Help with Ohio Visit Decision: Denison vs. Ohio Wesleyan vs. College of Wooster (or something else?)

College Search & Selection
1

We have a visit planned to Ohio (starting in Columbus and ending in Cleveland) that already includes Kenyon, Oberlin and CWRU, but there is time to strategically slip in visits to two of the following three colleges, all of which caught our interest by virtue of being amongst the “Colleges that Change Lives.”

Priorities include strength in the sciences, not-too-competitive opportunities to play and enjoy music, and a diverse, engaged student body where all kinds of perspectives are welcome. Not into the Greek scene or rah-rah school spirit or sports.

Thoughts on which two of the three we should focus on? Or an entirely different school altogether that’s along the same route?

Many thanks

2

IMO Denison’s the best out of the three academically. I’ve also heard lots of good things about Wooster, though nothing about Wesleyan (Ohio).

3

For science definitely Wooster with its mentored undergrad research (a hidden gem) and then Denison.

4

You will most certainly not be disappointed if you visit Denison. Gorgeous campus, very nice students, professors and staff.

5

All three are worth a visit and very similar (although they take great pains to differentiate themselves from one another). Notably, all three have generous merit aid packages. Denison is the “preppiest” of the three with a cute, tiny town (Granville). Ohio Wesleyan students tend to be sporty. Wooster students self-describe as “curious” and “quirky.” All three are incredibly friendly campuses (which also seems to be true of Ohio in general - it’s definitely a “midwest” vibe at these three schools).

6

Thanks all. Curious and quirky definitely sounds like more of a fit than either sporty or preppy, but as long as there’s a mix, it’s OK. Thinking Wooster’s a definite visit (and geographically that works well with the rest of our plans). Down to Denison vs. Ohio Weslyan and it seems as if Denison’s getting more votes. Eager for any other input, including how best to take in any of these schools apart from the usual info session/tour offerings. Thank you!

7

All three allow prospective students to sit in on classes (Denison’s website even has a list of which classes are open to visitors for each day/time so you can see your choices), although you generally have to make arrangements ahead of time with the admissions office. The schools will also usually arrange for prospective students (and parents) to meet with or have a meal with specific people (e.g. members of a club or activity that is of particular interest). Again, the earlier you make that request, the easier it is for them to honor it.

8

For quirky, noncompetitive, and no frat/sorority life, you might want to check out Earlham, which is the first exit off the interstate in Indiana coming from Ohio; I don’t know anything about sciences there. Ohio Wesleyan seems strong in science and I thought that the town of Delaware was pretty cute and right at the doorstep of the campus. College of Wooster requires a senior thesis in order to graduate, so that’s something to consider in terms of your son’s strengths and interests.

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Thanks, I’ll definitely look into that. I meant more specific to each college – a hangout area, a special feature, something that really speaks to the individuality of the college. (I know some of that is highlighted on tours, too – just looking for extra perspectives to make the most of this expedition.)

10

We’ve visited both Denison and Wooster – and as a parent, I think they each have a lot to offer. Denison struck me, after about 6-8 LAC visits, as one of the most obviously diverse student bodies we have seen, and the “types” seemed to co-exist/mingle comfortably. Denison has 30% Greek life, non-residential (no frat houses) with spring rush of freshman year. FYI, Kenyon has about the same greek life participation, with spring rush, so same as Denison, but students in a frat/sorority are housed together in Kenyon dorms. Denison is a lovely campus, up on a hill from the town, and the town/village is charming.

Wooster felt more spread out as a campus, with some town streets running through part of campus, so to get to the athletic center, you cross a mildly busy street (mildly – you might have to wait for 3 cars to pass). The independent research project for everyone is a plus, from a parent’s perspective, but may not appeal to everyone. Admissions at Wooster was very warm, it seemed like the norm was one family per tour guide, and they do not do info sessions, as they said they would rather sit down individually to address questions. It struck me as a well-run, well-organized place, with enthusiastic students.

