<p>I have a DD who will be starting Kenyon in a couple of weeks and I was just wondering if anyone had an idea of the percentage of freshman who have a car on campus. Thanks.</p>
<p>I would go with 20-30%, I know it is a large range, but not something that I have seen actual #'s posted for, so I had to think about it. I would call security and ask since they know the # of permits given to frosh each year. That said, why do you ask?</p>
<p>If you are thinking of letting your daughter have a car on campus, don't, unless you are within an easy drive home on breaks(8hrs max). Otherwise she can borrow a car, hitch a ride with friends, or use the shuttle and save lots of money. Also, if money is no object, then let her have a car, a new AWD luxury sedan would be a nice choice for Gambier.</p>
<p>also, you should consider the fact that freshman have to park in the remote lot, which is a ~25 minute walk from the freshman quad, so it is not exactly convenient to access your car.</p>
<p>I'm bringing a car to Kenyon and I'll be a freshman this year. I really don't see cost as an issue if your daughter already has a car. Parking is only $100 for the entire year. I've received information from Kenyon saying that security will give students a ride to the remote lot to eliminate the long walk. If you're in the market for a car a luxury car is obviously not appropriate for an 18 year old. AWD isn't necessary either unless she is entirely new to driving in snow. It really isn't difficult at all. I've been doing it for a few years with RWD and haven't had any trouble.</p>
<p>Kam,</p>
<p>I did say "if money is no object". An AWD luxo sedan would be safe, fast, and make you look badass, especially if you went for the coupe :)</p>
<p>"obviously not appropriate"....you might be in for a slight shock if you feel this strongly...did you talk to a variety of Kenyon students? I agree that it is not best to spoil an 18yr old, but I think many K students/parents don't agree.</p>
<p>RWD is terrible in winter without dedicated snow tires. I hope you have an amazing sports car, otherwise you are an idiot for having RWD for your general driving safety (unless you have electronic stability control). Just something to think about...</p>
<p>As per costs, general maintenance and insurance will add up over 4 years if you are not using your car much (not to mention car value depreciation). As such, I stick by my statement that you shouldn't bring a car unless you are driving it home on breaks or don't care about wasting money. This is especially true for remote lot, there is no way you are going to wait for security to bring you down there all the time.</p>
<p>Yeah I do realize that most students I'm going to meet will be very well off and spoiled. That has been my one and only con in choosing Kenyon. I very much hate people who have worked for nothing and have no grasp of the real world because of it. I do recognize that everyone upper middle class and up are not like this, but in my experience most have been.
As far as snow driving goes I did it for 3 years with RWD and no snow tires or traction control. I had no accidents, no driveoffs, not even a door ding. I'm not an idiot. I just practice a nearly lost art form called good driving. I could teach you if you'd like.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that due to its small size, Gambier roads often go unplowed after snowstorms for a longer amount of time than larger cities. Honda Accords/Toyota Camrys/Corrollas seem to do well out there.</p>
<p>Just my opinion, but I think you are all making too big an issue of the snow. I grew up in an area a lot colder and snowier than Gambier and can promise you any car can be driven in small to moderate snow storms as long as the driver knows how the car is likely to respond and goes slowly. Furthermore, I have a hard time believing that any student at Kenyon is going to be making a lot of trips in the winter that couldn't be put off for several hours if they didn't feel safe driving in the conditions. It would, for a few reasons, be better to have a front wheel drive car, but whatever you have would be fine. One other thing, Kam that's an interesting prejudice to take knowing you will be meeting people who will mostly be from upper-middle class families. Also, take a light RWD car into 4 or more inches of snow and you're screwed (trust me I'd know) but you just have to learn any car's limits as yo indicated. I guess my key point is you aren't going to be going off roading if you have a RWD car, so like Kam said, know how to drive it an she'll be fine.</p>
<p>Exactly. Thank You nordicskiracer. I've been living somewhere with more snow too. I can tackle up to 6 inches and after that I have to add weight to the back to keep from fishtailing at 20.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. It seems since my DD will be far enough from home that it's not practical for her to bring a car, and not all that necessary. But, for what it's worth, having lived in Connecticut for a decade,(we're not there anymore) there's no way I'd want to drive in any kind of snowy climate without AWD, but that's probably just me being middle aged!</p>
<p>haha...
no offense but your probably right
I live way north of CT, everyone in my high school had a car, and I'd say maybe 40% have awd or a 4WD (which I'd rather have) but it's obviously your call.
hope your daughter really enjoys Kenyon</p>
<p>mol saidd-
a new AWD luxury sedan would be a nice choice for Gambier.
and
"obviously not appropriate"....you might be in for a slight shock if you feel this strongly...did you talk to a variety of Kenyon students? I agree that it is not best to spoil an 18yr old, but I think many K students/parents don't agree.</p>
<p>Prompts a question: </p>
<p>Are there lots of fancy luxury cars around Kenyon? Isnt the kenyon vibe supposed to be writers and artists, maybe even starving?</p>
<p>So about half the students have cars at Kenyon. A previous poster asked about prevalence of cars for freshmen. </p>
<p>From usnr2008:</p>
<p>Are all students permitted to have cars on campus?
Yes
Students who have cars on campus
45%</p>
<p>Nearest airport location(s) (miles):
Columbus, OH (45), Cleveland, OH (90)
Nearest passenger train station (miles):
Cleveland, OH (90)
Nearest bus station (miles):
Columbus, OH (45)
Public transportation serves campus?
No</p>
<p>There are not tons of super fancy cars, but very nice, yes. From my experience, the students with the most money were English, history or art majors, def no starving artists. I don't think more than a handful of Kenyon students come from any sort of extreme poverty..maybe a few hand fulls, but I guess a new goal is to increase socioeconomic diversity on campus.</p>
<p>I guess I should clarify that north campus is more writer/artist based, and south campus is more preppy frat type.</p>
<p>Maybe this excerpt from Princeton Review will help (I agree with this statement):</p>
<p>Student Body
A stereotypical Kenyonian is "generally very smart but not pretentious." Most students are "rich, White, and Democratic," which might explain why they "spend lots of money trying to look like they don't have that much money." Kenyon students "love to party, and [are] generally involved in music, sports, or theater." On this "liberal," "laid-back" campus, students are "not competitive" and describe each other as "seriously friendly." People here "take academics very seriously, but also enjoy social lives." They also have a "wide variety of interests. It's not unusual to see a neuroscience major paired with a dance minor." As one student sums up, "The 'Kenyon Quirk' is something you hear of oftenin that way, everyone is atypical, as it is typical to be different. Hippies, collar-poppers, girlie-girls, goths, nerds, and introverts all find their place at Kenyon."</p>