<p>I promised a report on our visit - posted in College Visits thread, but thought it might be helpful to reprint here.</p>
<p>Visit to Denison University in February 2007 by Esquette (Parent of Student, HS Class of 2008)</p>
<p>Visit Activities:
Information Session: Yes - Junior Day - very well organized, with choice of several sessions depending on interest/focus. More than enough to see and do for one day, and well worth the trip!
Campus Tour: Yes - Gorgeous campus, even under the snow. We heard it was pretty, but were still surprised. And, yes, it really is on top of a rather big hill, overlooking the sweet small town of Granville.
Classroom Visit: No - Not enough time this trip, but lots of interesting choices were listed. Classrooms we saw were mostly set up for small size and discussion format. Many nice buildings in academic quad.</p>
<p>Denison University Campus:
Friendliness/Courtesy of Students: 5 - Excellent - Student guide helpful, enthusiastic to talk to son after "official" sessions ended. Gave email address for any follow up questions. Around campus, students smiled when they saw visitors.
Friendliness/Courtesy of Staff: 5 - Excellent - Pres Knobel made great impression in welcome speech. There were DU people with a smile everywhere to help direct and answer questions. Admissions ofc even called to offer pickup from airport!
Appearance of Campus: 5 - Excellent - Remarkably beautiful campus, with classic combo of brick, lawns, trees, paths. Foot traffic directed toward common areas in academic and residential quads - big plus.
Building/Facilities Maintenance/Cleanliness: 5 - Excellent - Clean everywhere -- inside and out! And that's hard to maintain in aftermath of snowstorm.
Dormitories: 4 - Very Good - Nice common room. Avg size room and standard dorm furniture in underclass housing. All students live on campus. Senior apt style dorms are new and impressive from outside - did not get to see inside.
Security/Safety: 5 - Excellent - Looks like it's not an issue on this small town campus. Dorms open with card only to residents after 10 pm.
Overall Campus Impression: 5 - Excellent - Son and I both liked it -- far more than expected. Warm, prof admin, attractive students, stunning campus, small discussion-oriented classes. Strong grad school record, student-athlete experiences. </p>
<p>Off-Campus:
Area Immediately Around Campus: 4 - Very Good - Granville is a postcard small Midwestern town. Movie set stuff. Easy for students to walk. But not for the student who wants the urban campus life!
City/Town/Community: 4 - Very Good </p>
<p>Campus Visit Notes for Denison University:
Visit Description: Son loved his visit, put Denison at the top of his list so far (and we've seen at least 10 schools across Mid-Atlantic and South, with his older brother who is at another LAC). Here's what he liked, in no particular order:
(1) campus - mature trees/lawns, footpaths that brought students/faculty together across campus throughout the day, nice architecture and fit into landscape - old and new, great views from the hill
(2) small class sizes - will usually open a new section if enrollment exceeds 25, class discussion emphasized
(3) warm administration who seem to "walk the walk" of being personal toward students, prospectives
(4) athletic student body (1 out of every 4 guys plays Div III sports) with tradition of winning (9 straight NCAC All-Sports trophies) and nice athletic facilities (incl indoor practice fields),
(5) Greek life is an option (35-40%) but not a necessity, with Greeks living all over campus instead of in separate houses
(6) residential campus, nice dorm groupings, with seniors getting new apts together on campus
(7) strong communications dept - most popular major on campus
(8) good track record in getting internships for students in interest area
(9) attractive student body, nicely put together but not over the top about designer clothes, many wore Denison attire (school pride), more girls than guys (!)
(10) relatively close to Columbus for shopping, airport with cheap Southwest flights,
(11) adequate parking for students,
(12) pre-professional students - good grad school track record of 50+%, going on after undergrad,
(13) the Denison logo, color, graphics, and Big Red name (don't laugh, he refused to visit other schools on the ground that he does not want to be a "__" or wear purple)
(14) alums we know still love their alma mater.</p>