<p>My D16 is just beginning to look at colleges and is really attracted to Kenyon. We live in the Pacific Northwest and may not ever be able to visit Kenyon. Can those of you who have and have also visited PNW schools tell me which are most like Kenyon (and why)? We will be looking at Lewis and Clark, Reed and Wilamette this week. We can see Whitman and the Seattle area schools relatively easily. D is biochemically a writer. She may study Psych or Bio or English, but she needs to write. Thanks for your help!</p>
<p>have her apply to the kenyon fall fly-in program. they cover airfare, food, etc</p>
<p>Thanks collegebound! But I’m not seeing that (<a href=“http://www.kenyon.edu/visit-kenyon/admissions-events/”>http://www.kenyon.edu/visit-kenyon/admissions-events/</a>). How does a student apply?</p>
<p>I lived in Seattle for 18 years, now live in Ohio, and my dad is a Kenyon grad. I have visited Kenyon numerous times (in fact, I just saw a baseball game there this past Saturday). So, I do have some perspective on this.</p>
<p>Kenyon is totally unique, especially regarding “vibe.” I have visited Whitman, University of Puget Sound, Pacific Lutheran, and Seattle University. Kenyon has little in common with those schools. From what I have heard about Reed College, it would not be similar either. Whitman and Reed are about the same size as Kenyon and both have similarly bright students, but that is about it.</p>
<p>The Kenyon campus is relatively remote and feels like the greatest summer camp ever devised. Unless a student really loves city life, they will have little need to leave campus. The village of Gambier is actually so intertwined with the college that it is hard to know when you have left one and entered the other. Gambier is as lovely as the campus. The city of Mt. Vernon is about five miles away and unfortunately has little to offer other than a nice little farmer’s market in the spring and fall.</p>
<p>Because it is so remote, Kenyon is best for students who are very serious about studying. Also, it is getting harder and harder to gain admission to. See the following:
<a href=“http://kenyoncollegianonline.com/2014/01/23/applications-soar-for-class-of-2018/”>http://kenyoncollegianonline.com/2014/01/23/applications-soar-for-class-of-2018/</a></p>
<p>Kenyon is a great school for writers. Has been so for decades. And part of the reason is that there are so few distractions.</p>
<p>If your daughter does decide that Kenyon really truly is the college for her, then she might consider applying “early decision.” BUT ONLY if she is certain about it, AND if you know that you can afford it. Generally, acceptance rates for ED at Kenyon have been almost double the rate for regular decision. So, that might help her chances.</p>
<p>Thanks, though I doubt she will be able to apply ED because we will need to compare FA offers.</p>
<p>My S was accepted ED to Kenyon this December. He also is wired to write, or anything that involves words. He felt there was no other school that was similar to Kenyon, that is why he applied ED. We also needed FA and Kenyon’s package was VERY generous. </p>
<p>My older S and I visited all the PNW schools and I would say that Whitman would be the only one that would even come close, and I agree with NROTCgrad that they really aren’t that similar. Kenyon is just one of those schools where you can’t say, " if you like Kenyon you would also like…,". It is unbelievably unique. It is pure paradise for the lover of words. The place smells like books!!! </p>
<p>I almost never advise applying ED. Only if the college is perfect, and you can afford it, and it is hard to get in. So, don’t do it if you have any reservations about it.</p>
<p>We also lived in the pac NW and my daughter is a student at Kenyon. We visited all the schools on your list and none was like Kenyon - especially Whitman. It is worth it to send her across the country, she is extremely happy and challenged.</p>
<p>^^^^That’s interesting. How specifically did you find Whitman different from Kenyon? We never got out to Whitman on a visit so I am curious.</p>
<p>I’m glad we saw Willamette, L&C and Reed in that order. They got more appealing to D as we went on. Reed seemed smart and quirky and a nice level of academic to D. L&C seemed maybe too pre-professional and manicured (my thought, not D’s), W ended up feeling outclassed by the others. Downsides of Reed: maybe too small? And what’s with all of the cigarettes? All of those twenty year olds who seem to put no value on health or self control (and are they self medicating in other ways?). Also, the four year grad rate is not great.</p>
<p>Is it the student body or the course of study (both?) that makes Kenyon so different from Reed and Whitman?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Kenyon students are not smokers. I was just at Kenyon a week ago. Did not see any smokers, and have not in my dozen or so visits over the past six years.</p>
<p>The typical Kenyon student is upper middle class, down to earth and unpretentious. Definitely tend to be on the liberal side, politically and socially – but not activist or counter-culture. Almost seems like a campus of introverts. Or at least introverts can be very happy there.</p>
<p>Campus is very nice. Rural and set on a hill. Not “manicured” but well maintained. (see my comments from the 16th) Mostly older granite stone buildings, but a few newer mixed in. Some classes are actually held in houses located in the village of Gambier; which is one reason it is hard to distinguish between Gambier and the Kenyon campus.</p>
<p>Academics are top notch. Writing is one Kenyon’s core strengths. Probably among the top ten colleges (or higher) for writing programs.</p>
<p>finalchild, I’ve never been to Kenyon, but I’ve been to Whitman several times and have an S in attendance. Based on NROTCgrad’s description I’d say that Kenyon and Whitman have many similarities and a few notable differences.</p>
