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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you share your student's general stats? I have Susquehanna, Muhlenberg, and maybe Kenyon and Denison (reaches) in mind to talk to my son about, but we don't really know what a reach is until we see the SAT and GPA in a couple of years.

Richmond strikes me as the fratty one and going only by what I read, the others have more down to earth student bodies and supportive atmospheres.

Sure! 4.4 weighted gpa, submitted 1460 SAT. Leadership roles, 11 AP by end of senior year, took rigorous course available, 4 years of foreign language, national, state, and local awards. My kid got huge merit from Susquehanna, bringing the COA down to below our in-state COA (VA). Kenyon also gave my kid enough merit to make it below the COA for our in-state colleges.

Thanks on the feedback on Richmond!

[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.

Thanks for the feedback on Wesleyan. At the time when my kid applied and visited Univ of Richmond, the tour didn't give that fratty vibe - maybe we didn't see that many students? Idk. My kid loves the campus though, so they applied. My kid does not care for greek life, so sounds like Wesleyan is a better fit but we won't know until RD decisions go out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC prefers SLACs, got accepted to all, but still waiting on Wesleyan and Denison.

Anyone have direct experience on the vibe at each of these schools?

this feels like a random assortment of schools, with the only common factor being their size. can't imagine a kid liking Richmond and Wes too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Thanks! Since I posted, my kid is removing Muhlenberg from his list. Good to know about Susquehanna - they are offering my kid a lot of merit and from what we've read so far, they seem to offer everyone merit. My kid applied because they've got his majors, creative writing/publishing and editing and business, and he got into their honors college. They seem to have good resources and opportunities. One thing I wonder though, is if my kid will be challenged enough there or would the "easier" classes be a good thing to allow my kid more time to focus on extra curriculars, working with faculty, and other opportunities that they would not have time for if they went to a more rigorous school like Wesleyan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Oh I see, thanks!

[Anonymous]

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

My kid did not like Oberlin. Wants to study English/creative writing and business, minor in business.

[Anonymous]

Now that you’re mentioning creative writing, publishing, and editing, I’d probably give the edge to Kenyon. That college is very well-regarded for writing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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!

This is great! Thanks! Yes, it helps a lot! We were very impressed when we visited Denison! Thanks for the links! Will share with my DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

My kid did not like Oberlin. Wants to study English/creative writing and business, minor in business.

No business major or minor at Wes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Ha! Yes, Susquehanna is my kid's cheapest option. It is very tempting but we're looking for a good fit academically and socially. Not to be snotty, but would my kid who got into Univ of Richmond find Susquehanna too easy or will being in Susq's honors college be enough to challenge my kid and give my kid enough time to explore other opportunities (work with faculty, extra curriculars, etc)?

[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.

What is your DC's other top pick?

[Anonymous]

I’d pick Kenyon over Denison or Richmond for English and creative writing.

[Anonymous]

What about Elon?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d pick Kenyon over Denison or Richmond for English and creative writing.

Thanks, my kid is leaning towards Kenyon, but waiting to see about Wesleyan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

My kid did not like Oberlin. Wants to study English/creative writing and business, minor in business.

No business major or minor at Wes.

Thanks, yes, my kid knows that and apparently it's not a dealbreaker.