Ohio LAC pecking order shakeup

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ohio?

No thanks.

Columbus, Ohio?

Yes please.

None are in Ohio. Only Ohio State and Capital.

Denison is a 25 minute drive to Columbus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve noticed this too. Back in the day, I got into Denison and Wooster, and was rejected from Oberlin. Nowadays, I think I could get into Oberlin but probably not Denison. Denison seems to be doing better than PA liberal arts schools, which seem similar. I think it was eventually pass Kenyon too, in maybe 10 years. Kenyon is attracts a lot of English students and has a pretty low percentage of STEM students, which I think hurts it nowadays. But it’s not falling like Oberlin. I guess we’ll see too if Wooster ever moves past Oberlin too.

That's an interesting observation. Where would you slot Denison in the PA pecking order, as of right now? Clearly it's not at the level of Swat, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, but I think it's just as clearly ahead of Dickinson and Gettysburg. That puts it somewhere in the Bucknell, Lafayette, F&M mix. I'd lean more to the F&M side now, but I also think it may have the highest ceiling of any of those schools.

I was not thinking of Swarthmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, or Bucknell. But I think it’s doing better than Lafayette, F&M, Dickinson, and Gettysburg.

I think Denison and Gettysburg are very similar. I'd be suprised if every applicant to one, isn't also applying to the other. Same demographic.

If denison & Gettysburg are similar, then Colgate is the Mothership.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there much overlap between Kenyon and Denison aspirants? The schools seem to have very different cultures, and they seem to attract different kids. If in fact there’s little overlap, it’s odd to ask which is “better.” The right question would be about which one is better for a particular kid.

I agree OP. My child visited both, but only applied to one. They seemed to have very different cultures. Each have their own strengths and it just depends on what you're looking for.

This -- from the parent of a Kenyon athlete whose friend group includes plenty of NARPS (none of whom I've ever seen with pink hair, but, if you think that's edgy, you need to get out more).

[Anonymous]

I’m from the Midwest so love this thread. Back in the Stone Age when I was in college, Denison/Miami of Ohio were the schools for the affluent/country club sets who wanted to remain in the region (going into family businesses so looking for a fun 4 years)/didn’t have the stats for NESCACs. Oberlin was for the hippies/high SATs/middling GPAs. Kenyon usually attracted students interested in lit/humanities as well as the swim/dive folks. Less aware of Wooster then save for a HS classmate who went for one term then transferred to our hometown LAC. Very aware now as they have good STEM placements for grad school.

Denison has a great president, someone I worked with earlier in his career. Hope he stays and continues to raise the school’s quality and profile.

[Anonymous]

My DS just got home from break for Kenyon and jokingly noted that “Denison is not a serious institution when Michael Scott is your top alumni. At least we have Doc Hudson.”

He’s having a great first year experience. These are all great schools.

[Anonymous]

Kenyon Greek scene is a nice safety valve for a normie male NARP seeking friendships and fun. Normies need not retreat to Denison. Greek life is actually a positive feature of Ohio LACs, whereas it has been extinguished at most northeastern LACs.

[Anonymous]

No one in the right mind outside Ohio will choose Denison over Oberlin. Denison might be known in Ohio. That's about it. Oberlin is studies in the US history classes. A bright senior anywhere in the US knows about Oberlin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one in the right mind outside Ohio will choose Denison over Oberlin. Denison might be known in Ohio. That's about it. Oberlin is studies in the US history classes. A bright senior anywhere in the US knows about Oberlin.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one in the right mind outside Ohio will choose Denison over Oberlin. Denison might be known in Ohio. That's about it. Oberlin is studies in the US history classes. A bright senior anywhere in the US knows about Oberlin.

+1

Hmmm. This applies to some folks but not to all folks with "right" minds outside Ohio. I know recent Denison grads, one kid current enrolled, and a few in for next year. A couple are recruited athletes. All from the East coast.

If me, I would probably go the Oberlin route, but that's just more my jam.

[Anonymous]

I think Oberlin is an unthinkable option for a lot of people at this point. Regardless of historical prestige or current academic quality

[Anonymous]

Kenyon parent here --

Many prospective students and parents who travel to Ohio visit all of these schools and realize that there are great options beyond NESCAC. From there, students sort themselves by campus vibe and culture. A rising tide lifts all these boats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Oberlin is an unthinkable option for a lot of people at this point. Regardless of historical prestige or current academic quality

Agree!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one in the right mind outside Ohio will choose Denison over Oberlin. Denison might be known in Ohio. That's about it. Oberlin is studies in the US history classes. A bright senior anywhere in the US knows about Oberlin.

Students don't apply to both.

Oberlin has taken a couple tough hits to its reputation in the last 20 years. I used to think well of it, always a liberal school. But it's now gone so far in that direction that it's no longer liberal, and the handling of the bakery case was disastrous and has strong implications for how affairs are generally handled at the college.

Denison and even Kenyon both are much more balanced atmospheres than Oberlin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ohio has always had amazing choices for kids wanting to attend an LAC, but I've noticed that the pecking order for those schools seems to have shifted in recent years (and might still be shifting).

When I was applying to colleges, back in the prehistoric days of the 1990s, the order was clear cut: Oberlin, Kenyon, Denison, Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan, with pretty even spacing between them.

A couple of decades and change later, the only two schools that seem to have retained their positions are Wooster and OWU at the bottom (though both are still fabulous schools). Kenyon zoomed past Oberlin years ago, and more recently, so has Denison. Now it looks like Denison is closing the gap with Kenyon and could be considered the top LAC in Ohio in the near future. And could Oberlin eventually fall below Wooster, which seems to be getting more popular with quirky, intellectual kids who don't want crazy woke SJW?

Based on USNWR, the order of the top five at this very moment is Kenyon, Denison, Oberlin, Wooster, OWU. But where would you put your money if you were investing in one of these schools for the long haul? And which would you avoid? It's an easy choice for me. I'm rolling with Denison and avoiding Oberlin at all costs.[/

You need help

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Oberlin is an unthinkable option for a lot of people at this point. Regardless of historical prestige or current academic quality

Oberlin takes 800 kids a year between the Con and A&S. It’s an unthinkable option for most people. So are most SLACs. These aren’t schools that take a class of 30,000. And they aren’t cheap. Now, I’m sure you are trying to get a “too woke” dig in. Which tells me you don’t understand Oberlin. Yes, the campus expectation is treating trans kids with respect. No, you don’t have to room with a trans kid against your will. Oberlin was the first college to integrate, the first to go co-Ed and leader in Supporting LGB students. They have an amazing record on civil rights. I have no doubt they are right here too.

As for the campus environment, my older kid is at WM, which has a had a much more difficult time with the Israel-hamas issues than Oberlin. Much bigger and louder protests, a brawl that had to be broken up by campus police, a police presence when either side “tables” or protests, a brick thrown through a window. And, I’d like to say this is an aberration, but DD was telling us last year about militant behavior of “students for life” after the Dobbs decision and that they were getting in the faces of students who disagreed with them. And again, wherever Students for Life went last year, there was a campus police presence.

You should learn about Oberlin before dismissing it. Barefoot dialogues has brought a lot to campus in the last 5 or so years. The expectation is that students and faculty will discuss your ideas with you— without needing campus police on standby. There isn’t the kind of protesting I’ve seen at WM and other schools. There is more direct action— like arranging concerts for relief funds.

Also, ranking a Oberlin in Ohio schools is pointless.”Oberlin kids” will always go there over every other college in Ohio. And kids who don’t like Oberlin will never attend. I know Op wants to boost Denison, but they just aren’t pulling from the same pools of kids.