Students at both Denison and Wooster seemed pretty middle of the road, though Denison has the reputation as more sporty and preppy (more east coast). Keep in mind, Kenyon certainly has a sport element – the athletic facility is incredible, and swimming is a BIG deal there, and some other sports are pushing their way up the rankings, though again, it seems to be a campus where lots of types co-exist comfortably.

Oberlin struck us (take it with a grain of salt) as the least conventional student body of those four schools. My kid is a musician, who does not want to major in it in college but could want to continue to be involved. Oberlin could be either a dream or a challenge for my kid – a community which values music deeply as an expressive art form – but the best opportunities are in the Conservatory. Oberlin students can audition to take lessons from Con faculty, but students suggested that it is quite extraordinary for a non-Con kid to get accepted for lessons with a Con prof. However, non-Con kids can easily take lessons from upper level Con students, and there are ensembles reserved for non-Con kids. So a musically rich community, but not a community of amateurs. In some ways, the other schools seemed like environments where a music kid could continue to be more easily involved without being a major.

A long way of saying, all terrific schools, each with a distinct feel. Enjoy your visit!

11

All are very good LACs (except CWR, which obviously is not a college-sized institution). I believe Ohio Wesleyan is a sometimes overlooked jewell, if its cultural fits a student’s desires:
a. Small (~1900 students)
b. Demanding academics (far tougher to graduate than to matriculate)
c. Excellent, long-standing reputation (170+ years of producing truly solid citizens and professionals . . . at one time, and maybe still, OWU had the highest national percentage of advanced degree recipients)
d. Generous financial aid (including merit)
e. Forever “Colleges that Change Lives” honoree
f. Enduring traditions of public service, of liberalism, and of a classic liberal arts education
g. No TAs (essentially every professors is a “PhD/teacher first,” not an academic researcher or an author of articles and books)
h. Places members of each class in the nation’s best law, medical, business, divinity, graduate, etc. schools
i. Excellent “town - gown” community relationship
j. Delaware is a nice Columbus suburb, but also a small city with a village-like feeling and environment
k. Great diversity and international focus

12

When it comes to great LACs, it is an embarrassment of riches in Ohio! We visited all 6 of these institutions with our D in the past year. Family members have attended 3 of them and worked at 1. D ended up applying to Denison and Wooster, and has been accepted at both with terrific merit aid. Because they are all so good, each with their own strengths, the best way to differentiate them is by visiting.

CWRU is like a large LAC with a research university attached. A really great arrangement, with a lot of excellent off-campus opportunities close by. IMO, only Oberlin comes close in easy access to significant culture and entertainment. D found Oberlin too quirky for her comfort level, and in some ways it is the least pretty campus. If you connect with the student vibe, though, I’m not sure there is anywhere else quite like it in the Midwest.

Denison, Wooster and Kenyon all have similarities (conventionally gorgeous small LAC campuses, top notch faculty) but there are differences, as well. Kenyon is approaching the top tier LACs in admission selectivity. I’m not sure Fiske has caught on to this yet, since apps increased so dramatically 2 years ago. They called this the John Green effect when we were at an info session. They have an amazing science quadrangle, a beautiful art gallery, and one of the best English departments in the country. Amazing athletic facilities.

D had her best interview at Denison, with a really exceptional admissions person. The tour guide was great. Visitor parking is in the middle of campus, very convenient to Admissions. Campus sits along a beautiful ridge, and then down the hill on one side is an arts quadrangle that contains a large studio arts building. On the other side of campus is the gorgeous new swimming & diving facility. Denison has a reputation of being the most preppy of these schools, but I think they are trying to change that.

