Kenyon College Top Questions

Yes. The Kenyon experience as a freshman is amazing. It's basically the exact opposite of what the classic freshman experience is portrayed as being. You get here, everyone is so nice to you, and people want to hang out with you BECAUSE you're a freshman. You're invited to every party on campus, and people love it when freshmen get involved in things. It really is amazing.

No.

This stereotype is partially true. We have a group of students who party a lot but we also have a group of students who don't.

Yes to a certian extent. There are definitly a ton of English majos, but I know a whole host of people that want nothing to do with English, and I would encourage anyone to consider Kenyon, not just kids intersted in the humanities. Kenyon defintily has its own little party scene, and frats are definitly a part of campus life, but I see that as a benefit -- everyone is very welcoming and friendly, and yes, people like their Keystone here. To say otherwise would simply be a lie. This odd little party scene is probably the result of the fact that we are in a pretty rural area, but when I initially heard "rural", I, being the uninformed city kid, thought that I would not see any people besides students. So not true. Mount Vernon has upwards of 30,000 residents, so while we are in an agricultural area, we are not deserted. The cornfields are here and fun to run around in, and the Amish sell baskets, jams, adn baked goods on weekends! i once made the mistake of lodging a dead piece of corn at a friend....i have very bad aim...i imagine it hurt alot, but was priceless!

No!!

About 70 percent of Kenyon students are on some kind of financial aid, but I find that many of these students still come from privileged, if not financially well-off, backgrounds. For example, they went to exclusive private schools but on full scholarships. Kenyon definitely used to be full of unique and alternative types, but is no longer. Most people who come here are pretty mainstream, and everyone carries cell phones everywhere. It is still taboo to talk on one on Middle Path, but some people do so subtly and the taboo is definitely disappearing.

Stereotypes normally stem from some grain of truth--sure, Kenyon can be really weird. But not in the way you think we are. We may live in the middle of nowhere, but that doesn't mean we don't know how to have a good time. And not just partying it up, spreading debauchery and mayhem whenever it gets dark and we leave the library. There are campus wide events such as barbecues and picnics, there's an abundance of groups that have activities and get togethers, and the student social board always has something going on. We may not be surrounded by skyscrapers, malls and traffic but Kenyon has a camaraderie and a feeling of family that many larger colleges miss. We may be a bunch of hippies and prepsters, but this is a place where the hippies and hipsters all get along.

Yes, Kenyon has an amazing English program, but as a math major I have never, nor plan to, take an English course. The math and science here are just as strong, but are smaller programs with fewer majors. Having the smaller program gives each major more individual attention and more research opportunities.

Kenyon is in the middle of nowhere, but it's certainly not true that there is nothing to do. And there is a great sense of community--but the Kenyon students themselves are a much more diverse group of people (in terms of beliefs, politics, backgrounds, and interests) than is often thought to be the case.

No, there are definitely people with a lot of money, but there are also people (like myself) who come from average, middle-class families. The cool thing is that people really don't seem to be divided by socioeconomic status. I think the fact that we all worked hard to get here makes people more likely to treat others as equals. And Kenyon actually gave me more financial aid than any other college! Making the cost doable.