At top colleges like Kenyon, you will never lack for entertainment. Colleges bring in speakers, performers, etc… and there are always student performances, art shows, cultural events, department talks, sporting events, intramural and club sports, extracurricular club events, parties, special traditions and events… There is more to do at college than you can ever possibly do.
Really, unless you like the “feel” of the anonymity of wandering past tons of strangers on a city street— which you may— I can’t see feeling there is a lack of anything. Of course, your perspective may be different.
About being a minority on campus— why don’t you reach out to the student leader of a club or organization that focuses on your identity group and/or on celebrating diversity, and ask that leader what the experience at Kenyon is like? They should be able to share how comfortable or uncomfortable it is. I bet you will hear that maybe sometimes there are some challenges, but that, overall, most minority students love Kenyon and feel “at home” there. But contact some people and ask!
You can be very proud of your admission to Kenyon and of your scholarship there. Well done! What an amazing opportunity you now have. Best wishes for a wonderful four years!
@collegehopful: Curious as to why you applied to Kenyon ED/EA if “cities are your lifeblood” & you do not want to attend a low diversity school in a rural location ?
I understand that you were attracted by the writing program, but ED is a significant commitment.
Definitely worth a visit. Kenyon is an amazing school with a lot of opportunities, but I think that it really does take a certain kind of person to really thrive there. That’s not to discourage you, but see if you’ll be able to go there. It’s a lovely place and going for free is an amazing chance.
Why are y’all soo rude. I’m 17 I obviously didn’t consider the implications. I’m not going somewhere I don’t like. I’ve discussed my rash decision with an admissions officer already, and we’ve worked it out. If anyone has answers to my questions about Kenyon you can post if not please exit the thread.
We visited Kenyon, and were very impressed. Before visiting, we watched a lot of youtube videos of the campus/town, facilities, move-in days etc to get a feel for it. I think they represented it fairly well, so maybe that could help you. It’s a wonderful place, really, with pluses/minuses like all colleges. What you make of any is up to you.
You may be 17, but your parent(s) and GC are adults who signed your agreement as well. If you don’t attend, you certainly make your GC look bad, which could have an impact on future students from your school if they apply.
You signed an agreement saying you’d attend next fall if they admitted you and gave you acceptable FA. You should keep your word. 17 isn’t too early to start with that.
@collegehopful my DD is a freshman at kenyon who is also part of the keep program if you have any questions message me hopefully I can answer any questions you have
Some colleges are remarkably flexible and understanding about early decision. I know, from a recent group phone conversation of alumni with the director of admissions at my alma mater, that my alma mater allows some ED-accepted students to apply elsewhere RD only in special circumstances where finances are a concern and they are not sure their package is sufficient, while still keeping their acceptance open for them until May 1st. From your summary of your conversation with the admissions officer, it sounds like Kenyon similarly is being very flexible and caring with you. I see that as another tremendous positive about Kenyon. It sounds like you have a great opportunity here.
I replied to your questions in my other post, above, and made some suggestions for how you might gather the information you seek. Maybe some Kenyon students or alumni or parents of Kenyon students will weigh in as well.
Good luck.
I also think that tone is hard to read in a typed response, and thus typed responses can lead to hard feelings. That is something you might consider both when reading responses and when typing your own. I truly believe that most posters in this chat are trying to be helpful; where people were strongly explaining that ED is a commmitment, maybe they thought you did not know this and were trying to help you avoid a situation where you get “blacklisted” and are rejected by all colleges after applying elsewhere after an ED offer. That does happen sometimes. But it sounds like Kenyon admissions officers are being very accommodating.
Wow… @TheGreyKing I would NOT go telling people that colleges are giving ED students an out. I can’t honestly believe they are giving any of them until May 1. A school will allow a student to wait to withdraw apps while a FA review is in process. But don’t set a different expectation, that they are saying, “Sure, see if you get a different deal from someone else.”
You can’t delete this thread. See the terms of service. I don’t think the other people on this thread are being rude to you. They’re just trying to give you an opinion. Sounds like you don’t like what you’re hearing.