We felt Wooster had the best overall visit experience. D also felt that it had, for her, the best mix of middle class/public/prep/diverse students of all the schools. We were there on a junior visit day, and the session started in a beautiful performance hall in the music building. The tour guide was a very outgoing student from Atlanta, and my D connected with her immediately. They have a brand new athletic facility as well (Scot Center). At many schools students share a commonality of a great athletic team, etc. In the 20-some schools D looked at seriously, Wooster seemed unique in the fact that the students all shared a significant senior year academic experience, the mandatory two-semester long senior thesis. This was obviously a huge source of pride on campus–part of their library is devoted to providing resources for it. They have a parade each March (actually next Monday, I think), when all the students turn their theses in, and then defend them. It’s an impressive program. Also, two years ago the US News college issue had a feature article on Wooster’s efforts to provide topnotch educational opportunities to B-student h.s. grads.

OWU seemed to be the college most integrated with its environment, the town of Delaware. We were there on a very hot day in August, in the upper 90s. It was a visit day, as well, and very well planned. I was impressed with their off campus study opportunities. We have a friend who graduated three or four years ago, and absolutely loved it.

I suspect that one reason the Ohio schools are so good is that many are in close proximity, so there is significant competition between them. It’s probably no coincidence that so many upgraded their athletic facilities nearly simultaneously. Hope you enjoy your visits, OP, and please post again to let us know what you found!

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The same is true of Ohio Wesleyan. Quite a few town streets run through campus. In fact, OWU runs East-West on the south side of downtown Delaware. You cannot leave downtown driving south without cutting through the OWU campus one way or another. Ohio Wesleyan is a very serious college, with rigorous academics. A no-nonsense kind of school. The campus is rather ordinary.

Denison has, by far, the nicest campus of the three mentioned; unless you don’t like steep hills. Because it is on a high hill, Denison literally towers over the town of Granville (which almost has a New England flavor).

Wooster’s campus is somewhat prettier than OWU’s, but is otherwise more like OWU than Denison. Neither Wooster nor OWU is hilly.

14

“Ohio Wesleyan is a very serious college, with rigorous academics. A no-nonsense kind of school.”

Indeed it is, which has been its forte for 170+ years.

15

This is all incredibly helpful. As close as they are, we can’t visit both Denison and OWU without shortchanging both, and making that day – which is the day we fly in – unnecessarily stressful, but having these points of comparison will be useful information as we look at one of them (at this point, likely Denison). Doesn’t mean we’ll scratch OWU off the list of colleges to consider, just means we’ll be short a first-hand impression.

16

Even if you do not visit OWU, I recommend applying anyhow. Then if it becomes a “finalist” perhaps you can make a visit. More important than seeing the OWU campus is understanding its student body which is among the more diverse and eclectic.

17

@NROTCgrad, could you elaborate on that? OWU has come on the radar screen for S because of some particular program offerings, but I don’t get a strong sense of the student body. Nature of the students / flavor of the environment etc would seem to matter a lot at small schools like that.

18

I live only about 3 miles from OWU, so I pick up on its vibe although I did not attend. The student body is rather liberal, but not wildly so, and is diverse economically and culturally. Lots of students are middle class and below. Some students take politics seriously while others do not. Some students are preppy but most are not. Sports are popular on campus, but not overwhelming so. Greek life exists but does not dominate. A very representative cross section of students. About half are from Ohio.

Typically, OWU was not the first choice for most of the students who go there. Apparently, from what I can gather, most had other ambitions. Yet, the school is quite demanding academically, which is summed up in the saying “Ohio Wesleyan is easy to get into, but difficult to stay.”

One of the most attractive aspects of OWU is its Small Living Units…
http://reslife.owu.edu/currentSLUs.php

Ohio Wesleyan also offers extensive merit scholarships.
http://choose.owu.edu/financialAidAndScholarships/academicScholarships.php

19

I’d second everything NROTC has said about OWU. My own observations are that OWU and Wooster students seem generally to trend toward middle class, whereas Denison and Kenyon students perhaps trend a bit more toward upper middle class. Oberlin students are all over the map, just incredibly creative and individualistic.

I’d feel very comfortable with my child on any of these campuses.

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I strongly agree with @NROTCgrad‌’s OWU posts to this thread (and I have been affiliated with OWU for just over 50 years).