Denison University Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of Denison University?

Is Denison University a good school?

What is Denison University known for?

Danelle

I cannot say how much I miss the atmosphere at Denison. The campus is beautiful, the professors care, the majority of the students are intellectually engaged. I didn't really appreciate it at the time, but now, looking back, I was damn lucky to have gone to school there.

Antonio

This place is pretty small, it's definitely not helpful that granville is pretty boring. There are a couple of cool places mainly restaurants Goumas Chocolates and the Junto club. Everyone is obsessed with Whitts but I don't understand why, they only have like 3 flavors at a time and it's certainly not the best ice cream I've ever had. So over all the place is really suffocating. You spend almost all your time on campus, which is on a hill so even going into granville seems like a hassle. There isn't much pride but you recognize a lot of faces and know one each other roughly by appearance, but the student body is very clique-y. It's a pretty well ranked school but noone has heard of it.

Erin

i like the size of denison. lots of familiar faces and a sense of community. BUT there is not a lot to do outside of school, like there's no "college town" atmosphere about Granville, Ohio. there was a huge controversy this past year dealing with racism and homophobia. It was good that people finally got to speak their mind, but i don't think there was much of a change.

Catherine

Denison has something for everyone, a group to fit into for every type of student, activities and events to everyone's taste, and is one of the most beautiful places I know. Denison faculty and staff really take care of their students and actually work to ensure the most successful experience possible. It is a little oasis of learning and living that provides students with the skills to navigate the world more effectively. I met the most influential people in my life at Denison and would not have changed my experience there for anything. I love what I learned there and how I learned it, through experience and in the classroom, and what kind of a person I have become as a result, a thoughtful, questioning, and understanding person who can converse intelligently about anything and handle any life circumstance with grace.

Amanda

One thing I think is the best about Denison is how small it is. Coming from a small high school, I would have probably gotten lost at a big state school and Denison is perfect. You know everyone or have heard of everyone and you know almost all of the faculty or at least one person in each department. Having the small knit community gives a feeling of belonging which is something important for a college to have. I also like that Denison is a town within a village. There is so much to do on campus and you make a ton of friends that going down into the village of Granville is like driving to Columbus.

Monica

The best thing about Denison is the liberal arts environment and the scholarships that give those students who deserve to be in college a chance to pursue their education. I would change the location of the school primarily because of Ohio weather. I think Denison is just the right size. Denison is a really prestigious institution and therefore people are very impressed when I tell them that I go to Denison. I am actually everywhere on campus but I think I do spend a lot of time in the library and in Slayter Hall. In my opinion, Denison has an excellent administration. The biggest recent controversy on campus was the racial discrimination that was a result of some posters that were put up with images of nooses. On the outside, I think that there is a lot of school pride but when you talk to some students personally, there seems to be lack of school pride when they tell you that they are not happy at Denison and certain things like that. I will always remember the forum that took place regarding racism.

Chelsea

The school is way too small, a big complaint, and there's really nothing for the students to do in such a small town if you do not have a car on campus. However, academically we are challanged and the faculty is great. Though our body has issues with race and sexuality.

Tia

Denison is a tiny liberal arts college -- having only around 2100 students. This was one of the things I looked for in my search for a college. Because it is so small, I never have had issues finding profs after classes (most give out their home phone numbers on the sylabus). The town around it is tiny and quaint, with most of the residents eager to invite a lost student to dinner or offer a bed off campus if you really need a vacation (I've been here for only one year and both of those things have been offered). But if you need a big city fix, downtown Columbus is an easy twenty five minute drive off campus. Every weekend my friends and I go to clubs on high street (the gallery district that has GREAT shopping and places to chill).

Kristen

The school size is just right and the best thing is the tight knitted community with other Denisonians and the faculty. Gaining a Denison a great accomplishment. Biggest controversy was the racial, sexist, homophobic and social issues that occurred during November of 2007. The administration is great especially the faculty...there of course are those who have their issues that are in the administration. The most difficult thing is parking on campus and the town of Granville is not used to different cultures but they get used to it. There is school pride.

Dylan

Great education and relationships with professors- if you make the effort. Education is a two-way street. No one will beg you to come in and get help; but they shouldn't have to if you are paying $41,000 a year to go to school there. Many people think its segregated, and it is- just like every other aspect of American culture. But it doesn't have to be. For the most part, it is segregated for people who choose to segregate themselves. Myself, as a white male, made more friends from more areas and dispositions than I could have ever imagined before going to the school. But I made this happen of my own volition. I wanted to see what else the school had to offer. Diversity is there if you want to embrace it. Granville is not a college town, but you can work around it with the right friends and the right attitude. There is no such thing as a perfect college- if there was, everyone would go there. It is a small school; and you can choose to use that to your advantage or disadvantage.

Gene

The administration is what sucks - it sucks that we have no rights and the dean takes advantage of that. And this is made possible by the fact they students must live on campus, in tiny, dirty dorms without hot water - at a higher price than off campus housing. And the food that you must pay for sucks, it makes me have the runs before I can get out of the cafeteria. But aside from all the administrations bullshit, the school is a lot of fun. There is not much to do in Granville, but I party hard Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (normal DU schedule). Drugs are common but kept under-cover. The student body is accepting but the school and Licking County are not. DU has a history of drug use and the students are smart enough to be safe. Cocaine is common and LSD is a favorite as well as heady pot and, of course, booze. I stay at DU for the friends though. They make it worth it. The worst parts of campus come from have to live on campus, but so do the best - I live with all of my friends, the furthest is a 10 minute walk and, therefore, I have never had to drive drunk.

