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It looks like most of the current focus on our board is EA/ED, but my nephew and I are slogging along the RD track, and he just finished his final visits last week.

We visited Kenyon, The College of Wooster and Earlham, and I can make a good case for attending each of them. My nephew will apply to the first two, but thought Earlham was a bit too small (small number of faculty in his intended major, among other size-related concerns) and just a bit too liberal politically for him. Regardless, he enjoyed his visit there.

A student that loves to read literature or write, or is thinking about any humanities, fine arts or social science major would find Kenyon extremely engaging. The students we talked to were smart and aware, and my nephew really enjoyed the class he observed. If I were picking a school for myself Kenyon would definitely be on my list.

The College of Wooster seems an excellent choice for, among other student types, a motivated and focused student who is an academic late-bloomer, or whose high school may not have been first-rate in all areas of college prep. The way they support their senior project requirement makes it great preparation for graduate or professional school, and it seemed to be a place where a healthy balance among academic, social and recreational activities could be achieved.

And Earlham seemed the perfect spot for a student who might march to a different drummer but still enjoys a friendly, supportive atmosphere. This is a school where service is not a resume-padding tactic and where community is not a hollow concept. They offer several less-common majors and minors and a design-your-own major that should be investigated by students who aren’t excited by typical areas of study or the most popular vocational paths.

Visits to these schools reinforced my belief that Midwestern schools, both LACs and Unis, serve their students well and are generally not given the credit they are due.

By Kissy (Kissy) on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 09:45 am: Edit

Was it Loren Pope who said that if UMich was on the east coast, it would be called Harvard?

Enjoy reading your college visit updates. Will your nephew be applying to any of the schools you visited in the northeast?

By Reidmc (Reidmc) on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 01:19 pm: Edit

My nephew will be applying to four of the six schools he visited in the Northeast. He is in a good position, with eight (or nine) schools of varying selectivity on his application list. I know he ranks some as slightly more desirable than others, but I've not pushed much discussion on the subject as I know he would do well and be happy at any of the schools on his list.

I'm not quite as relaxed on the subject of the essays though. They are coming along a bit more slowly than I'd like and I'm not certain that the term "happy holidays" will apply to his days between Christmas and Jan 1 .

By Morgantruce (Morgantruce) on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 03:37 pm: Edit

Your nephew is fortunate to have a thoughtful uncle. I'm with you on Kenyon being on my short list. I know this sounds lame, but everyone there just seems so nice you want to keep going back. I'm going again soon to pick up my daughter.

Good luck with encouragement on the essays.

By Kissy (Kissy) on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 05:25 pm: Edit

Ditto on the essay worries. Vacation plans have been ammended to, as Massdad said on another thread, forge some "application bonding time" here at home.

By Sallyr (Sallyr) on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 05:28 pm: Edit

Denison U. in Granville, Ohio, won't give you the same feel as Kenyon, Earlham, and The College of Wooster, but if your nephew is interested in a Midwestern LAC, this is a place with good merit aid. Denison is trying to attract more top students (like those admissible to Kenyon) and money is certainly one way to do it. While Denison hasn't enjoyed a reputation as a heavyweight academic institution, I think they're up and coming. They also have an honors program. It may be worth checking out--at least via Cyberspace for now--and if your nephew likes it well enough to apply and then gets a good merit grant from them, he can visit in the spring.

By Amy301 (Amy301) on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 08:43 pm: Edit

My D was just admitted Early Decision to The College of Wooster, and today we found out that she received a $12,000 merit award (she's also eligible for their largest award, but we won't find out if she received it until late January). We've visited several times, and would be happy to answer any questions anyone might have (if we can).

EDIT:
We also visited Kenyon and Oberlin.

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 09:31 pm: Edit

Amy - WOW! Congratulations to your daughter. I have been interested in COW (ha) for some time for my daughter but convincing her that there is a world outside of the west coast is difficult.

I'd love to hear more about what tipped the scales in favor of Wooster in your daughter's eyes. What is she planning to major in? Where do you live?

By Morgantruce (Morgantruce) on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 10:22 pm: Edit

Amy301,

That's great news! A friend (a recently retired HS history teacher) has been trekking 150 miles to Wooster for many years for poetry infusions. Around here it takes that much mileage. He has a very high opinion of the place.

Best wishes for your daughter's uncommonly good taste.

By Mike (Mike) on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 10:34 pm: Edit

Glad to see Mike and his parents aren't the only ones slogging down the RD route Reid. Ours slog is only west of Great Lakes. Did you look at Lawrence?

Mike's Dad

By Reidmc (Reidmc) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 01:59 am: Edit

My nephew began his search by eliminating all schools that were in our state (Minnesota) or in bordering states, (though he later violated his guideline by adding Carleton to his list.) So Lawrence did not make the list. But my dad grew up near Appleton and I have been hearing about it for years.

It would be an excellent school for a student seeking first-class music and science programs, and I understand their humanities programs are pretty good too. Macalester College recently hired Lawrence's #2 (provost? academic dean?) as their new President.

Again, a school that would be a few notches up the US News and other rankings if it was in a northeastern or urban location.

By Garland (Garland) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 10:07 am: Edit

Kissy, I think the line existed before Pope. When I was an undergrad at UMich, many years ago, they sold T-shirts which read "Harvard...the Michigan of the east."

