Tell me about Kenyon College

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fairly recent Kenyon grad here. I echo what other posters have said about Kenyon being liberal but not excessively so, as you might find at other SLACs. Academics are more traditional at Kenyon and it's a great place for students who want to dive in, intellectually. One thing not mentioned in previous posts is that it that science facilities and instruction have really taken off over the past 10-15 years at Kenyon. The school is known for its English and writing programs, but it also offers a superb education for bio, neuroscience, and chem majors.

+1 Kenyon is a superb teaching school

[Anonymous]

From these posts, its seems as if the school is well liked by those who have attended, has a fairly decent reputation but really, its in the middle of god-forsaken no where....I guess if the student wants that it could work.

[Anonymous]

A pretty good liberal arts college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From these posts, its seems as if the school is well liked by those who have attended, has a fairly decent reputation but really, its in the middle of god-forsaken no where....I guess if the student wants that it could work.

PP and Kenyon grad here. And yes, one person's "middle of nowhere" is another person's cozy, small-town community. The surrounding area is rural and fairly poor, especially since a large factory closed. Volunteering in the area (or just drinking in the bars) is itself educative in a way that DC-area kids rarely encounter.

[Anonymous]

DC (and "us" [the paying parents']) went to tour this school this summer. Must admit that we came away unimpressed. Now, before everyone "attacks" this post, (and we've read the pp), can anyone with some degree of authority elaborate a it more on "why" this is being proclaimed as such a "good" (or perhaps "great") SLAC (our DC what small SLAC). We are aware that it is indeed "rural" (based on our experience, that's probably an understatement) but set aside that issue for now.

TIA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From these posts, its seems as if the school is well liked by those who have attended, has a fairly decent reputation but really, its in the middle of god-forsaken no where....I guess if the student wants that it could work.

PP and Kenyon grad here. And yes, one person's "middle of nowhere" is another person's cozy, small-town community. The surrounding area is rural and fairly poor, especially since a large factory closed. Volunteering in the area (or just drinking in the bars) is itself educative in a way that DC-area kids rarely encounter.

Sounds patronizing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From these posts, its seems as if the school is well liked by those who have attended, has a fairly decent reputation but really, its in the middle of god-forsaken no where....I guess if the student wants that it could work.

PP and Kenyon grad here. And yes, one person's "middle of nowhere" is another person's cozy, small-town community. The surrounding area is rural and fairly poor, especially since a large factory closed. Volunteering in the area (or just drinking in the bars) is itself educative in a way that DC-area kids rarely encounter.

Sounds patronizing.

+1

[Anonymous]

Does being in the middle of nowhere give one cabin fever after a year or two?

[Anonymous]

Also visited this summer. DS had high hopes but we also came away unimpressed. Granted, school wasn't in session, so perhaps that doesn't do it justice. But still, as others have said, Gambier is TINY and in the middle of nowhere. It's a 15 minute drive to get to a scruffy commercial area where one could find a Chipotle. The dorm room we were shown was, no other word for it, grim. Admissions wasn't particularly well done. We also visited oberlin and college of Wooster. No Ohio colleges for us. As DS observed, "Ohio is sad."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also visited this summer. DS had high hopes but we also came away unimpressed. Granted, school wasn't in session, so perhaps that doesn't do it justice. But still, as others have said, Gambier is TINY and in the middle of nowhere. It's a 15 minute drive to get to a scruffy commercial area where one could find a Chipotle. The dorm room we were shown was, no other word for it, grim. Admissions wasn't particularly well done. We also visited oberlin and college of Wooster. No Ohio colleges for us. As DS observed, "Ohio is sad."

I have no ties to any of these schools and have never been to visit them. But IME, it is a mistake to visit small schools in small towns during the summer. With no or very few grad students, the campuses are almost completely empty. Of course they feel deserted and even sad. During the school year, they can be bustling, energetic, aven exciting places. There is no way to know when the students aren't there. IMO, it would be better to apply to promising-sounding small colleges sight unseen and only visit if/when your kid is admitted.

[Anonymous]

^^i mean, if your only option is to visit schools like this in the summer, I think it's better not to visit unless admitted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does being in the middle of nowhere give one cabin fever after a year or two?

A lot of students study abroad for a semester or all of junior year. The people who do not study abroad scoop up all the leadership positions on campus for senior year while their classmates are gone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also visited this summer. DS had high hopes but we also came away unimpressed. Granted, school wasn't in session, so perhaps that doesn't do it justice. But still, as others have said, Gambier is TINY and in the middle of nowhere. It's a 15 minute drive to get to a scruffy commercial area where one could find a Chipotle. The dorm room we were shown was, no other word for it, grim. Admissions wasn't particularly well done. We also visited oberlin and college of Wooster. No Ohio colleges for us. As DS observed, "Ohio is sad."

I have no ties to any of these schools and have never been to visit them. But IME, it is a mistake to visit small schools in small towns during the summer. With no or very few grad students, the campuses are almost completely empty. Of course they feel deserted and even sad. During the school year, they can be bustling, energetic, aven exciting places. There is no way to know when the students aren't there. IMO, it would be better to apply to promising-sounding small colleges sight unseen and only visit if/when your kid is admitted.

This is a good point (i.e., visiting in "off season"). Problem is sometimes that's the only time a family can do a visit....if DC senses "its the place".....a 2nd visit (when you have it narrowed down) is likely the deal sealer (or killer...)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being in the middle of nowhere give one cabin fever after a year or two?

A lot of students study abroad for a semester or all of junior year. The people who do not study abroad scoop up all the leadership positions on campus for senior year while their classmates are gone.

lol good observation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also visited this summer. DS had high hopes but we also came away unimpressed. Granted, school wasn't in session, so perhaps that doesn't do it justice. But still, as others have said, Gambier is TINY and in the middle of nowhere. It's a 15 minute drive to get to a scruffy commercial area where one could find a Chipotle. The dorm room we were shown was, no other word for it, grim. Admissions wasn't particularly well done. We also visited oberlin and college of Wooster. No Ohio colleges for us. As DS observed, "Ohio is sad."

We went during the school year and had the same impressions.