Getting out of an ED commitment is not easy. Sounds like Kenyon is being flexible with you, and will potentially let you out. But this could have implications for others in your HS to decide to apply to Kenyon in the future. It will also make your GC look pretty bad. I’ve also heard that colleges share names of students who back out of binding commitments (ED).
Getting out of ED is understandable if finances are an issue. Since Kenyon is giving you a full scholarship, using the financial argument will be difficult. When applying to other colleges you may be asked why you backed out of Kenyon ED.
Of course no one can force you to go to a place that you’re not happy at. Sounds like you didn’t read up on what ED means, or were not given enough counseling. But either way I hope you find what you’re looking for. Sorry to hear that you don’t like what advice we’re giving you.
Everyone is focusing too much on the commitment agreement. I would just like opinions on Kenyon. I understand the agreement, only a few of the posts have focused on what Kenyon is actually like. At the end of the day what I do won’t affect you so don’t worry about it. What you’re giving me isn’t advice at all you’re just telling me I have no control. I don’t want your opinion, I just want opinions on the school . But Kenyon has agreed to give me a travel grant and I will be going to see it soon. My school offers limited counseling on the college process in general, and it’s fairly likely this was a ill advised decision. I have decided I will attend and if I don’t like it, I will maybe try to transfer to Tulane after a semester. If someone has a son or daughter that has attended Kenyon or will attend, please share your wisdom below.
@collegehopful: Please do not get stressed out–especially if Kenyon College is offering to release you from the ED agreement.
ED often gives applicants significant admissions boost–especially at LACs.
Please understand that thousands of college applicants would love to be offered a full ride to Kenyon College & tens of thousands of college applicants are having to say no to their top choice schools because they & their families cannot afford the cost.
you applied early decision to a college you didn’t even know if you would want to attend upon possibly being accepted? you, from what you have said, are receiving a nearly full ride to kenyon, one of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation—one of the best liberal arts colleges for writing. you’re even being given a travel grant to go see the school. you sound highly ungrateful and very defensive. if kenyon is giving you the option to be released from your early decision agreement, do it. i suggest you save your and the college’s time and save the spot for someone who genuinely wants it.
Putting aside the admissions angle – Kenyon is a wonderful school, for the right kind of person. Both of my kids looked at it. Campus is the quintessential gorgeous college campus, with Admissions in a former chapel-style building, the dining hall is a traditional, Gothic style building that, to expand, they added a sort of European modern addition to, so there are basically two sides to the dining hall, traditional and “modern.” In the fall, with the leaves on the ground, campus looks perfect. Freshman dorms are on one side of campus, some are more modern, others more traditional. The modern ones have AC, I believe, while the older ones have more charm. There is greek life, but members don’t live in greek houses, they are in the dorms, and, as we were told, are “clustered” together in the same part of a dorm. Town is not much, though is charming in its own right. The coffee shop, with sandwiches, baked goods etc., on the corner is full of students all the time. There are a couple of restaurants, a bank, a post office, a realtor, and the college bookstore. I read that Kenyon is building or expanding a health center. Athletic facilities are down the hill from campus, and the new gym is sleek and gorgeous. Students are bright, intellectually curious, and engaged. While less diverse, ethnically, racially or economically than some LACs, it is still pretty much within the typical range for top 50 LACs and many/most students are open minded and probably lean liberalish. At the end of the day, both my kids moved on, one because he wanted big, and the other because he wanted small, but not that small or self-contained a community. Good luck to you, it is many people’s dream school!
We attended a Kenyon get-together/show-and-tell in SF recently. The diversity was as advertised, but the professor, who was african-american, was fantastic, as was the program he detailed (film studies). His comfort and dexterity in handling the crowd there could provide a wonderful role-model for students on how to handle such “diversity situations”. I wouldn’t focus on the challenge aspect of diversity but rather view it as an opportunity to work with great mentors to grow and equip yourself with the ability to handle any situation. In terms of academics, location, etc, I agree with previous posters.