Katie

Denison is really academically challenging, and I love the small class size. It also is a really beautiful campus in the spring and fall. The diversity of people is something I had never experienced before, and I know that Denison has changed my perception of people because of that. The professors like to challenge students, but are willing to help. The academic atmosphere is a wonderful change from high school, where it wasn't considered "cool" if you were smart or liked to study. I can be who I want to be a Denison. Some down sides to Denison is the lack of fun activities to do if you aren't in to Greek life. It's located in Granville, Ohio, and there's not much to do outside of Denison for at least a 15 mile radius, which is really unfortunate for a lot of students who come in to the town from very far away and don't have cars on campus. That sort of turns Denison in to a little bubble that's pretty segregated from the real world. Denison administration is very concerned with and social disturbances, but at the same time sometimes aren't helpful. Denison does not really have a mascot, but as far as school pride goes for all the "Denni-do-ers" (a nickname that sort of rolls of the tongue) many love the school because of the friends they've made and the life experiences they've gained.

John

Denison is PERFECT! I love everything about it the population is just right, the types of students are very interesting and smart. They come from all over and mesh well.

Adrian

Denison's campus (and the surrounding area) is gorgeous, particularly in the fall. It is Ohio, though; expect winters to be unpredictable and usually frigidly snowy. Denison's 2100 student enrollment is small enough that you see lots of familiar faces when you walk around, but large enough that you can find new friends and (for the most part) avoid anyone you want. There's four-year mandatory on-campus housing, which keeps the surrounding area free from the tenement housing that usually lurks around college campuses. The housing lottery is also a royal pain in the ass, and Res Life can be a constant annoyance. Sports are certainly not the most important thing on campus, although both the men's and women's swimming teams are consistently highly ranked for our division. Granville is a pretty little town, but there's not much to do in it. Thankfully, Denison does a reasonably good job of bringing speakers, films, and other entertainment to campus; there's usually something you can do every night.

Matt

Our school is sometimes a little small as secrets and gossip, especially amongst the sororiety girls is prevalent. But our school size allows a student to gain a solid core of friends. At first when I told people I went to Denison they did not know anything about it and asked why I would go to Ohio but over the past year people have heard more about the school as it becomes more selective and they see how much I enjoy it. The town is small but the bars are fun and the restaurants and people are very nice and you feel completely safe in Granville. There is a lot of school pride in varied situations, especially lacrosse games and often times soccer games as well. The most frequent student complaints are about the small size.

Katie

If you are looking for a smallish sized school Denison University is a great size. I came from a small high school and my graduating class only had 44 people in it. I was worried that I would find it difficult to know anyone with so many people. Denison's size is small enough that it is possible to know a lot of people in your classes but large enough that you are are constantly meeting new people.

Ryan

Denison is a good place to gain a broad perspective on multiple disciplines, while at the same time honing your sights in on your chosen academic area. The campus is beautiful and provides an environment in which it is easy to make academic progress with as little stress as possible. With that being said, there are a few problems that at least I feel are present on campus. The administration here seems to like investing their time and efforts into doing things on campus just so they can tell other people that they did those things on campus. It strikes me as pride for the sake of advertisement, not for the sake of enriching our education here, although it still ultimately helps the students. Another thing that I feel is a problem at Denison is the manner in which disciplinary action is carried out. There are multiple cases of rape and hate violence that have gone on over at least the past year, and although we had a long, arduous forum discussing many of these problems, the strongest campaign against many of these problems has been a flyer campaign across campus. Security has considerably stepped up their patrolling and dispersion of student parties on campus, which generally have no long term negative affect to life on campus. In all, it seems like the administration is focusing their efforts on the wrong problems, and not punishing real criminals harshly enough, whereas harmless, rambunctious college students bear the brunt of the punishment.

Jess

I love Denison. The environment is a safe, warm, and inviting. The administration listens to the voices of students and everyone gets to know each other. Since my first visit, I knew that the east-coast feel in rural Ohio was one that I wanted. Granville is great, the staff and student body at Denison are outstanding, I am proud to have spent my college career there.

Rachel

The size of the school is great. It's like a bigger version of high school, and if you liked high school, you will like Denison. A lot of people have never heard of Denison, but those who have are impressed that you go there; we have a prestigious reputation. I spend a lot of time in the library, in the department of my major, and in my dorm and the dorms of my friends. If I could change one thing, I would make the food better. Though I don't participate in Greek Life, I think that the fact that it is non-residential (pledges don't live in houses, as at traditional schools) puts a damper of a lot of what Greek Life is about, and discourages membership. The college town is really small, but adorable, like a little New England town displaced into rural Ohio. The downside to the adorable town is that all the restaurants and stores are closed by 8:30 or 9 PM, with the exception being two bars that are open til 2 AM. The upside to the location in a small town is the 0{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} crime rate. I am a small woman, but walking alone across campus at 4 AM does not make me feel the least bit uncomfortable. It is a very safe campus. Denison's administration is a bit messed up; they have been known to prosecute minor offenses too harshly. The athletic teams are not great, and the attendance at games is so-so, but not much else can be expected from a small liberal arts school. The staff is very friendly and welcoming, doing the most they can for their students (professors particularly).

Paige

Granville, the town Denison is in, is wonderful. Although it is small, it has pretty much all you could need. It looks like a small New England town planted in Ohio, and the relationship between the college and the town is very good. Denison is not very well known outside of Ohio, but that doesn't mean it's not a good school or that you shouldn't go there. Anyone that DOES know Denison knows that it's a great school. Denison's campus is beautiful. And you can walk anywhere on campus. In my opinion, it's the perfect size. Fall is the best season at Denison because from the hill you can see all of the leaves changing.