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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My DD was recruited to play field hockey and is going ED, so fingers crossed; we are assuming we'll hear that she's an Owl very soon.  We know about the gorgeous campus and excellent academics (DD is interested in being an English major).  Though over Thanksgiving, my MIL, bless her heart, wondered whether the student body of less than 2000 feels like an extension of high school and where jocks and NARPS just co-exist rather than being one of a whole.  My DD is a jock, but has what I'd refer to as NARP proclivities -- choir, orchestra, and even DnD.  [b]Will she be single-tracked at a place like Kenyon?[/b]  Would love to hear from current or recent families/students.[/quote]

I haven't had a child at Kenyon (although I hear good things about it), but DC recently graduated from Grinnell, where she was a recruited athlete (or "sporto," as they call them there) and also had "NARP" or non-athletic interests. DC participated in music, theater, writing groups, art, and D&D and absolutely was not single-tracked. She had "sport" and "NARP" friend groups and other friend groups that overlapped. One of her best friends on the same athletic team was a serious musician, and another was a talented writer. In fact, all her "sporto" friends also had non-athletic interests. DC never experienced any animosity between the two groups, although athletes occasionally came in for a little good-natured teasing. I don't know how kids fit in all these activities and maintain good grades, but many of them are multi-talented and energetic and enjoy their productive "golden youth."

As for being an "extension of high school," DC's college experience could not have been more different from her high school experience. She went to a predominantly white, conservative high school where kids weren't particularly questioning, and parents were generally strict. At Grinnell (and I would guess Kenyon is similar), everything is questioned, analyzed, and debated. Unlike high school, the student body was highly diverse, and DC had friends from many walks of life and many different countries. College kids are usually much more mature and accepting than high school kids. The professors at Grinnell treated the students as equals and cherished friends, while her high school teachers were more authoritarian. College was another world entirely.

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