kid's experience at Kenyon, but, out of curiosity, I'm wondering what mold you think that is?

Not PP, but I have visited Kenyon several times and it is my impression that the vast majority of students are quirky in one way or another. That is not the case at Denison.

Wait -- what? Are you saying that Kenyon students are all cut from the same mold *and* they're all quirky? If they're all quirky, aren't they all different?

I just love how people throw out random and conflicting things with little basis. My quirky athlete, artist, writer can’t wait to join the Kenyon student body and she’s met her new teammates and they are all so different from one another. No mold.

[Anonymous]

Colleague’s DC just graduated from Kenyon and both colleague and DC are very happy with Kenyon. Faculty referrals carried weight with top-4 larger university in DC’s field so DC now is in a top grad school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There’s a FB group for Jewish parents of older kids. Very helpful to understand Jewish life at different schools. I think it’s MOT older kids or something like that.

THANK YOU!! OP here. I hadn't heard of this group before and sounds like it will definitely be a helpful group in multiple ways.

Group is MOT Parenting: Older Teens and Beyond. If you are Jewish, you will know people in the group lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is considering Kenyon with a healthy merit scholarship too, but is worried about the small size and rural location, especially considering that Kenyon is half the size of her current high school. She's also worried that, with that small size, if you don't join a sorority, don't get into an acapella group, and are not an athlete, you get left out. Do you have any thoughts on that? I too have heard only good things from people who are connected, but she's finding it hard to believe -- kind of like the first paragraph of your post.

In a big school, people separate into groups because it is often the best way to manage a crowd. In a small school, you don't need to do that, so people are more likely to mx it up no matter what their interests may be, and you can be more than one "thing."

Thank you so much for sharing this. This has been my Sons experience when he moved from public ES to private MS. It hadn’t occurred to me that this will be important to him in college, but it had been enormously important in MS/HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our son got nice merit scholarships to Kenyon and Denison. Visiting both soon. Thoughts on either school? Leaning towards Kenyon since he is a quirky, bright kid and all of his Kenyon virtual experiences have been very engaging. Don't have quite as clear a feel for Denison. Also interested in how Jewish life is on both campuses. Thanks!

Any updates, OP? My DC is in the same exact boat. But can't visit.

[Anonymous]

I choose Kenyon and loved it, and also visited Denison when I was looking at schools. My impression of the students was that Denison was more "extroverted" and Kenyon was more "introverted" and intense. Really depends on what feels "right."

[Anonymous]

Both great schools. Denison is a bit more cookie-cutter, white, preppy, lots of $. Kenyon is also like that especially for its athletes. But the strong writing and arts programs at Kenyon draw in less-preppy, less white, but still lots of $ kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DD is at Kenyon and, before she went we thought it was bizarre how many current students, alums, parents of current students and parents of alums said they loved it. Did they drink the Kool-Aid? Was a chip implanted in their brains? Did aliens take them?!

Now we're like that too. It's really a terrific school and one of the things that makes it so is that you have quirky kids and sporty kids and preppy kids and artsy kids -- and not only are they friends, but often they're the same people. Kenyon lets you be who you are.

(I can't address what Jewish life is like, but definitely call the admissions office and they'll hook you up with folks who can.)

Congrats to your son and good luck with this decision!

Calm down.