<p>What is my liklihood of getting accepted at Kenyon? Also, how likely am I to get fin aid? How is the financial aid here? </p>
<p>Thankyou!!</p>
<p>I am a high school junior. I have a 4.22 on a 4.0 scale (3.98 unweighted). I got a 28 on the ACT, but I am retaking it soon. I am ranked 20ish in a class of 530. A few of my literary works were published in our school's literary magazine and I am a reporter and HR manager of our school's student newpaper. Also, I am president of our school's Diversity Club, member of NHS, and co-founder/vice president of Creativity Club (formerly the corresponding secretary of History Club and a member of Art Club, but both of them were canceled last year). I participate in competitive artistic roller skating and practice about three hours a day six days per week, with this I have won eight national and regional metals and this year I won Leslie Elder Michigan Skater of the Year. For community service (I do at least 11 hours/week), I work as an assistant for my former chemistry teacher once a week, I volunteer at the Michigan Humane Society every weekend, I teach a roller skating for beginner and advanced classes, and I volunteer and job shadow at the hospital near my house (which is nationally ranked) every Friday. Also, last summer I did a medical program at Michigan Tech, this summer I am doing the medical program at U of MD with the National Student Leadership Conference. This summer I also plan on teaching French to elementary school kids. </p>
<p>Classes: Jr yr: (I took AP US History sophomore year) AP Gov, Honors English, Independent Study: Physiology (alot of research involved), Genetics/Evolution, Advanced Journalism, Alg 2, French 3, Physics</p>
<p>Tenative classes for Sr yr: AP English, AP Bio, Advanced Journalism, Psychology, Epidemology, French 4, Pre Calc/Trig</p>
<p>If you were my kid, I would encourage you to apply. Kenyon is a great school. </p>
<p>As far as financial aid..... I wouldn't count on any merit aid. My daughter's stats were significantly higher that what you told us, but she did not get any. I'm guessing she is smack dab in the center of the class. BUT who knows, you might be offering them something that they want and no one else has. Not sure how they evaluate need based aid.</p>
<p>If you need merit aid, aim for schools where you are in the top 25% of the entering first year class. D received a significant scholarship from a school where her scores/ grades/ rank blew everyone else away. If money is a primary issue, it's not a bad strategy.</p>
<p>Just my thoughts.. for whatever they are worth. (which is not a whole lot since I'm not on the admission's committee.)</p>
<p>My daughter loved Kenyon. She had a 32 ACT, 4.2 weighted GPA, great extracurriculars, and showed a passionate interest in Kenyon. They awarded her a $7,000 "honors" scholarship. With the overall cost being above $40,000, Kenyon remained unaffordable for our family. She ended up at the College of Wooster with triple the merit aid, and is as happy as happy can be. (She's a sophomore now.)</p>
<p>It is important to note that Kenyon is an Ivy backup for many students, and that they would be likely to have an ACT higher than 32, along with everything else being amazing. It is possible some of the best scholarships are being offered to those students, and that they choose not to attend. Large scholarships are also awarded heavily to students showing a very strong interest in certain majors (college wants more of them), or those with the widest overall talents/potential. I agree that applying to LACs perhaps one tier lower in the "rankings" will yield very nice merit offers.</p>
<p>I agree with you completely, MolBioAce06. We didn't expect a large merit scholarship from Kenyon, based on our daughter's ACT, grades, etc. The competition for those are undoubtedly very fierce. We were thrilled that she was accepted at all, and flattered with the "honors" scholarship. Still, the school wasn't affordable for us, so we looked elsewhere.</p>
<p>I wish Kenyon did have more merit aid available for her and many other students...I too agree that 7K a year doesn't help much. I'm glad she is enjoying Wooster, I have heard it is nice.</p>
<p>Yes, Wooster is wonderful, though without the thrilling gothic beauty of Kenyon. Our younger daughter (35 ACT, 1540/2290 SAT) might have qualified for more merit money, but didn't like the isolated location of Gambier. Ironically, she now attends Carleton, in Northfield, MN--pretty much as rural as Kenyon.</p>
<p>I live 30mins from Carelton...rather chilly this time of year! Just out of curiosity, what is your daughter's major or intended major? I also like Northfield, although most of my time there has been spent at Saint Olaf across the road.</p>
<p>He he MolBioAce... I live 45 minutes from Kenyon, but my hubby is a St. Olaf graduate.</p>
<p>To keep this post on topic.. :) :D :) One remarkable girl (32 ACT) we know at Kenyon only got $7M, too, even after finishing the English AP series at her school in 9th grade! (She did college classes and independent study since.) This made the fact that my daughter got zilch a "bit" more palatable.</p>
