Do people from outside the Midwest go to Knox? How does the Knox student body compare with, say, Beloit, Lawrence, Wooster, Kalamazoo, Grinnell or Oberlin?
Good writers.
Sorry about the typo in my thread-starting question. Smartphones make for dumb writers.
Grinnell and Oberlin students are a cut above academically.
We just visited Knox this weekend with our daughter. One of my older kids went to Beloit and another to Grinnell. Knox struck me as a shade artsier than either of those schools, no doubt due to its popular Creative Writing major and expansive Theatre program. It encourages submission of an art portfolio or audition (theatre, dance, etc.) as part of the application process. I’d say Knox is on a par academically with Beloit. There are certainly a lot of Midwesterners there, but plenty of students from farther states (and countries) as well. We were impressed with the place. The students were very friendly and welcoming.
We have visited all but Beloit in your list – I would say the student bodies at most of those schools have much in common, interesting, talented kids from a range of backgrounds. Knox and Kalamazoo are most diverse of all of those student bodies, in terms of socio-economic, racial and ethnic diversity. Both Knox and Kzoo are specifically focused on attracting economically diverse students. Oberlin is a school neither of my kids warmed too, too intensely quirky for them. Grinnell is a wonderful place, students from Vineyard Vines to blue hair.
You need to compare the common data sets of these schools, specifically the % of student body by ACT score or types of major, in state versus out of state etc. all of this and more is contained in this data. Grinnell and Oberlin are significantly more selective.
Grinnell and Oberlin are both on the radar for the coasts. At Grinnell, half the applicants come from outside the midwest (and it’s increasingly popular among our private schools as a non-preppy alternative to the NE LACs). Oberlin has been on the coastal radar for much longer, but I’m not sure what percent of students are from outside the midwest - even more than Grinnell if I had to guess. The other schools are still more ‘regional’ thought they attract kids outside of the midwest too.
Statistically Knox most students from Colorado, California, Washington, Oregon, and of course, Illinois. But we’re from New York and while my daughter has been there she’s met plenty of Northeasterners, some Texans, Floridians, etc. Not to mention International students.