Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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)?

Susquehanna offers great opportunities to work with faculty, take on leadership positions, and while not everyone gives off the Richmond wealthy vibe, there are plenty of wealthy, private school kids that attend. Our DS went there for his sport and had a great experience. Went on to a highly ranked grad program so he’s never regretted the choice to attend there.

Susquehanna has a nearly 90% acceptance rate and gives merit aid to 97% of all students.

I doubt there are plenty of wealthy, private school kids. It’s literally in the middle of nowhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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)?

Susquehanna offers great opportunities to work with faculty, take on leadership positions, and while not everyone gives off the Richmond wealthy vibe, there are plenty of wealthy, private school kids that attend. Our DS went there for his sport and had a great experience. Went on to a highly ranked grad program so he’s never regretted the choice to attend there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mary Washington is an odd first choice, it just is

Did I miss an update from OP saying Mary Washington was the first choice?

Anonymous wrote:Mary Washington is an odd first choice, it just is

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Mary Washington

pp at least admit, in the end, you aren't going to allow anything other than a Virginia public in-state

Anonymous wrote:Haven’t read through all the comments but UR would likely have the best job prospects post grad. Easy to tack on business double major or minor to whatever else they want to study.

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?

Mary Washington

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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)?

Susquehanna offers great opportunities to work with faculty, take on leadership positions, and while not everyone gives off the Richmond wealthy vibe, there are plenty of wealthy, private school kids that attend. Our DS went there for his sport and had a great experience. Went on to a highly ranked grad program so he’s never regretted the choice to attend there.

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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)?

Susquehanna offers great opportunities to work with faculty, take on leadership positions, and while not everyone gives off the Richmond wealthy vibe, there are plenty of wealthy, private school kids that attend. Our DS went there for his sport and had a great experience. Went on to a highly ranked grad program so he’s never regretted the choice to attend there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I also have a child at Denison and we have been really happy with the school. I also think the location is ideal. Granville is an adorable town but you are only about 30 minutes from Columbus. Makes it very easy for our child to fly home. Lots of opportunities to go into Columbus for theater, museums, hockey games, experiences through the career center, etc. with the school. My child could also uber to concerts, visit a friend who was OSU on their own.

The only campus that you listed that I visited was Kenyon. Kenyon felt very isolated to me. I would have wanted my kid to have a car if they were on that campus. Student body also gave off "quirky". Felt like Denison was more diverse.

Anonymous wrote:

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)?