Kenyon College
Reviews

Excellent

Kenyon might not have Harvard's reputation; it might not have Ohio State's sports teams or the southern state school girls, but for students who choose Kenyon, no college compares. Kenyon calls itself a small place to think big thoughts, and until you leave, you never fully appreciate what a wonderful blessing that is. The professors are brilliant and friendly, and they'll always place their students ahead of their research. Socially the college revolves around frats and sports teams, both club and varsity, along with a few annual events put on by social board or the school. Almost everyone drinks, but drugs aren't big at all. There's no pressure to join a frat, but it retrospect, if I hadn't played a sport, it would have been a good idea. The campus is the most beautiful in the world, or so says Forbes. The KAC (Kenyon Athletic Center) is a new $70 million facility. You wont find a better place to work out or practice for your sport in DIII athletics. Gambier is small, but that's part of Kenyon's beauty. Despite the small town atmosphere, students tend to head to D.C., New York, Chicago or Boston after they graduate. My college friends are now analysts at hedge funds and consulting firms, teachers in inner-city schools, overpaid hacks with the Fed or some agency. Some are in medical or law school and a few are pursuing wild dreams outside the main stream, but we've all found a way pay the bills while doing what we want. After three and a half years, you'll probably think you ready to go tackle the world, but the second you do, you'll long to go back.

Kenyon Rules

Kenyon has a lot of varied opportunities for fun. It is a true liberal arts school with everything from Phriday Physics Pizza and art gallery openings, to swing dancing and bi-weekly games of The Settlers of Catan. You can find your people here, no matter what your interests. For a small college in a rural location, there is a surprising variety of fun things to do!

Geeks Got Game

The typical Kenyon student knows more about any given subject than you do but is willing to explain and covertly feels the same way about you. Geeky discussions abound, but so do frat parties and games of beer pong.

Fine

Greeks will host parties but they are open to everyone. Greek life is neither frowned upon nor is it commended.

Great

There are always free computers- in the dining hall, different science buildings and the library.

Dull

Essentially, you come to this school knowing that it is in the middle of cornfields. This is both a positive and a negative. It is a negative in that on occasion, students do feel suffocated byWhen the time comes for leaving campus to go home, most students are both excited and ready! However, being on a college campus that is not in the midst of distractions can be a wonderful quality. It brings about unique experiences among students and places more attention on academics which is important.

Isolated but Charming

Gambier isn't really a small town. It's more of a village, really, and it's surrounded by the college. The residents are extremely polite, however, and I always feel safe here. It's charming, and for those who do not like the isolation, there are shuttles into the town of Mt. Vernon for movies and shopping.

You Are Treated Like the Adult That You Are

Kenyon's strictness level is fantastic. Our campus is incredibly safe, and we just recently switched over to the proximity card system to get into dorms. There is no curfew, you can be almost anywhere on campus at any time, and you are allowed to have non-student guests for up to three days. As long as students do not violate the safety restrictions, there are rarely problems.

No Place More Open

Kenyon is completely open to all types of diversity. Beauty of this liberal arts campus is how accepting everyone is, no matter who you are.

Community Living

Gambier exists in a symbiotic relationship with Kenyon; the town is part of the campus. Professors are visible, out and about with their families. With the Amish coming every Saturday to sell their goods, Gambier offers a taste of disappearing small-town Ohio.

Great Gym, Need a New Library

As a whole Kenyon has a beautiful campus and provides many good places for students to meet and work. Of the facilities provided, Kenyon's athletic center and cafeteria are the most up-to-date and enjoyable. The Kenyon Athletic Center (KAC) provides space for any activity, from basketball to squash, and contains novel features such as a snack bar that serves sushi and an auditorium. In lue of a student center Kenyon has its dining hall that, due to the lax food policy, serves as a student meeting place as well. The major fault in Kenyon's facilities is the library, it is out of date and does not hold up to the level of many other places on campus.

Self-Selecting

Being that our school is a) very expensive, b) in the middle of a very white state, and c) a small liberal arts college, it is not surprising that there are extremely few non-international minority students here. Those who do come here are overwhelmingly accepted, and the school does get a large amount of international students to come here as well, which leads to improved diversity and cultural understanding. However, the fundamental elements of Kenyon College make it very hard to attract minority applicants.

Average... Could Be Better

There is a significant amount of geographic diversity (lots of international students etc.) and lots of different interests and passions among the student body. However, it is still predominantly upper-middle class white students....

Do You Want Professors That Care?

Then Kenyon's the PLACE for you! Honestly--if you take the time to just talk to your professor and to get to know him or her it can become a very rewarding relationship as they want to know how you are doing--and not just in their class--how you are doing in your life at Kenyon. I've always felt comfortable going to my professors and just talking to them if I ever had a problem.

It's All About the Professors

Kenyon's professors, in my mind, are second to none. I have not met a professor who is unwilling to meet with students, and more often than not, professors invite students into their homes, out for coffee, or for a walk down middlepath, just to chat. This is why I chose Kenyon, and I have not been disappointed. If you want a college where professors care about individual students, make time to meet with you outside of class, and help you in any way they can to make your college experience your own, then look no further than Kenyon College.

