S25 (good but not exceptional high stat student - he’ll end up in the top 40% of his class at a competitive Jesuit college prep high school) and spouse did an all-Ohio trip over the last few days:
Dayton - Same. Felt like a good size, campus was pleasant but nothing jaw-dropping. Dorms, student union and some of the other physical plant felt a bit dated and in need of modernizing. S25 liked the friendliness of the place and all the students met/observed. Completely randomly ran into one of D23’s high school friends, who’s a freshman, on the sidewalk, and she provided more insights. Liked the “off campus” neighborhood, which is mostly university-owned smaller houses that allow kids to move out of the dorms but still feel tethered to the school and undoubtedly are better maintained than private landlord houses. Could see him applying here but it won’t be near the top of the list.
Miami - Up. S25 wasn’t sure about a public school that doesn’t have big-time athletics, but liked that at least hockey’s a big thing here, and I’m sure he’d find a way to get into MAC football and hoops. Campus is gorgeous, though large and spread out. 17k undergrads is a lot but felt manageable, especially given the school’s clear focus on undergrad teaching.
Consistent Georgian architecture and well-laid out quad style of campus was very appealing (esp. to spouse). Farmer School of Business impressed. Both of them liked the specified focus on real world, post-graduate guidance/outcomes. Campus integrated seamlessly with quintessential little college town.
Denison - Up, but… The best thing about campus (set on a big hill, allowing for beautiful views of the surrounding environs, which both spouse and S25 said felt more like Connecticut than Ohio) is also its biggest weakness - there’s no expansive “main quad,” kind of a center of it all place. Everything’s tucked away and cozy because of the tiered verticality of campus. Great for some but a bit of a drawback for S25 as the layout made the campus feel sleepy to him. Disappointed by the student center/union, which could serve some community-building purposes. School’s been in the process of slowly strangling the Greek system, which again is a plus for some but not this particular kid. Slightly preppy/wealthy feel to student body. He’s still to decide if he wants to be an athlete in college, but he’s not quite at the level in his sport to play at Denison, and being a so-called “narp” there doesn’t seem as appealing. For that reason, I’m guessing it comes off his list.
Kenyon - Up. A reach school for S25 academically, though one where in contrast to Denison he could be an athlete (would likely have to get in on his own, however - wouldn’t be a recruit a coach would use many chips on with Admissions). Felt for all the world to spouse like it was a cozy little NESCAC school, or possibly the English countryside, not something in the Midwest. Described to me as “absolutely beautiful.” Outstanding facilities across the board. Student body definitely had a more intellectual vibe than Denison’s. Kenyon presented itself as a classical liberal arts school, more pursuit of knowledge oriented, as opposed to post-college what do you want to do with your life focused.