Liberal Arts Schools in Ohio

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05/22/2018 17:02

Subject: Re:Liberal Arts Schools in Ohio

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Anonymous wrote:This is kind of funny. Another Ohioan here...kindergarten through medical school, and I remember a lot of smart people from my class going to Georgetown and UVA. I don't remember anyone going to Oberlin or Dennison.
I will say it wasn't the scary smart people going to Georgetown...more the kind of people who manipulated the system to get the highest GPA possible. The scary smart people went to ivy leagues, swarthmore, or Ohio State.

I do want to put in a plug for Granville, where Dennison is located, though. It is about the cutest little college town I have ever seen, and it's only 20 minutes from Easton (Les Wexner's big outdoor mall).

It's Denison. One "n." Denison.

I agree about Granville.

This caught my attention because DD is going to a summer writing workshop at Denison and we've never been there before, so now I'm especially looking forward to seeing Granville! Sounds lovely.

DD visited Oberlin and Kenyon over spring break. Anyone out there who can compare them for us re: English and writing departments? DD liked both schools but I think Kenyon's location is an issue for her as it's so isolated. Kenyon grads/parents, feel free to convince us otherwise! Oberlin folks, please pitch in too, especially on this question--were you/was your kid able to get into the in-demand writing courses?

Kenyon might be known for writing. My D goes to Oberlin. She's not had problems with a creative writing course this semester. I believe creative writing as a major has to be accepted into.

Mine looked at all three of these great Ohio schools and ended up at Oberlin. She intends to be a creative writing major and has really enjoyed her classes so far (just ended first year). PP is correct in that you need to be accepted into the major, but they are trying to open up the major slightly because it's so popular. There is a course called Creative Writing 201 that is a gateway class and you can't get into upper levels without taking that right now - but only 12 students get in each semester. You need to submit a very extensive portfolio with work from a variety of genres to be considered and then you are invited into the course if they want you. Freshman can't apply to 201 until second semester so that means you essentially have three tries - second semester freshman and two sophomore year - before it's too late to get the class and become a creative writing major. My daughter was waitlisted for 201 in the spring of freshman year but was allowed to take another 200 level class and has reapplied for the fall so she's hopeful that it's a "yes" this time.

As far as comparing Kenyon and Oberlin, I think they have different vibes entirely. Kenyon is beautiful and rural, with two things in the town (hotel and restaurant). It has great athletic facilities and tends to have a more prep school vibe (IMO). They don't have a creative writing major but I think there's a minor and they have many writers who have graduated from the program. Oberlin has an actual town with two coffee shops, ice cream shop, 8 restaurants and other little shops in addition to their new hotel. So if your child wants walkable options it's a much better choice. The vibe on campus is very earthy crunchy, though it's not full of activists despite what you read in the media (and on this board). The creative writing major is very popular so your child will have a large peer group with that focus, and also lots of competition.

I will add that mine would have preferred Denison over Kenyon, just for the environment. She really liked the friendly students and their engagement with faculty and the town was nice too. She has friends at Kenyon who love it so I think it's all just personal preference.

Thanks for posting this. I'm the PP above with the DD going to Denison for a week this summer for a writing workshop. We visited Kenyon and Oberlin. &our post confirms something that concerns me about Oberlin--what I highlighted in bold in your post. An Oberlin admissions officer told us the same thing -- "A lot of students get disappointed because the class sizes are so limited and they have to keep trying to get into the classes."

PP, does your child have a backup plan in case she can't get into the limited creative writing classes or can't get into them in time/get into the right ones to do it as a major? Does she have another major she can do, and if so -- can she still take any creative writing, or is it limited to students doing it as a major? I'm betting that students who don't want to major in creative writing but might like to take some courses wouldn't have a chance at a seat--is that the case?

Interestingly, Kenyon, which is known for its writing program, right now is going in the opposite direction. As I recall, they told us they're opening up creative writing classes by saying anyone can take at least the initial class (maybe more, can't recall) without a portfolio and they're also slightly increasing the class sizes for at least some creative writing (I think they said some class sizes are going from 12 to 15). It felt like the idea was that anyone could potentially be a good writer, not just those who could produce portfolios even before taking their first college creative writing class. I liked that vibe very much, and so did DD. But Kenyon's tiny size and very isolated location are probably a deal-breaker for her.

Oberlin definitely seems like the ideal size for my DD and it's good to hear that your DD had an engaging first year there! The visit day sent kids to sit in on classes, and DD was sent to a poetry class that she thought was fantastic. I'm just concerned that if she got in there, it's a real possibility that she wouldn't ever get into a creative writing class. If you have other thoughts, PP, please do post. Thank you again.

Glad to hear that you're thinking of Oberlin for creative writing. As I mentioned, it's definitely a tough major but I like that they weed out the people who aren't strong enough to handle the upper level classes. That being said, Oberlin is going through a transition in the major and they are bringing in several new faculty this fall and offering a greater number of 200 level classes so that 201 isn't the ONLY path. This is brand new and encouraging for students who either want to take one creative writing class for enjoyment or to take additional creative writing classes at 200 level that can count toward the major while they wait for 201 openings. Only 12 students get 201 per semester and Oberlin has realized this won't work given how many great writers they've attracted. Btw my DD took that poetry class this spring and loved it!

Long story short, by the time your DD gets there I'm betting that the required 201 will be a thing of the past and there will be multiple avenues she can take for a major. Hope that helps but let me know what else I can answer.