<p>MolBioAce06--My daughter is a freshman, with no idea what her major will be. She loves theater, astronomy, history, you name it. Hopefully, she'll find her way over the next four years. She does occasionally wander over to St. Olaf to hear a speaker or see a performance of some sort. Wonderful town, Northfield, with two fine LACs. But minus-two degrees tomorrow--which I'm sure you're painfully aware of! ... As for Kenyon, I still mourn the fact that there will never be a Lord or Lady in our family. I loved Kenyon, not only for its beauty and quality academics, but for the fact that it was only a 3-hour drive from where we live in central Kentucky. I could have visited my daughter(s) far more frequently than I now am able to do. Hmmmm. Maybe they're better off where they are, ya think?</p>
<p>You could still have a grandson/daughter attend Kenyon ;) As per the visits, I agree it would be nice to have them closer, but hopefully they will come back for breaks and spend quality time at home. I just moved back from NC in late fall, so -2 was cold at first, but after spending a few months here, it is not bad; however, it does make 25 degrees feel warm. The worst days are the few -15 freezers with 40mph winds. I now understand why you like race horses, have you been to the Derby? We have Canterbury Park here with races May-Sept, not quite on the same level, but still fun. Also, has your d discovered the massive amount of shopping in the Twin Cities, including the Mall of America?</p>
<p>She's discovered a wonderful music and theater scene there, but she's not much of a shopper. (I'm so blessed!) Yes, I've been to the Derby twice. It was fun, but not worth the headaches. I enjoy the Derby "experience" much more in the comfort of my own living room, though my husband attends every year since he's the editor of a racing publication. ... I'm feeling a bit guilty because we've wandered off the Kenyon point of this thread! By the way, "Hindoo" won the 1881 Kentucky Derby.</p>
<p>I'm wondering how I lucked into this thread since my D is very interested in Kenyon, Wooster, Olaf, & Carleton. I'd love to know how you all see the differences between these 4 schools. </p>
<p>We wonder: Are Wooster & Olaf as strong as Kenyon & Carleton academically? Does Olaf lean a bit conservative or is it more middle-of-the-road? </p>
<p>We're looking for merit scholarships, & it sounds like Kenyon wouldn't offer much & we know that Carleton only offers the $1,000 - $2,000 for NMF. So, we are hoping that Olaf & Wooster are colleges with strong academics & wonderful communities, & that our D might really like them & feel that they "fit" for her.</p>
<p>The best merit aid I have seen at Kenyon for anyone other than their top of the top was $7,000. There are people who love wooster. My daughters went there for a summer program and I FOUND IT ok, it was a bit white bread for our tastes. I expect that they would offer good merit aid to your D, from what I know of her. :D Without anything concrete guiding this, I would expect Wooster and St. Olaf to be about the same politically, as I would see Kenyon and Carleton. Granted I have NOTHING to base that upon. </p>
<p>Sounds like she is looking at some great schools.</p>
<p>We haven't found Wooster to be "white bread" at all--at least not in its academics. If you mean that the majority of students there are "white," that, unfortunately, seems true of most small liberal arts college--including Kenyon, Carleton, and St. Olaf. Look at the stats. Otherwise, I agree with you, mallomar. They're a great group of schools. Kenyon and Carleton (our youngest is a Carl) are both famously liberal campuses. Wooster is left-leaning, but not as politically active as the other two. St. Olaf, I don't know. It's a dry campus, with a good theater department--but that's about all I know.</p>
<p>I received more than 7K/yr merit aid (academic only) and that was back in 2002, and some of my other science major friends were getting honors scholarships worth a lot more than that. I never talked with my other friends (humanities) about scholarships, so I can't speak on those majors and fin aid. Yes, Kenyon will still be insanely expensive, but you can always try if you are a strong student and see what happens $ wise.</p>
<p>Saint Olaf is a fine school, I was awarded a decent amount of scholarship $ from them, but passed since it was close to home and also not as good of deal as Kenyon overall/poorer in academics.</p>
<p>I would put Wooster and Olaf a tier lower than Kenyon and Carleton academically, based on not just guidebooks, but students I know from each college and my experiences in general. Basically your daughter will get a great education and overall experience at any of these schools.</p>
<p>Lastly, Olaf is quite a bit more conservative than Kenyon and Carleton, but leans towards the middle more than some ultra conservative places.</p>
<p>I guess when I said white bread... we didn't see or experience anything too different or special about it that made it stand out from other schools. That may or may not be true depending on particular programs. There was just nothing about it that stood out for our kids, but I am sure that differs student to student.</p>
<p>MolBioAce06--You and your friends must have been beyond brilliant. In my daughter's high school graduating class (2006), four students applied and were accepted at Kenyon. All were absolute academic all-stars, and each received a $7,000 scholarship. Only one ended up attending, and only after aggressively petitioning for more money. ... I've often wondered what amazing things one would have had to achieve in order to win a more substantial award at Kenyon!</p>