<p>My DD is a swimmer and avid reader, too. While we were totally impressed by the athletic facilities at Kenyon, the rest of the campus was dark and gloomy in comparison. On the other hand, we were completely blown away by Denison, another D3 swimming powerhouse with great academics and even better merit aid than Kenyon. Make sure you put your boots on the ground at the schools you’re interested in–you can only learn so much by reading–visiting is mandatory!!!</p>
<p>I have never heard anyone call Kenyon “gloomy” before–wow. What kind of day was it when you visited? I tell most people not to visit Kenyon unless they’re sure they want their kid to go there–it’s so gorgeous, it usually dazzles them. That whole Pierce Hall/Hogwarts thing, dontcha know! 
Anyway, since OP is a swimmer and a writer, and finds Wesleyan and Swat appealing, I’d say Kenyon is a terrific match–committed intellectual students with that same borderline hippie vibe. Not sure Denison is gonna have the same academic commitment among the kids, but that could be my Kenyon alum bias showing!</p>
<p>Yes, I’d say Kenyon definitely fits for intellectual (whereas Denison would depend on what niche you find) and is less hippie than Wes but more hippie than Denison. Save the world preppy, as my friend calls it (she was one who visited and fell in love).</p>
<p>^^^ catpb, you must be kidding right? You thought Denison was stronger than Kenyon? What standards are you using? They are not even in the same league. I understand that the gothic architecture at Kenyon does not appeal to everyone but at least it is not run down. Denison has a nice landscaped campus but a lot of old facilities. Seriously, Denison? I understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder but wow, I have never heard them compared before. (for the record, I am not a Kenyon student, alumni or have any other connection to Kenyon other than as a visitor).</p>
<p>I would recommend the following.</p>
<p>Grinnell - highly ranked, very intellectual and great merit aid
Whitman - intellectual and great merit aid
Carleton - highly ranked, very intellectual and only a little merit aid
Denison- intellectual, great merit aid
Oberlin - intellectual, merit aid, highly ranked
Swat- intellectual, no merit aid, highly ranked
Occidental - ranked, intellectual,merit aid
Pomona - intellectual, highly ranked, little to no merit aid</p>
<p>What I have found is that there are very few highly ranked LAC that are highly intellectual schools that also offer merit aid.</p>
<p>Carleton’s merit aid is limited to 3k National Merit, IIRC. Pomona has no merit at all. Swat falls into the “very little” category with the wacky region-limited McCabe scholarship.</p>
<p>^^^BobbyCT, it must have been a while since you visited. Denison has three brand new buildings and looks very nice. Yes, the east end still has the former frat houses but that is part of the history of the place.</p>
<p>Catpb, you are absolutely right about visiting. DD1 visited Denison and Kenyon in the same weekend. Denison was bright and sunny and the school had a huge spread for the visiting students - she absolutely fell in love. Kenyon on the following day was gray and rainy with coffee and mini-muffins for visiting students. After three hours of walking through various buildings in the rain she told me “I will never go here. Can we leave now?” On the other hand DD2 didn’t like Denison and loved Kenyon. It just depends on how the location, student body and architecture affect you.</p>
<p>^^ I was at Denison 12 months ago. There are a few new buildings but I am referring to the existing older academic buildings and dorms. My D did not like Kenyon’s campus, said it seemed haunted and too isolated, but I think people either love or hate the gothic architecture and isolation. I agree that you need to see both campuses for your self. However, from a pure academic standpoint, the schools are not in the same league.</p>
<p>Denison has made huge changes in the last twenty years and is really on the rise. I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to architecture. Although the huge stately stone buildings at Kenyon work for some, others find them dark, dismal and cold. I personally like a mix of buildings in this day and age.</p>
<p>I don’t put a lot of stock into rankings, but USNR ranks Kenyon at 33 and Denison at 53. They are both top tier 1 LAC’s. Their acceptance rates are similar. They have comparable sports as well. I believe Denison offers better merit scholarships too.</p>
<p>My s considered both of those schools as we began our search and quite frankly they were both fairly equal in his eyes academically. We looked at a large cross section of data i/e student profiles, quality of professors, graduation rates ect…</p>
<p>I love Kenyon and it will continue to do well. However, I feel that Denison is only going to get better in the future and has really turned the corner in the last ten years. Definitely worth a look.</p>
<p>I don’t put much stock into rankings, either, but Kenyon > Denison on academics by most reasonable measures. From CB:</p>
<p>Kenyon: 31% AR, 82% OOS, 94% frosh retention, average median SAT approx. 680 CR and 680 M
Denison: 38% AR, 68% OOS, 88% frosh retention, SAT approx. 635 Cr and 625 M</p>
<p>The quick numbers comparison shows that Denison is no slouch but retains some regional bias, has a bit harder time keeping freshmen, and a significantly lower SAT range. The acceptance rate surprises me, given that a school like Macalester has 41% AR, 79% OOS, 92% retention, SAT approx. 690 CR and 670 M.</p>
<p>Denison has excellent merit aid (including full tuition for NMFs) and is indeed on the rise–in 5 or 10 years it may well be a Kenyon, just as Kenyon is no longer the “safety” it was 5 years ago. Kenyon and Macalester are about equal, a notch below Carleton/Grinnell/Oberlin, and Denison is a notch below Kenyon/Macalester.</p>
<p>I think Denison is getting a very large volume of applicants due to its excellent merit scholarship and also due to the many recent changes it has undergone. </p>
<p>Loren Pope wrote some pretty good things about it in “Colleges That Change Lives” and I am sure that is helping too.</p>
<p>I think it accepts a few more on the lower end, but is attracting a lot on the upper end now. I do agree with you that Kenyon and Macalester are a notch below Carelton/Grinnell/Oberlin and Denision is a notch below Kenyon depending on what you are looking for.</p>