Hi! I was recently accepted as a transfer student to Kenyon, Conn, and Skidmore and am having trouble picking a school.
They all seem to have different pros and cons, and I’m leaning towards Conn… but I think it’s probably the least prestigious of the three and what many would consider the “worst”. I am looking for a school that isn’t too rural, has a pretty strong party/ social scene, and offers a good social studies/ humanities and arts program (American Studies major, Art minor).
Any info would help (especially current students/ alumni)! Thanks so much.
I do not agree with your prestige assessment, but I also would not allow that to determine my choice… It sounds like Conn would best fit what you are looking for. Very good school, good location, good choice!
I think these schools are close enough in quality that prestige shouldn’t be a factor, or at least not a main one. Connecticut College is in the NESCAC and has plenty of prestige.
For your academic preferences, all of these are strong. I know Kenyon prides itself on its Humanities offerings, especially (probably) Creative Writing and English. LACs are generally very strong in the Humanities, if for no other reason than that they care about the Humanities.
In terms of party scene, each of these is a traditional campus, so there are bound to be ample opportunities for fun on campus. If you wanted to venture out into the towns these schools are in (or near), you might read up on them. And for occasional urban forays, ascertain their proximities to large cities. Skidmore would be relatively close to Buffalo, Boston, NYC; Kenyon would be fairly close to Columbus, Cleveland, Cincy, maybe Pittsburgh; and Conn College is relatively close to NYC, Boston, Providence.
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Just worth noting: I don’t think prestige (or even the idea of it) should be a factor in choosing a college and isn’t really important to me (though it seems to be for my mother). I just thought it was something worth pointing out.
Kenyon is fairly remote. Conn sounds more like what you are looking for.
Kenyon is very remote so pick between Skidmore and Conn. I think Skidmore ls location may fit you better but look into it.
Skidmore location is in a small town. It has some things to do, but it’s really a small town. Cute, but small. Connecticut is in a larger town/city. Both are on Amtrak for getting into NYC, but I think Connecticut is a little closer than Skidmore to NYC.
^Yeah, no. Skidmore location isn’t as much “small town” as this person is saying. I would check out some pictures of Saratoga online to get a good picture. I just did a year at Skidmore (transferring because they didn’t have my major) and IMO, the town is killer and I’m honestly gonna miss it next year. I didn’t visit conn college but I did visit Kenyon and I must say Saratoga feels at least 10x bigger. The night life in toga is great too, plenty of bars/clubs
Please let me know if you have any more questions about Skidmore! I’d be happy to answer any questions
Also went to Skidmore last semester (also transferring out) and I agree with @farmerladie that the nightlife in Saratoga is good but I must say it can get very repetitive very quickly. These schools are academic peers so it should come down to “fit” rather than “prestige”. Can’t go wrong so congrats on these choices
My D and I felt that Conn College was too removed from a town center. She is a student at Skidmore, where you can walk to Saratoga, no car needed. There is an outdoor concert venue, many many bars, comedy clubs, shopping and eateries. Not sure what more a college student would need.
Major thanks to everyone that responded to this thread! I’ve ended up committing to Skidmore for a handful of reasons (loved the town, really close to where I went last year ((Bard College At Simon’s Rock, student body I seemed to click the most with, best balance of fun and academics)! Thanks again!
Interesting. I know several people over the years who transferred from Simon’s Rock to Skidmore. They all ended up loving Skidmore. Seems like a well-traveled route.
Good luck! Saratoga is a great little city. Lots to do. And SPAC gets world-class performances.
@ratgrrrl While I think you’d have done well at any of the three, being able to walk to Saratoga Springs downtown isa big plus. The upperclass apartment housing is also fantastic ! Enjoy your time there.
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Congrats! Also, something I wish I heard earlier was that, since Saratoga is a summer town, off-campus housing is super cheap during the school year! If you find yourself not wanting to pay for an on campus apartment or dorm, there are some great places to live very close to the college. That’s what I was planning on doing before, especially because living with friends would have been super fun! Good luck and enjoy!