Hi! I’m having trouble deciding between Kenyon, Denison and maybe Dickinson. I am looking to major in Political Science, and possibly minor in English. I loved Kenyon’s academic atmosphere - I sat in on 2 classes and I enjoyed the way they spoke about literature. In my political science class I sat in on, I found it felt like a true college class. The campus felt like home and I feel like academically it would be a great fit. Kenyon’s programs seemed to be ranked higher and renowned. There some part of me that would feel iffy saying no. I also looked at starting salaries (which I know may not be exact data) and Kenyon’s is the highest. However, I am concerned about the small town. There’s very little to do in walking distance, and I love Mt. Vernon but I would need a car and am not sure if I would have one my first year. Additionally, I got less money (27k) compared to Denison (35k). Money is somewhat of an issue, especially as I am also considering grad school. I think my dream job is to work for a government agency or company as a political analyst. I enjoy writing and talking about politics. As for Denison, I loved the campus but I don’t know how it compares to Kenyon for specifically my intended major. Denison’s town is lovely and seems more accessible and akin to what I am used to and desire in a college town. Dension also makes sense financially and they have summer paid research which really piqued my interest. Denison’s career center is also very valuable. I am also considering Dickinson. I loved the town and it is pretty good for my major. I got pretty good scholarship (30k), but I think I am tunnel visioning and maybe there is a part of me that wants to be far away in Ohio and start a new life. Does anyone have any advice or insight on the programs? Thank you!
Net price at each, and how much can you afford before loans?
You will likely be in grad school with the majors - so good thought.
Affordability, then name.
All three are fine.
Yes, you can look at rank but the truth is, on a brand level, all three will be unknown to most nationally and I’d take that out. And if you want to work for a govt. agency, the where won’t matter.
Money matters - but you have to be somewhere four years, day after day - so you need to be happy with the surrounds - not just the schools.
All three are very good - but it seems Denison and Dickinson might be better for you.
You might ask all three as they are near (not that near) state capitals - do they place for internships - with the latter two closer than Kenyon.
Honestly, where do you feel best - on campus but off - i.e. where can you walk to town and get a break because it sounds important to you.
Factoring in affordability, that’s where you should go.
Hi! I’m currently a Political Science major at Kenyon and I’ve taken a few English classes as well. The Polisci department here is amazing, and I genuinely believe that the quality of education you get here is comparable to the top schools anywhere across the country. The faculty for Psci are great and the Center for the Study of American Democracy hosts a lot of speakers (We had Martin Baron, former Editor of the Washington Post, visit on Wednesday), and you can also intern with CSAD as an associate. In terms of the nearby town, Gambier is small and I would say having a car on campus first year is definitely a must. But if you do have a car, getting to Mount Vernon and Columbus is not very difficult and first year’s are allowed to bring their cars to campus. Have you tried reaching out to see if Kenyon would match your aid from Denison, since they’re peer institutions? If you have any questions about Kenyon feel free to PM me!!
These are all great choices - congratulations! My son graduated from Denison last year, so I am most familiar with that school. In considering whether Denison would be a good fit with your intended major, I suggest you take a look at the descriptions of the Politics & Public Affairs and Journalism programs and also read about the Lugar Program in Politics & Public Affairs (named after Senator Richard Lugar, a Denison alumni), which includes a congressional intern program. These are all highly-regarded programs. (There are also two English majors, although the Journalism program sounds like it might be a better fit with your interests.)
My daughter is a senior at Kenyon, and I just wanted to address your concern regarding its location. It is indeed located in a small village, but there’s so much going on campus–my daughter has been very busy with clubs, music and theater activities + spending time with her friends (not to mention a lot of homework). She’s had an amazing experience there, but I understand the financial concern, and I heard great things about the other two colleges as well. You can’t go wrong with any of them. I think asking Kenyon to match Denison’s offer may be a good idea, it doesn’t hurt to try.
Congratulations on 3 very good acceptances!
With such good choices, you can’t go wrong. 
That being said, it sounds like you’re trying to talk yourself into liking Kenyon because it may be higher ranked?
Both Denison and Dickinson are excellent in their own right, especially for the subjects you’re interested in. If you like them better and they’re less expensive, there’s no downside for you 
I think they are ranked like that:
Kenyon
Denison
Dickinson by some ranking.
However, as mentioned above, most people do not know any of them… Seriously majority of people know Ivy, MIT, and Stanford plus schools in their states or nearby. Do I know much about University of Oregon or Utah? Not really.
People in North have very vague idea about Emory. In south who cares about Hamilton…
So go where it is cheaper and you feel at home.
BTW we visited with DD and she preferred Dickinson over Denison, but really liked Gettysburg after getting top scholarship there. In the end she is attending Rhodes College because of program she is in for BS/DO. All of the above colleges are great 
.