<p>We are going to Ohio next week - Kenyon, Denison, College of Wooster and Oberlin. Any tips on which order/route we should go? We will be coming from Philadelphia. Advice on where to stay? Eat? Anything we shouldn't miss, even if it isn't school-related. We will do one visit per day. </p>
<p>I am looking forward to this trip; I am hoping ds finds something he loves in one of these schools. On paper, they look very different to me. He usually knows as soon as he steps on campus, whether kids are there or not. </p>
<p>On a similar note, anybody know why the Fiske Guide calls Denison a Midwestern Haverford? Ds loves Haverford, but I don't see the similarities!</p>
<p>I’d suggest working south to north - Denison, Kenyon, Wooster, Oberlin. Assume you’ll be driving from PA on 70 - Denison is just 10 miles off 70 and then you can work your way north.</p>
<p>Oberlin is very close to Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is open until 9 pm on Wednesdays, if you have any rock buffs in the group. </p>
<p>Sounds like a great trip; four cool schools. Very different vibes. I wonder if this will come through in a summer visit when there are not a lot of students on campus.</p>
<p>In Oberlin it is unlikely you will be able to stay in town, although you might score a room at the Oberlin Inn. There are many more choices in Elyria or near the airport with a variety of price ranges depending on your budget. Elyria is about a 20 minute drive from Oberlin, places near the airport are around 30-40 minutes. Several nice places to eat in Oberlin, however.</p>
<p>Wooster has some nice restaurants. We really enjoyed Broken Rocks Cafe. There seem to be a few decent options for lodging in the area. Denison is in Granville - a cute town and a lovely campus (though the least friendly campus we visited), we didn’t eat in Granville, but they seem to have a decent number of options. Oberlin was nice, a few restaurants, but nothing caught our fancy. Kenyon’s campus was beautiful and there is a place to grab a bite right there in Gambier, but Mount Vernon(the closest real town) did not look all that pleasant or welcoming. I would NOT stay in Mount Vernon. Both Gambier and Granville have inns in town, that are very nice.</p>
<p>How could I forget about the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame?! Thanks for the reminder.</p>
<p>We will drive from south to north. Sounds like a good plan. And thank you shennie and carasmom for the hotel/eating info. It really helps.</p>
<p>Yes, all three schools are very different and I questioned the effectiveness of a summer visit. But, according to my son, he needs “a school with a soul”. It needs to have a clear vision and philosophy on why and how it approaches education. So, for this trip, he will gather information about their philosophies. I guess we’ll get an initial feeling for the student body by the type of kids who are the tour etc. Then, if he is interested, he’ll make another trip during the school year.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t bother with the Oberlin Inn unless you are pressed for time. All it has going for it is location. Check Elyria for better and/or less expensive accommodations. Some decent small restaurants in Oberlin – nothing fancy.</p>
<p>We stayed in Mt. Vernon when checking out Kenyon and it was fine. The Inn in Gambier seemed nice though. The restaurant there was good.</p>
<p>carasmom, would you mind explaining your comment that Denison had the least friendly campus? My dd and I are making her college visit list and that school is on her list. My dd is a great student but extremely shy.</p>
<p>I live about 30 minutes away from Oberlin. If you are unable to get a room at The Oberlin Inn, I’d suggest that you drive a few miles further on 90, and stay in Westlake. There is a Hampton and a Holiday Inn very close to a popular area called Crocker Park. There is some good casual dining there as well as some shopping. </p>
<p>Michael Symon just opened a new restaurant there called B-Spot. It’s mostly Burgers and Brats, but very excellent burgers and brats.</p>
<p>I think the admissions office at DU can feel a bit snooty (and I’m an easterner but grew up in OH), but the students and staff were extremely friendly when we did the “Ohio tour” last summer. DU has an eastern prep feel, but I wouldn’t say unfriendly at all. My S1 came very close to attending Denison. He loved it actually and didn’t care for Oberlin campus which I was so sure he would like. Kenyon is gorgeous (my sister went there for undergrad). We didn’t see Wooster, but I wish we had at the time because my rising junior daughter now has it on her list. And she loved Oberlin by the way. We did the tour in reverse because we were coming back from a vacation in Ontario, but agree that starting from DU and heading north makes sense. Head home through PA though (I think I 76) back to I 70. Fun, safe travels! We just returned from a 4 college vists in eastern states :).</p>
<p>Have you thought of adding Wittenberg to your trip as a safety? Lovely campus, and very generous with merit money. It is just about an hour from Denison, and is also just off of I-70.</p>
<p>linnylu - Do visit, your experience might be very different than ours. I can not say they were rude, but they were not at all warm. Every other campus we visited, including all others initially mentioned in this thread were very friendly and went out of their way to accommodate us. Denison is the last school we visited in Ohio and the only Ohio school we didn’t visit at least twice. But as I said it is very pretty and perhaps you will have a different experience. Good luck. : )</p>
<p>We stopped in at Denison en route to another college and were pleasantly surprised; we were given a personal tour by a student guide and thought the campus was lovely. The town is darling but I don’t think there is much to do there for the average college student.</p>
<p>The only college where I felt we were not warmly greeted was Dickinson. In fact, the tour was not impressive; the guide seemed uninformed; and the group session was dominated by a history lecture.</p>
<p>I suggest calling Denison and letting them know you plan to stop by.</p>
<p>I loved Wooster…unfortunately D did not care for it! If you like inns with old fashioned charm stay at the Wooster Inn right by campus. They have a lovely restaurant and pub right on premises.</p>
<p>mom4college, that’s interesting that you mention Dickinson. We will visit on the way to Ohio. The school doesn’t seem like a good fit for my son, but you just never know. I like the fact that it is only 2 1/2 hours away! He likes the fact that it’s a “green college” with a global focus.</p>
<p>I think we will also visit Allegheny on the way back.</p>
<p>boysx3, you’re not the first to suggest Wittenberg (and Ohio Wesleyan). I’ve never considered them. Off to check them out…</p>
<p>Mom4college, that’s so funny. My son fell in love with Dickinson when he visited and had wonderful visits there…he felt both the students and the admissions office were very friendsly.</p>
<p>I guess it’s sometimes just who you meet and what kind of day they are having…</p>
<p>We were in Wooster this past weekend for an Ohio Light Opera performance. Wooster has a charming downtown area with restaurants, a nice library, antique stores, and quite a few people were out and about this past Saturday afternoon. There was a farmer’s market and a group singing in the gazebo. The area has lots of Victorian homes.</p>
<p>boysx3, I imagine that Denison is similar to Dickinson - preppy, fratty, a little more conservative, less of an intellectual feel. Do I imagine correctly?</p>
<p>On your list of “other possible schools to visit” -
I think that Ohio Wesleyan may have a more liberal artsy feel than Wittenberg, but I am not sure. My daughter has a friend who loves OWU and has had a very good experience there.</p>
<p>OWU is just 36 miles from Denison, so you might consider visiting if you have the energy or if after a fairly short time you decide Denison is not your cup of tea. You already have quite a trip planned. </p>
<p>OWU has good merit aid. Always a good thing.</p>
<p>If you are going to all of those, why not B-W? (Baldwin-Wallace) or Mount Union? I’m a Mount grad and it really is an up-and-coming place – newly rechristened as a University. It does depend, though, what your student is interested in. It’s very strong in science, business, and education; also seems to stand out with its emphasis on becoming a solid citizen and finding a way to contribute to the world.</p>
He likes the fact that it’s a “green college” with a global focus.</p>