Why apply to an Oberlin/Kenyon/Grinnell

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another post has a link to the college acceptances over the last three years at Harvard-Westlake. A whopping 59 of 62 applicants got into Kenyon, way more than any other better known LAC. This confirms what I’ve said all along: it’s a rich kid school and it’s a second choice for everyone.

FYI Harvard-Westlake employs a number of Kenyon Alums (including in their college counseling department)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grinnell is a Plan B for kids who don’t get into Swat or Haverford.

Kenyon is a Plan B for kids who don’t get into a top NESCAC.

Oberlin is just Oberlin. Kids who go there want to be there. It’s not for everyone.

The cluelessness about families' financial considerations is mind-boggling to me.

Yes, yes, yes.

BTW, many of DCs' friends passed on Haverford as it felt too small to them in a way that other LACs did not.

OMG. We were at Haverford three weeks ago. DS, DH, and I each felt the environment was completely claustrophobic. It was even worse as we left campus in our car and realized how small it all is (notwithstanding a few acres of trees fringing the actual campus/buildings). It is off the lisr!

We all loved Haverford. DC was admitted to Haverford and Swat, along with a number of other SLACS, and eventually chose Grinnell. There was much to like about all the SLACs we visited.

Can you explain why your DC chose Grinnell over the others? Are they happy there, and feel it was the right choice?

Sorry. I just saw this, so I am responding late. DC felt "at home" at Grinnell from the start. In terms of why she chose Grinnell over other schools, the choice was somewhat akin to falling in love rather than an entirely rational process based on an analysis of rankings, averages, or an analysis of majors. It wasn't necessarily that she felt Grinnell was "better" than the others. It's just that she loved everything about Grinnell, from small things like the trees and the buildings to big things like the students and the academics. On her visits (we visited twice), DC said she felt connected with the students she met, felt they loved learning for its own sake, and were natural and unpretentious. She liked the "smallness" and "coziness" of the school and the town and felt they offered a perfect "mini-society." She is extremely happy there and has lovely friends and professors (who are also friends). She also loves the intense learning and the fact that her classmates are so engaged and enthusiastic about what they learn. She and I both feel it was the best choice for her. I've enjoyed watching her evolve, mature, and become more nuanced in her thinking, kinder, more informed, more thoughtful, and startlingly articulate. There are lots of schools that might be perfect for another student, but my DC found her sweet spot at Grinnell.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another post has a link to the college acceptances over the last three years at Harvard-Westlake. A whopping 59 of 62 applicants got into Kenyon, way more than any other better known LAC. This confirms what I’ve said all along: it’s a rich kid school and it’s a second choice for everyone.

FYI Harvard-Westlake employs a number of Kenyon Alums (including in their college counseling department)

So that means every student who graduates from the school gets in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another post has a link to the college acceptances over the last three years at Harvard-Westlake. 59 of 62 applicants got into Kenyon, way more than any other better known LAC. This confirms what I’ve said all along: it’s a rich kid school and it’s a second choice for everyone.

It's a first choice for many, and it keeps getting better. It's beautiful, the dining hall is straight out of Hogwarts, the writing program is outstanding, and the sports programs are amazing, especially in swimming/diving (tennis is also excellent). Any kid who gets to attend Kenyon, Denison, Oberlin, Wooster, or Ohio Wesleyan is very fortunate and will have every opportunity to receive a world-class undergraduate education.

All of this may be true, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a second choice for the vast majority of its applicants. It has one of the lowest yields around. These are facts, not opinions.

A PP said it was a "second choice for everyone," which is untrue. Some kids fall in love with the place, and for them, it is a first choice. Yield rates don't necessarily indicate the actual quality of a school and reflect factors such as application cost and prestige (often overblown). I don't understand the need to denigrate an excellent school that may be the perfect fit for the right kid.

I’d be real interested to hear how “application cost” has anything to do with yield. Yield refers to what happens after a student has already applied and been accepted. You’re not making any sense.

Yes, but if the application is free, lots of students will throw in an application for a school they're not particularly interested in. Schools without application fees usually get lots of frivolous applications, which lowers both their acceptance and yield rates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another post has a link to the college acceptances over the last three years at Harvard-Westlake. A whopping 59 of 62 applicants got into Kenyon, way more than any other better known LAC. This confirms what I’ve said all along: it’s a rich kid school and it’s a second choice for everyone.

