<p>I've gotten accepted to both of these fine liberal arts colleges, and I turn to this forum for some advice on what is a better "fit" for me (mainly, just looking for extra opinions on each place).</p>
<p>DETAILS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT MATTER AT ALL:
-Planning on going into Political Science
-Distance isn't much of a factor (I live by K, it's a nice campus, I've never gotten to visit DePauw..)
-Money isn't a factor (very generous financial aid offers)</p>
<p>I'm forgetting a lot.. but I'll update when needed.</p>
<p>SUMMARY:
I'm looking for opinions on each college (both academically and socially) and reasoning behind each opinion.</p>
<p>I was accepted at K and have friends at both. The biggest difference I can think of off the top of my head is the Greek scene. K has none, DePauw's is one of the largest in the country (>80% I believe). If you have strong feelings either way about the Greek scene, that could be a big factor.</p>
<p>Beyond that, K has great academics and a fantastic focus on study abroad, where something ridiculous like 80% of students go abroad at some point. I'm not sure how DePauw compares on either point.</p>
<p>DePauw's campus is very nice with newer facilities, but it's located in the town of Greencastle which was very unimpressive and isolated. Amenities in the area are few, especially compared to the greater Kzoo area. Having WMU next door makes K's campus feel bigger from a social perspective. My S is a current student at K and crossed DePauw off his list immediately after his visit. He couldn't see spending four years there with no off-campus diversions for students. </p>
<p>As Catfish pointed out, the Greek scene is all-encompassing at DePauw and non-existant at K so that should be considered carefully. Academics are excellent at K, but also fast-paced and rigorous on the quarter system so expect to be challenged. Study abroad and internships as components of the K Plan are strongly emphasized and have very high levels of participation.</p>