Is Kenyon a good fit for me?

Midwestmomofboys
Mon, 09 Nov 2020 16:21:35 +0000

Has the OP run Kenyon’s Net Price Calculator to determine projected financial aid and expected family contribution? The challenge is not whether a specific school is generally generous but rather whether it is affordable for that particular student and family.

I’d encourage the OP to research the Ohio LACs in more detail – Oberlin, Denison and Kenyon – to get a feel for overlap and differences. Investigate zoom info sessions, reach out to Admissions to connect with students/student groups with shared interests.

I’d also encourage the OP to consider why they want to apply ED – is it to get an admissions “boost” in this year of uncertainty? Without having visited Kenyon or any other possible ED candidates, it would be hard to say that any single school is “it” without having been on campus. With LACs, the vibe can make it or break it – schools which look like great fits on paper may not feel like “home” once a student steps onto campus, and other schools which didn’t seem particularly compelling on paper (or online) can feel “just right” when a student is actually there.

There are differences among the three schools which affect the campus vibe, from Oberlin’s more expansive campus which stretches from one end of town to the other and has town streets intersecting campus and the town green serving as its “front yard,” to Kenyon’s idyllic Middle Path, to Denison’s “home on the hill.” Both Kenyon and Denison have non-residential greek life and Kenyon sets aside sections of dorms for members of greek life to live together. Oberlin has proudly never had greek life – like Vassar, Bard, Conn Coll, Bates and others.

Note that all three schools have farms or bio research facilities – Denison has the Homestead, an organic farm and sustainable living community located within the 350 acre Bio Reserve which is used for teaching and research. Kenyon has its Farm, which the OP has researched. Oberlin has the George Jones Farm and Preserve used for teaching and research.