FYI Harvard-Westlake employs a number of Kenyon Alums (including in their college counseling department)

So that means every student who graduates from the school gets in?

Not all but most. The Kenyon alums are probably push Kenyon and are likely to identify those kids most likely to be accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another post has a link to the college acceptances over the last three years at Harvard-Westlake. A whopping 59 of 62 applicants got into Kenyon, way more than any other better known LAC. This confirms what I’ve said all along: it’s a rich kid school and it’s a second choice for everyone.

FYI Harvard-Westlake employs a number of Kenyon Alums (including in their college counseling department)

So that means every student who graduates from the school gets in?

Not all but most. The Kenyon alums are probably push Kenyon and are likely to identify those kids most likely to be accepted.

DP.

Also worth noting that Kenyon still operates on a personal level for "family" (alum and related) admissions.

Buddy's (underqualified) DC applied a few years ago. Buddy got a personal call from the Director of Admissions, notifying Buddy that DC would be waitlisted.

Buddy not a big donor or VIP in any way, shape, or form.

[Anonymous]

I just read how much debt Oberlin is in. Yikes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grinnell is a Plan B for kids who don’t get into Swat or Haverford.

Kenyon is a Plan B for kids who don’t get into a top NESCAC.

Oberlin is just Oberlin. Kids who go there want to be there. It’s not for everyone.

The cluelessness about families' financial considerations is mind-boggling to me.

Yes, yes, yes.

BTW, many of DCs' friends passed on Haverford as it felt too small to them in a way that other LACs did not.

OMG. We were at Haverford three weeks ago. DS, DH, and I each felt the environment was completely claustrophobic. It was even worse as we left campus in our car and realized how small it all is (notwithstanding a few acres of trees fringing the actual campus/buildings). It is off the lisr!

We all loved Haverford. DC was admitted to Haverford and Swat, along with a number of other SLACS, and eventually chose Grinnell. There was much to like about all the SLACs we visited.

Can you explain why your DC chose Grinnell over the others? Are they happy there, and feel it was the right choice?

Sorry. I just saw this, so I am responding late. DC felt "at home" at Grinnell from the start. In terms of why she chose Grinnell over other schools, the choice was somewhat akin to falling in love rather than an entirely rational process based on an analysis of rankings, averages, or an analysis of majors. It wasn't necessarily that she felt Grinnell was "better" than the others. It's just that she loved everything about Grinnell, from small things like the trees and the buildings to big things like the students and the academics. On her visits (we visited twice), DC said she felt connected with the students she met, felt they loved learning for its own sake, and were natural and unpretentious. She liked the "smallness" and "coziness" of the school and the town and felt they offered a perfect "mini-society." She is extremely happy there and has lovely friends and professors (who are also friends). She also loves the intense learning and the fact that her classmates are so engaged and enthusiastic about what they learn. She and I both feel it was the best choice for her. I've enjoyed watching her evolve, mature, and become more nuanced in her thinking, kinder, more informed, more thoughtful, and startlingly articulate. There are lots of schools that might be perfect for another student, but my DC found her sweet spot at Grinnell.

My son goes to Grinnell and you just described him. He loves learning for its own sake and is natural and unpretentious. He wanted small classes with engaged students.

For those who can't make the visit, if this sounds like your kid's ideal environment, Grinnell could be the right place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just read how much debt Oberlin is in. Yikes!

How when they have an enormous endowment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another post has a link to the college acceptances over the last three years at Harvard-Westlake. A whopping 59 of 62 applicants got into Kenyon, way more than any other better known LAC. This confirms what I’ve said all along: it’s a rich kid school and it’s a second choice for everyone.

Harvard-Westlake produces high-achieving students and has high average SAT and ACT scores that would make the average H-W student attractive to Kenyon. If Harvard-Westlake is funneling kids into Kenyon, it's probably because the school counselors are getting positive feedback from their Kenyon matriculants, and a school like that probably has pretty good school counselors.

Nope. At Amherst it was 6 of 33. At UVA 12 of 62. At Notre Dame 2 of 19. Even at Michigan it’s 87 of 210. The list goes on. The “average” H-W student isn’t getting into these schools. Also, it isn’t just the “average” H-W student getting into Kenyon. It’s virtually all of them!