<p>“The typical Kenyon student is upper middle class, down to earth and unpretentious. Definitely tend to be on the liberal side, politically and socially – but not activist or counter-culture. Almost seems like a campus of introverts. Or at least introverts can be very happy there.”</p>
<p>The majority of students at Whitman come from the same demographic as those at Kenyon, but as noted many other places, LAC’s have their own personalities. While you’ll find introverts at Whitman, the campus as a whole feels like a haven for extraverted, active people who are willing to try new things, and the school culture encourages that. There is always a lot going on: the outdoor program is award winning and well loved, facilitating outdoor experiences for novices and experts; club and IM sports are popular; and clubs of every kind thrive. Academics are great, the sciences are very strong, but so are the arts, especially theater and music. Writing is omnipresent, good writing skills are required in every class, but it doesn’t have the focus on a writing program that Kenyon does. Walla Walla is charming and bigger than Gambier, with more amenities close by for students, but it’s still far from big city life and it’s this small town environment that fosters the closely knit community that Whitman’s famous for.</p>
<p>Hmmmm… thanks bobampo on that description of Whitman. It’s funny my S applied ED to Kenyon and got accepted but he REALLY struggled with applying ED to Whitman before his Kenyon visit. Kenyon’s big pull was the writing program and the theater program. Whitman also has a fantastic theater program, but after heavy analysis of both schools, Kenyon’s just felt like a better fit for him. But, he REALLY had a hard time giving up Whitman’s outddorsy vibe.He just felt Kenyon’s outdoor activities were lacking, but was willing to overlook that and hopefully find some like minded kids who like to be active and adventuresome. </p>
<p>I’m a litttle worried about NROTCgrad’s comment about the “school full of introvert’s” because my S is anything but an introvert. He is probably about as outgoing kid as your ever going to find. He usually is surrounded by a group of kids at all times. HE didn’t get that impression on his overnight…but he was with a theater guy, so maybe that is why.He will not be happy of everyone is shy and introverted. I’m thinking he will find some extraverts though. I think of Kenyon’s student body as, outgoing, free spirited, unpretentious, ridiculously smart, witty, cleaver, inclusive and really, really nice. </p>
<p>@5boys
“He will not be happy of everyone is shy and introverted… I think of Kenyon’s student body as, outgoing, free spirited, unpretentious, ridiculously smart, witty, cleaver, inclusive and really, really nice.”</p>
<p>Personally, I do not equate introversion with shyness. Shyness has to do with confidence, and Kenyon students seem plenty confident. Introversion, according to psychological theory, means that you get your energy from your own inner resources. Extraverts get their energy from other people and external events. Plus, I speak on a comparative level. I live in Ohio, and extraverts here are somewhat loud and opinionated (and heavily influenced by the religion of football). :-? </p>
<p>Statistically, introverts are about 25% of the population. I would think that Kenyon is more like 50%. So, I suspect your son will be fine. I think that Kenyon students might seem a little more introverted, because they really are “nice.” Not in an etiquette book sort of way, but in the sense that very few Kenyon students would ever be “in your face” about politics and religion, etc…</p>
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<p>I like the sound of this. D is basically an introvert but LOVES hanging out with a wide variety of kids as described by 5boys. I’m thinking if she feels like she can cope with Walla Walla (coming from Seattle) then she can cope with Gambier. We’ll check out Whitman in the Fall. </p>
<p>I really appreciate hearing from all of you!</p>
<p>You seem very smart NROTCgrad</p>
<p>I am not especially smart (really). However, I have read a couple of books which address the issues about introverts and extraverts. Being an introvert myself, I have felt that introverts often get treated as though they have a problem. This is one reason that I have looked into the difference between being shy and being an introvert. As examples of the difference, it is generally acknowledged that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln were all introverts. None was considered shy. John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, plus both Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt were extraverts. So, a person can be equally successful as either an introvert or extravert.</p>
<p>Getting back to Kenyon… Because it is a rural college and is very quiet, plus has a relatively high level of natural beauty, I think that introverts find the campus to be very amenable to their personalities (especially if they have the personality of a writer). Also extraverts, I think, find it easier to be more reflective and thoughtful. So, even extraverts are quieter, perhaps, than they might be at a larger more urban campus.</p>
<p>I had more to my post but don’t know what happened?? I really liked your inrovert and extravert descriptions NROTCgrad. I have never had it explained this way and it makes a lot of sense. It’s funny that a lot of peoplle were surprised by my S’'s choice, as they thought K too small for my outgoing kid, but it felt just right to him.Explained this way I think my S is a little of both. He is very happy being by himself and doing things alone, very comfortable in his own skin( another way I would describe Kenyon students). But he also really likes people and having a big group of friends around. I think he will be just fine at K:)</p>