Depends

The Sheriff in town is known to be strict about underage drinking, but only when that drinking is done on the streets or you end up in the hospital for it. I've known kids who wake up in the hospital with a ticket from the sheriff left on their side table. I've known lots of kids who have gotten a 'talking to' about getting caught with alcohol in their rooms, but no one usually gets in too much trouble for that since it is a wet campus.

Plenty Except During Finals

There are always open computers all over campus. It is difficult to find one during finals time. I would suggest bringing one as a personal preference to socialize.

Academic More Than Athletic

Outside of the swim team, at Kenyon most varsity athletics aren't that good in terms of skill. We are a Division 3 school and that shows. But some of the smartest people I know here are athletes, which I wasn't expecting but really appreciate. Kenyon gives you an opportunity to be on a team, but not a competitive team when compared with large public universities. The one exception is our swim team, which dominates Division 3 nationally and can hold its own with even the larger schools.

Biology With Environmental Studies

A-/B+

The professors are GREAT. So excited about what they teach, and completely there to help the students. They love having students come in to just chat and get to know them. In biology, as with all the hard science here, there are many opportunities to help professors with their research or do your own independent research. In both cases they REALLY value creative input from you, the student. This summer I got to do research under my regular academic advisor, working on a project that was related to his work but was definitely my own project. You can also get lab credit for independent reseach throughout the year. The major's curriculum encourages you to take courses in each subdiscipline, culminating in a senior exercise analyzing primary literature, but simultaneously you can choose to take most of your courses in a particular discpline (e.g. I've specialized in Environmental Biology/Ecology but still take Mol Bio and Physiology classes). Classes are rigorous, some with a greater workload than others, but my favorite aspect is that professors really emphasize primary literature and critical thinking. The facilities are great! Much more available than I expected, since Kenyon is most well known for its English department. Don't let that deter you! The sciences are very strong, and I feel just as prepared for a future career in biology, if not more, than if I was at a larger research institution. It's a small department but has tons of resources and great connections with other schools. Overall, the best aspects of this department are the enthusiastic professors, the opportunities to work alongside them, and how accessible the department's resources are because of small class sizes.

Unfortunately the Environmental Studies department only has a concentration (and interdisciplinary minor), but it is a great program that is rapidly expanding. The introductory course has an independent project component where groups of students pick a local environmental issue to work with for the last month of the class. The program is truly interdisciplinary in that most of the courses are from other deparments, and it culminates into a senior seminar that is taught by professors with environmental interests from different departments. This includes economics, political science, sociology, anthropology, biology and chemistry. There are also two great field courses: Sustainable Agriculture where you work on an organic farm nearby for several hours a week, and another course where you lead field trips for elementary kids at the college's environmental center. The Brown Family Environmental Center is an invaluable resource for both biology and environmental studies students.

Couldn't Have Made a Better Decision

I cannot imagine myself anywhere besides Kenyon. It is a place where people push themselves beyond their limits and rejoice in that ability. Professors are the kindest people you will ever meet, research opportunities are wonderful, even for freshmen! Ohio is gorgeous, and Kenyon is a positive, loving community.

Low Racial Diversity

Kenyon's student body is made up of mostly white, upper middle class students. It seems like the administration is slowly working towards changing the diversity levels but it's slow going. Groups exist for students of color who feel socially isolated from their white peers. Political diversity is very high with students representing all parts of the political spectrum. There are multiple queer groups on campus and the student population seems very accepting of non-straight sexualities.

KAC

Kenyon's Athletic Center, the KAC, is exceptional. It is humongous, with a pool, squash courts, tennis courts, track, weight room, movie theater, basketball court, and more. The best part about it is that it's open to all students, not just varsity athletes.

Great School for Nerds

One of the best parts of Kenyon is the academics. Kenyon has wonderful professors in most subject areas. Professors are accessible and willing to go out of their way to help a student achieve his or her goals. Students are serious about their studies and students will often keep discussions alive long after they've left class for the day.

Kenyon's community is another great feature. Since almost every student lives on campus, the student body is very close to one another. Everyone for the most part is kind and considerate and eager to meet one another.

Kenyon is a great school for the quirky student who loves learning in an encouraging atmosphere, and who loves to let loose on the weekends.

Once in a Lifetime Experience

Kenyon College is not your ordinary college, it is something much different. It is a home away from home with a tight knit community. It is a tranquil sanctuary with beautiful scenery and incredibly history. It is a place to meet the friends you will want to know for life. It is a place to focus on academia while still facilitating many extra curricular activities. It is a creativity started with new majors formed, new internship options created, and new environmentally friendly changes, all contributed by students. It's a place where everyone wants you to succeed in your dreams and will do whatever they can to help those come true. Kenyon College is one of the best places to spend your four years and leave not only with a golden education, but also group of close friends and professors who helped shape you and your journey, experiences to tell for a lifetime, and a facilitating place to grow as a human being.

Campus Life

If you go to Kenyon you need to keep in mind you are going there for the education. I know its the same for every school, but at Kenyon everything revolves around school, sports, clubs, time...everything. Greek life is on its way back to being a little more prominent. Though its not a big deal, being part of a fraternity/sorority is a great way of making more friends that you can keep for life. Kenyon is a great place where anything you do revolves around academics.