By Kiddielit (Kiddielit) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 11:56 am: Edit

"My nephew began his search by eliminating all schools that were in our state (Minnesota) or in bordering states, (though he later violated his guideline by adding Carleton to his list.)"
Reid -- Is that why you didn't visit Knox? Or did it not appeal for other reasons?

By Mstee (Mstee) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 12:06 pm: Edit

I've been trying to put the names Kenyon, Wooster on my daughter's radar (freshman in high school). Anyone familiar with Kalamazoo? From what I read, that also seemed like a school that might be a fit for her.

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 02:19 pm: Edit

I wish my daughter would look at Lawrence.It seems like a perfect fit in so many ways --- but, unfortunately, she is adamant that she will NOT consider it because Lawrence is OUR last name. Sigh. Some times you just have to accept a certain level of irrationality in teens.

By Amy301 (Amy301) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 04:11 pm: Edit

Wooster was one of only a few schools that fit my D's list of requirements. She wanted a school with less than 5,000 students, a good reputation with graduate schools (she's planning on pre-law), that is less than 5 hours away from our home (Pittsburgh, PA), and has a fairly strong soccer program. We made our first visit to Wooster the same week we visited Kenyon. D liked Kenyon almost as much as Wooster, but its location was a bit too remote for her (Gambier is a VERY small town).

There were many reasons why Wooster moved to the top of her list. It has an excellent reputation with graduate schools.
The campus is gorgeous, the buildings are beautiful, and there are lots of trees.
The soccer program is excellent. Their women's team has been a top performer in NAC conference for many years.
The dorms do leave something to be desired, but a gorgeous new dorm is being constructed and is set to open next fall.
The classes are small, and students get a lot of individual attention. All the faculty members we had the opportunity to speak with were very passionate about what they were teaching.
They are also VERY generous with merit aid. This was a huge factor in our decision as a family.

By Mike (Mike) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 04:56 pm: Edit

Carolyn: Never underestimate the change in teens from Jr. to Sr. Mike once wanted to go to Colorado or New England and he was very attracted to William and Mary. Then this summer he decided he wanted to stay on the West coast. Now he wants to look at Lawrence after being pursued by them in a very nice way. Everything from calls from a student in his projected major, Christmas card from the AC and an E-Mail from the head of his favorite science dept, and an invitation for a scholorship interview.

Mike's Dad

By Marite (Marite) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 05:00 pm: Edit

Mike's Dad:

"Now he wants to look at Lawrence after being pursued by them in a very nice way. Everything from calls from a student in his projected major, Christmas card from the AC and an E-Mail from the head of his favorite science dept, and an invitation for a scholorship interview."

Surrender. Resistance is futile. Seriously, how could one possibly resist?

By Perry (Perry) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 05:03 pm: Edit

By the way, are your sons and daughters still receiving mail solicitations from colleges?

By Musictoad (Musictoad) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 06:22 pm: Edit

Still receiving the info. Done with all 8 apps. Auditions coming up full scale during Jan and Feb.

With regard to Lawrence, my only concern is Appleton. Wisconsin is beautiful in the winter but the town isn't that big. I'm confident that the kids can create fun but it isn't "bright lights big city" country. I know someone who "attends" Davidson and yet has constantly been studying overseas rather than in the much smaller community where Davidson is located. Maybe that's the alternative with LU if one gets bored.
Still, the Conservatory has a lot going for it and LU has an excellent reputation.

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 08:52 pm: Edit

Amy - thanks for the answers about why your daughter chose Wooster. Please let us know how it works out next year.

Mike's Dad - I meant to email you a note because my daughter has received TWO letters from Whitman this week both begging her to apply NOW. She had requested some info. from them late last year but after the initial mailing didn't get anything more. I thought about Mike and wondered if this was a sign that Whitman's application stats may be down this year (or conversely, they're trying to lower their acceptance rate by driving up applications.)

By Momcat (Momcat) on Friday, December 19, 2003 - 12:13 am: Edit

Funny thing about Lawrence U. My S rec'd a letter from the football coach with a form he could fill out about himself and submit. I'm pretty sure it was another form letter sent to high scoring football players in their senior years - this seems to be somewhat common for Div III schools. Anyway, it rang a bell, and when I looked up the website I realized why - a very good friend of mine from high school went there and I discovered from the website, he is now a professor there! I wish my S were interested as it would be fun to visit and surprise my old friend (that I haven't seen since our first year of college holiday break - i.e. A Very Long Time Ago) It seems like a good school but it's not the size or location that my S will even look at.

By Reidmc (Reidmc) on Friday, December 19, 2003 - 01:00 am: Edit

RE: Knox - A friend of mine, who is an administrator at a school much more selective than Knox, has a son there and they both are very happy with the school. It did not get on my nephew's list as he (a Midwestern kid) did gravitate east, especially with his less selective choices.

By Jubujoy (Jubujoy) on Sunday, February 01, 2004 - 10:11 am: Edit

Amy, congratulations on your D's admission to Wooster! My son applied in the second round of Wooster's Early Decision apps, for which notification was supposed to happen "by February 1." Here it is Feb. 1; we haven't heard anything, and now I'm worried that that's an indication that he wasn't admitted, or is deferred. Did your daughter get her notification within the timeline set for ED I (December 15th)?

...maybe your answer will relieve my mind. (I'm thinking that S's notification may be late because it's a weekend. or is that just wishful thinking?).


Thanks!