But those students are a very selective group already… and if the counselors and teachers writing the recs went to Kenyon those matter more to Kenyon. It is not hard to understand why an already selected group of super high achieving students with letters written by alums of the schools would have a very high chance of getting in. It would be weird if they didn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another post has a link to the college acceptances over the last three years at Harvard-Westlake. A whopping 59 of 62 applicants got into Kenyon, way more than any other better known LAC. This confirms what I’ve said all along: it’s a rich kid school and it’s a second choice for everyone.

Harvard-Westlake produces high-achieving students and has high average SAT and ACT scores that would make the average H-W student attractive to Kenyon. If Harvard-Westlake is funneling kids into Kenyon, it's probably because the school counselors are getting positive feedback from their Kenyon matriculants, and a school like that probably has pretty good school counselors.

Nope. At Amherst it was 6 of 33. At UVA 12 of 62. At Notre Dame 2 of 19. Even at Michigan it’s 87 of 210. The list goes on. The “average” H-W student isn’t getting into these schools. Also, it isn’t just the “average” H-W student getting into Kenyon. It’s virtually all of them!

But those students are a very selective group already… and if the counselors and teachers writing the recs went to Kenyon those matter more to Kenyon. It is not hard to understand why an already selected group of super high achieving students with letters written by alums of the schools would have a very high chance of getting in. It would be weird if they didn’t.

I think it's true Kenyon is a bit easier to get into than top half NESCAC and similar schools, which are really hard to get into, and kind of lotteries. Those schools have to reject a lot of equally qualified kids. Statistically Kenyon students seem to have just as strong a profile per the CDS. So maybe they pick up some of that overflow among the 50% of students who come in RD. I think the reality of students playing in the RD round, they didn't get into their clear first choice if they had one (with exceptions).

This is all kind of whatever though from my perspective. Because our first year DS is super happy and thriving in Gambier. We really could care less at this point if some NESCAC school is higher ranked or harder to get into. Very happy he is where he is.

Also, all the political talk above is nonsense. Ohio politics has no bearing on the experience. Ohio is a nice state with down to earth friendly people. Columbus is a thriving modern city; I read the fastest growing now in the US. Kenyon like almost all colleges seems quite liberal, but it is just fine for both liberal and conservative students and families. They seem to have stayed clear of the more extreme nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just read how much debt Oberlin is in. Yikes!

How when they have an enormous endowment

Don’t encourage the Oberlin hater troll.

[Anonymous]

We participated at the All Roads Lead to Oberlin event last week. Really liked the campus and our student guides. Loved the easy access to the Conservatory. What I don't understand is the ranking Oberlin, which is #51 among National LAC per US News. That seems low. How is the academic rigor of Oberlin compared to the same tier National Universities, such as Case Western for biology/premed track? How about comparing Oberlin to big public such as UIUC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just read how much debt Oberlin is in. Yikes!

Its endowment is over a billion dollars. Link please?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We participated at the All Roads Lead to Oberlin event last week. Really liked the campus and our student guides. Loved the easy access to the Conservatory. What I don't understand is the ranking Oberlin, which is #51 among National LAC per US News. That seems low. How is the academic rigor of Oberlin compared to the same tier National Universities, such as Case Western for biology/premed track? How about comparing Oberlin to big public such as UIUC?

My kid did a top STEM magnet to Oberlin. It’s very rigorous in STEM. The ranking reflects a couple things— but a big one is that about 1/3 of the students are from the conservatory. They don’t come in needing off the charts GPAs and SATs— they need incredible musical talent. USNWR doesn’t measure that. Con kids are also less likely to graduate or graduate on time if the right performance opportunity comes along (hey— you can get a chair now in an amazing orchestra, tour with a band, etc). And they are likely to go into very low paying initial jobs. Starving artist and all that). But, the Con contributes so much to campus life— and brings in diversity of viewpoint kids, so IMO it’s worth the rankings hit.

Also, in general, the kids are more geared towards public service and less geared towards business, finance, big tech, etc. So, there lower starting salaries. Probably lower lifetime salaries. All that factors into Oberlin’s rankings.

That said, thinks like PhD production, Fulbright, Peace Corp andMacArthur Genius Grant production is unusually high.