I would not characterize Denison as preppy, it is not the same kind of school Steve Carrell attended in the '80s, in large part because of the leadership of Pres. Adam Weinberg (though the big step of shutting down greek residential houses, came earlier, so that now greek life is non-residential).
Denison uses merit awards to create a more economically and ethnically, racially and socially diverse class. I’m a bit of a bore when it comes to Denison boosterism, as I’ve shared before my kid’s experience – varsity athlete, no greek life, diverse friend group. Denison really doesn’t have a single dominant type, sure there are fratty lax guys, but there are also banjo playing kids living at the Homestead – the organic farm housing option – as well as artists, performing artists etc. Denison’s career exploration and development structure is fantastic, really distinguishes it from other schools – the school intentionally connects the critical thinking skills of a liberal arts education with career development, with innovative programming to get students actively engaged with career exploration early, including Denison Edge.