Denison & Kenyon should not be either/or, and not just because of their different vibes. Denison admits 50% of female applicants, Kenyon only 24%. It’s hard to compare stats since Denison doesn’t publish but I’m pretty sure Denison is more forgiving, as well as being on an up & coming track, while Kenyon is already in the big league.
I am not one that thinks every college applied to has to be a perfect fit or even the same category or genre. Denison, Kenyon, a big state flagship, my D applied to them all after an exhaustive selection process. She could have been happy & successful at any of them but she is particularly happy to have been accepted at another LAC with an excellent FinAid package, which was crucial for us.
I am also kind of glad we couldn’t afford to visit most of the schools on her list (only visited 1 out of 9). I think too many kids are swayed by the random circumstances of the weather, tour guide, the one class they visited, etc. D never set foot on campus till a couple of weeks ago. Ditto for her roommate who is an international student & never even visited the US before.
During sophomore & junior years, we did visit 4 or 5 other schools that she did not apply to, and those visits were very helpful in figuring out her likes & dislikes.
I agree that Juniata should be a safety for her. Also, there’s no Greek at the school at all. By contrast, Allegheny, which you mentioned on page 1, has a pretty significant Greek scene. These were my son’s two finalist schools a couple of years ago, and Greek presence was one of the factors.
@guidedbywire thank you for bringing that to my attention. Funny, I had just heard that somewhere else, too, about the Greek scene at Allegheny. @alooknac I can see your point about visiting possibly swaying kids unfairly. My daughter will be doing class visits and overnights at Macalester and Grinnell next month and I already spoke to her about not letting things like disliking her host give her a bad taste for the school. I’d like to think that students who host prospies make an effort to show them a good time or at least communicate their own love for the school, though, right?
We don’t have personal experience but there are some real horror stories on cc concerning overnight visits. I won’t repeat second hand info but I think you can find it by searching or googling.
I was actually glad we did not have to cross that bridge.
“I’d like to think that students who host prospies make an effort to show them a good time or at least communicate their own love for the school, though, right?”
Not always. I have heard a number of stories about kids who were abandoned by their hosts or just taken to a frt party and ignored.
My D only did one overnight. Her host had a big exam the next day and basically didn’t host. The roommate ended up playing host, but it worked out okay. Also, don’t feel obliged to escort your kid on overnights. My kid flew out to her overnight alone and the college arranged pick up at the airport, etc… She spent exactly zero dollars. Of course, it’s different if the overnight is being done within driving distance.
A less than perfect host can be a good thing. It can reveal more about your student’s fit for a school than if everything had gone according to script.
My son did an overnight at a school where his host ‘abandoned’ him in order to study. He ended up having a great time anyway.
Good points. I figure I will talk with her about the possibility that her host might abandon her and make sure she has ideas about what she can do if that happens. @Otterma how did your son handle that?
I don’t know the details but I get the sense that he wandered down to the dorm lounge, or possibly the student center, to where there were informal groups of students hanging out and he asked one of those groups if he could join them. I think the group he approached was playing Jenga something.
I didn’t ask for details because I was so surprised when he told me that much. Also, I didn’t bring up any ‘what might go wrong’ scenarios ahead of time. That would, I suspect, have only made him anxious.
My suggestion: Please don’t overthink this. Your daughter will find her way. You said her first overnights will be at Macalester and Grinnell. Students at both colleges are very friendly and welcoming. She knows you’re nearby and that she can call you. Send her off with positive vibes.