<p>I'm from Ohio, I guess around the country Kenyon is a really great school. However, here in Ohio you would think that it sucks. Can I get some perspective?</p>
<p>heh..well I'm transferring so I may be the only negative perspective you are going to get on the Kenyon board. Basically, I found it as tiny and claustrophobic as high school but worse because Ohio is as boring as ****, the weather is terrible and the cold depresses everyone, keeps the parties at bay, and keeps everyone inside. Because I found I related to no one in ym hall, I was stuck inside an unfriednyl place. I found the student body homogeneous, having no interest in the outside world or the future, and very interested in frat parties (and I think frat boys and parties couldn't be more unexciting and archaic) Academics were good of course..the campus is gorgeous..I don't regret my year there because you do make interesting relationships with people so close together...however, by the end, I was hanging out mostly alone because I was sick of everyone and tired of being forced to hang out with people simply because kenyon was so isolated. ::end rant::</p>
<p>cerluleanne,</p>
<p>Sounds like you had a very tough experience. Are you from a large city, or do you prefer urban life? My second son is from an area in TN that is even more rural than Kenyon, and really prefers that. When you say homogeneous, would you mind describing what you mean? S2 is a pretty quirky kid, and I worry that he might not be a good fit. (He fell in love with the campus, and with the rep at a college fair, etc, but visited in the summer when very few kids were on campus.)</p>
<p>momofthree - Ceruleanne has written a lot about her experiences before and others have also. I suggest reading through the "Have any questions" thread to get a variety of perspectives.</p>
<p>heh yeah I should stop writing. i think im offending people wooops</p>
<p>I didn't say you were offending anyone. I just said that your impressions and a lot of other people's were given in a lot more detail in the other thread, and anyone interested could read them there.</p>
<p>Anyone can make friends here. You may not be the King/Queen of campus but you will have a nice group of friends if you try. Joining groups or playing sports at any level is a sure thing for finding nice people to hang out with if you don't like the parties. That said, sorry you didn't like it here Cer.</p>
<p>It's interesting to read ceruleanne's posts. I am a rising junior and my close friends and I are all focused on the future and doing everything we can to make sure ours are bright. I am from a big city, and small town living is easier for college, in my opinion, because there is much less to think about in day-to-day life. I do not plan on living in one after I graduate, but I think it is a fine place to study.</p>
<p>I just wonder how hard ceruleanne tried, because while I'm not the "queen" of campus, and there are the types of people she described, there are motivated, non-shallow, fun people to spend time with.</p>
<p>Hi, I am really considering Kenyon as one of my college choices. However, I am kinda apprehensive about Kenyon, in particularly the culture there. I heard that it's a drinking school, and there are major parties going on every weekend. For one thing, I dont drink and dont enjoy parties.. But I seem to like the laid-back life kind of lifestyle at Gambier... so, can anyone give me some advice? as to whether i will fit in there.. Thanks!</p>
<p>On a discussion site like this, you will find a wide variety of opinions on all schools. Ceruleanne decided to transfer from Kenyon for reasons that are valid from her point of view. I personally know two people who transfered to Kenyon (one from UVA) in recent years for reasons of their own. So go figure.</p>
<p>My son, a rising soph, had a great freshman year. He has made many good friends and had academic success. As I have said before, he is not a drinker and yet had plenty to do at Kenyon. It definitely was the right choice for him.</p>
<p>Check out the thread 'Drinking at KC'..it might prove helpful!!</p>
<p>My D is also rising soph and profile is similar to Dennis' son. I've been actively promoting consideration of a transfer after her soph year. Reason? I want to make sure that she is getting everything she wants/needs from her college education. D has very specific interests in potential career, including language skills and grad school, and Kenyon doesn't offer the breadth of courses available at larger schools. What are the chances of a transfer at this point? Very close to zero. She can't wait to get back. She's even figured out how to get back on campus early. Ceruleanne sounds like perfect example of what admissions staff at Kenyon tries to avoid - great person, wrong fit. Try to visit and stay overnight while kids are there - really same for any school.</p>
<p>I wouldn't worry about the grad school thing. Kenyon's graduate school placement is mui bueno. At this level, if the student wants it and works for it, she'll get it. Simplistico! And the languages? Broader offerings and higher level of intensity than 99 percent of all LACs in the country--better instruction than most any university language program you can name, too. Here is no faceless rote memorization conversing with a lab module. Get it? Similar to Clinton's first election mantra--"It's the student, dummy!"</p>
<p>I'm responding to your question of "is Kenyon really that great?"</p>
<p>I graduated in '80, and have visited since. Kenyon has not changed in the last 25 years and remains one of my favorite places. I can tell you that the instructors there are excellent. Every test is in a "blue book" with the expectation that the student will express him or herself clearly. </p>
<p>Put simply, I learned to think; and, deeper still, that I can. The lesson has stayed with me and I will never forget my opportunity to study there. I would recommend it to anyone. </p>
<p>Recreation opportunities are - exercise, theater, occasional movies at the theater (they played RHPS every saturday at midnight) and some sporting activities. Greek life is limited but fine if one tends to prefer a more social environment. Fraternity parties on the weekends were fun, and pretty often open to non-members.</p>
<p>You asked regarding Kenyon being a "drinking school" - I think I may be able to help you with that. Kenyon is divided in the middle - one half as "the hill" and the other the "town" (that means, a post office, grocery store and dining establishment). Fraternity spaces are on the hill, as are most of the classrooms, the library and the main dining hall. Pick what you want and how you want to live and you can find it. I lived on the hill in a very quiet fraternity that was mostly made up of math and science majors. Just about all of us went off the professional or grad school.</p>
<p>Most folks there studied very hard and earned their grades, and many would tend to play hard on the weekends. I can tell you that even those who seemed relaxed about discipline would often only do so in public and then would squirrel away to study their brains out. Nobody coasted through any of the serious disciplines there although there will always be those who squeak by on low grades. </p>
<p>So - there are noisy fraternity spaces where you can find parties on weekends, and there are also very quiet, hard working groups. As a place to learn, I'd say it's tops.</p>