Google “alcohol task force” + a college name and you’ll find something similar. I just tried.
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@Lindagaf: You make a good point.
Yes, there is drinking & drug use at these other schools. I suggested that OP consider these schools because they seem to match OP’s interests & all have a significantly larger number of students and, presumably, more alternative activity options. The larger a school, the less impact a “dominant culture” should have on an individual’s activity choices.
No, this is not perfect, but more options & greater diversity numbers should help those who want to engage in non-alcohol or drug related activities.
All college students face choices.
So Kenyon addressed the concerns of campus drinking 4 1/2 years ago and current parents say it is not an issue at this time - yet you continue to speak as though Kenyon is a campus with a large portion of students drinking.
Doesn’t seem like the administration ignored it and nothing in this report shows Kenyon as being different from most campuses.
Maybe it is time for you to visit Kenyon and update your information.
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Whitman is a great school too, and yep, they party.
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The OP is actively seeking a college and would like to understand Kenyon. I don’t think it has been helpful to suggest that you will encounter intoxicated students and vandals at some other colleges, and therefore you will find them at Kenyon too (but you will also find your “tribe”). The OP has stated they are seeking to avoid certain types of predominate social atmospheres. Schools differ, and Kenyon has its own character, about which the OP seeks to learn. My experience with the social environment at Kenyon has been entirely positive, and, having read your posts and attendant concerns, I recommend the school to you, @anxious_senior.
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Of 3,990 colleges & universities reporting crime, 3,661 reported fewer incidents. 2019
Research CC posts from 2005 on regarding student overnight visits at Kenyon College.
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Agreed.
The other thing that has been unhelpful - select posters rephrasing their argument 16 times, either for or against. Please make your point, if you have not yet done so, and move on. If you’ve already expressed your PoV multiple times on this thread, it’s time to read some of the other interesting threads on this site.
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OP, I pm-ed you yesterday. Look for a green number in the upper right corner by your profile.
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I wonder what John Green, Alison Janney and other famous alumni will think of exaggerated mischaracterizations of the school? Notable Alumni | Kenyon College
OP, I sincerely hope that if you are still reading this thread, you aren’t put off by this post. I know several Kenyon grads. One is the son of a very close friend. He had a fantastic experience, graduated recently, and is currently working in IB. His girlfriend from Kenyon is doing a PHD at a HYPS-caliber school. They have nothing but great things to say.
Bottom line: you will receive an excellent education and be amongst intelligent students who love the beauty of the campus and are happy to be there.
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The problem I’m having here is that while the OP has raised a couple of red-flag issues with two of the colleges she’s interested in, I still have no idea what drew her to those two colleges in the first place. OP - if you like Kenyon, why would you prefer Bryn Mawr over Haverford?
And, on a scale of 1-10, with ten representing intimate knowledge and zero representing the distant sound of an axe grinding, I would assign a value of 10 to the mother of a recent graduate and maybe a grudging 5 to a non-graduate who’s basing everything they say on internet sources.
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Mother of a recent graduate here (class of 2020.) My daughter had a fantastic experience at Kenyon. She had a healthy social life that included various social outings with friends, day trips to Columbus and Cleveland, concerts, plays and lectures at Kenyon, and sometimes parties as well. She was involved in several clubs, and enjoyed supporting her friends when they performed in campus musical and theatrical groups. Academically she enjoyed a great mix of classes in several departments, all were taught by excellent, engaging professors and included dynamic discussion and instruction. I would characterize her time there both academically and socially as a beautiful mix of experiences. She absolutely loved the school and received an excellent education. She never felt pressured to drink or party, and did not feel that the party culture was excessive.
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I started my search looking at small liberal arts schools in driving distance from home, and that narrowed down my options quite a bit. Schools I am still considering include Oberlin, Swarthmore, and maybe Vassar, and of course Bryn Mawr and Kenyon
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I am a Kenyon alum and although it’s been over 15 years since I graduated, I think I can still weigh in! I believe you will find other like-minded non-drinkers at Kenyon and be able to have a great time, especially if you get involved in campus activities and events.
Since you said your ideal weekend “staying in and watching a movie or debating politics with friends” I’d say that is something you could definitely do at Kenyon. If you said your ideal weekend was trying a new restaurant or going to see a movie in a theater, well, I’d be less inclined to think Kenyon is a good fit!
Kenyon also offers substance free housing for upperclassmen, though not for freshman, since all freshman dorms are technically substance free!
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But are the frosh dorms at least as substance free as the substance free upper class housing in actual practice?
I was a student when Colin died. It was a heartbreaking time for the Kenyon community.
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Well, I can only speak from personal experience and things might have changed… Drinking, smoking, and any other drugs were not allowed in freshman dorms, but it probably won’t come as a surprise to many that some (but not all!) students drank in the freshman dorms anyway. Students would get written up for it if caught by campus security or an RA. This generally meant a meeting with a dean and a slap on the wrist the first time, and more serious penalties and/or substance abuse counseling if more infractions occurred for underage students.
I think this is all pretty typical of most colleges, especially small liberal arts schools where there are not a lot of bars for students to go to… The couple of bars in Gambier were pretty strict about ID-ing students, from my memory, so most people who went to a bar were 21 and up (back then).
So I suppose a student who does not want to be involved with partying/ substances could end up in the awkward situation of having a freshman roommate who is drinking in the room despite the rules. This might be worth a conversation with admissions/ housing with after acceptance. Perhaps there is a way to request a roommate who is equally as committed to a substance-free experience. A more recent student would know how that works. There are also a few singles available in the freshman quad, which might be a good option!
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Here are two 2018 commentaries written by students about the party scene at Kenyon:
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I disagree and would put it differently. The OP was clear that she likes Kenyon - a lot - and has this one concern.
Finding her “tribe” is IMO quite relevant to her question about having a social life. Agree with @circuitrider 's point that the parents of recent grads is the gold standard of persuasive opinion in this thread. But for others, like me, who can’t put themselves in those shoes, the next best thing we might offer is sufficiently analogous experiences at similar schools. So that’s why I brought up my non-partier attending a LAC that has a reputation for partying, including a few widely publicized incidents. It’s at least as well calibrated to provide a relevant point of view for the OP as citing lists of high drinking colleges that Kenyon is not on. Morever, “predominant culture” is not something easy to nail down with any precision.
The other comments about similar issues at other schools were responsive to the idea shared here that the Kenyon-type schools are hot spots for these issues. I thought that was pretty clear.
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Agreeing with @cquin85 that no one is trying to gild the lily and paint Kenyon as something it isn’t. There are clearly people who drink and one can safely assume there are people there who drink to excess. The question is whether it is therefore logical to draw the conclusion that no one at Kenyon does anything else for fun? I find that highly implausible based on my own experience at another LAC known for its party atmosphere and based on the reporting of a mother of a recent Kenyon grad.
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That’s the question? Because that seems rhetorical. I’m sure the OP realizes that it is illogical “to draw the conclusion that no one at Kenyon does anything else for fun,” other than drink to excess. Of course some kids do other things for fun. Of course some of the children of posters here did other things for fun.
I may be mistaken, but I assumed the question was more subtle, and involved an honest assessment of the predominate social culture on campus, if there is one. Does partying predominate? Are a significant percentage of students regularly partaking in activities other than partying? Will students who don’t party feel like they relate to the bulk of their classmates?
Some kids are perfectly comfortable in their niche, even if it runs counter to the prevailing culture. But some prefer a place where the predominate culture/peronality of a place is more in line with who they are.
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