Kenyon College Top Questions

Pretty much spot on.

I found a lot of the students to be "cerebral", and there certainly are the hipsters and outdoorsy type, there's also many other types of kids that roam the campus.

Some yes, others not so much. Sure, there are a lot of wealthy students at Kenyon, it goes with the territory. But I imagine most people there have the mental capacity to thrive, although there are a lot of less driven people to counter those who are engaged. I have seen some preppy kids, but I have also met a lot of students who, like me, are there with substantial financial aid of scholarships, who worked their little bums off to get there, and appreciate the sacrifices their families may have made for that to happen. People do drink, and yes they drink a lot, but show me a college campus that doesn't have that and I will eat my hat. As for the abundance of drugs, I have heard cocaine has it's presence, but I have never encountered it in any way shape or form. I guess if someone were to want to enter that circle, they would have to know where to look, because from where i stand, it is well hidden. As for diversity, that is improving a lot. Kenyon is working to get more international students (like myself, I am from New Zealand), and succeeding at that. Yes one will see a vast array of different white US citizens strolling the grounds, but they come from all states and several walks of life. People just need to celebrate difference rather than being the sheep that follow the shepherd.

there really are none, and for the very few that do exist, there are too many exceptions for the stereotypes to hold much water.

Most of the stereotypes are accurate. I would say that the girls are better than the stereotype and that people are quirky, there are just a few quirky ones and because it is a small school you can see them alot which could give the impression of many quirky people.

To a certain extent, that is true. We did make national news for waiting for hours to vote in the last election. Kenyon Students are very good at getting excited about issues and responding. However, after the immediate follow through they lose interest. They may still lament the issue, but they do not try to get involved to fix it. This years student government elections all went uncontested except for the position of President. That being said, the individuals who did get involved are some of the most hardworking and caring people that I know.

I would say that Kenyon students do tend to be on the more liberal side of things. However, there is a strong community of conservatives and conservative professors who are not afraid to speak their mind. Although the vast majority of students are quite well off, there isn't a lot of opportunity to spend tons of money while on campus. You will get your fair share of snobby intellectuals, but they aren't the only kids around. There is a lot of drinking on campus, but it usually occurs after or alongside many other activities like plays, sports games, or concerts.

I think the stereotype among alum of the "kenyon of yore" is still accurate about the strengths of today's student body mix - a lot of passionate, sometimes quirky, hardworking, genuine and fun people. I think the strength of Kenyon's "diversity" is certainly not an ethnic or socio-economic one - white upper-class is a demographic you certainly can't avoid here - but an incredible diversity of interest, personality type, and life-plan, if you will. That being said, there are jerks, but I don't mind 'em

In my experience, the contrast and occasional tensions between the community of Mt. Vernon and Kenyon students throw the rich-kid stereotype into its highest relief. Some kids are pretty classist towards "townies," which has personally been my biggest beef with my fellow students.

Sure. To a certain extent.