Kenyon is a very fine school. Job placement rate is always a good thing to ask about when deciding to attend a school, and asking how active their alumni association is. You paid for the brand, so you might as well find out if you want to wear it proudly! At a good school, alums will help new students get their foot in the door in their respective careers.
We were at Depauw on a weekend where there was major celebrating. My husband, son, and I were rather amused. We were there during the height of partying. The Depauw staff and the coach my son was visiting warned the parents that it would be a party weekend.
I have to say...it was very mild (compared to our state universities) and the drunks were very polite. We live in a major university town. That being said, stupid people do stupid things...and that will happen anywhere. I'd much rather have it out in the open, it's easier to monitor.
Small colleges in the middle of no where tend to have a very active Greek system. That's not necessarily a bad thing. The Greek system now stresses community service. Usually a college in a small town is a major employer. Many times the locals see it as a "them & us" kind of deal. The Greek systems work hard to bridge the two communities.
At Depauw, we meet several students who are not part of the Greek system. I asked if it excluded them in any way. They all replied that it wasn't like high school, it didn't make a difference and that they were all welcome to come party with them (or not:001_smile:), or hang out at the house at any time.
The students at Depauw impressed us as being very self assured and very focused. They study hard, they take their classes seriously, and they like hanging out discussing....whatever.
The President of the University showed up at the coaches grill-out that evening. My son said he was very engaged and fit right in with the students. He knows most of them by name. We heard all sorts of stories about him that weekend, all good...from faculty, staff, and most of all, the students. He wants everyone to make a difference.
Internships are a part of the four year experience, networking with professional alums is encouraged and facilitated. Their job placement rate is very high.
Just taking a year off after college and working two minimum wage jobs while living (and eating) at home, can get a student out of debt quickly. It's wrong to encourage our kids to take on the debt without having a plan in place for them to pay it off.