Kenyon in the News
The October issue of CosmoGirl! magazine listed Kenyon as one of the fifty best colleges for girls. The colleges and universities were chosen based on six key factors--small class size, prominent female faculty members, strong women's sports programs, a career center that facilitates internship opportunities, opportunities to hold leadership positions in clubs and activities, and an active alumni network.The October issue of Atlantic Monthly mentioned Kenyon in an article titled "Who Needs Harvard?" The story compared twenty-five "gotta-get-in" colleges with twenty-five schools in the next tier--including Kenyon--and questioned whether the higher-profile institutions are really "better." Kenyon was listed, for example, as a college that surpasses many of the "gotta-get-in" schools in producing graduates who go on to earn doctoral degrees.
The Princeton Review listed Kenyon in its 2005 rankings of the 357 best colleges. The College was ranked number twenty in the category "professors bring material to life," number twenty in "professors make themselves accessible," and number thirteen for a "beautiful campus."
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Jennifer Britz was quoted in the Monday, August 30, U.S. News & World Report in a story about the pros and cons of the new SAT exam. A number of schools have expressed concern about the quality of the exam's writing section, which closely resembles the soon-to-be-defunct SAT II writing test. "A 25-minute essay at the end of a three-hour exam that will be scored in two minutes or less doesn't represent the kind of writing we expect," Britz was quoted as saying.
Professor of Political Science John Elliott was quoted in the Sunday, August 29, Plain Dealer in an article previewing the Republican National Convention. The story noted that politicians were unconcerned about the fact that convention speakers like former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger held more moderate views than President George W. Bush on issues such as gay marriage and abortion. "As long as the platform is satisfactory to social conservatives, you're not going to hear very many complaints from them," Elliott was quoted as saying.
Kenyon was ranked number twenty-nine in U.S. News & World Report's annual listing of the nation's "best liberal-arts colleges." In the previous year, the College was listed at number thirty. Williams College took the top spot, while Amherst and Swarthmore tied for number two. Oberlin was listed at number twenty-three, Denison University at number fifty. The rankings were released on August 18.
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Jennifer Britz was quoted in the Monday, August 16, Columbus Dispatch in an article about how some high-school graduates are delaying college admission to gain life experience. According to Britz, it's not uncommon for incoming students at Kenyon to defer for a year. This year, about ten first-year students asked to defer. "I haven't denied one yet," Britz was quoted as saying. Accepted students at Kenyon are required to submit plans for the year and not enroll in another institution.
Kenyon was mentioned in the Sunday, August 1, New York Times in a story about trends and fashions on college campuses. The Times reported that mascara is passé, at least according to Kenyon's Alumni Bulletin. "You don't want to look like you're trying too hard," Director of Public Affairs Shawn Presley was quoted as saying. The spring 2004 issue of the Bulletin offered a what's hot/what's not list, citing the popularity of the eyelash curler. In that story, Erica Ohanesian '05 reminded first-year students that Kenyon tends to favor a "natural granola-crunchy look combined with still looking feminine."
Director of Admissions Beverly Morse was also quoted in the Sunday, August 1, New York Times in an article about the elimination of class rank in some high schools and about the way colleges are interpreting high-school data in today's "dog-eat-dog" race for acceptance at elite colleges. "I'll look at rigor, grades, scores," Morse was quoted as saying. "We really, really look at rigor." The Times noted that Morse also reviews how other students from an applicant's high school fared at Kenyon, phones guidance counselors for more insight, and sifts through teacher recommendations for clues to a student's love of learning.
Political-science professor David Rowe was interviewed on the July 29 edition of Point of View on Voice of America Radio. The show discussed the presidential race between incumbent Republican George W. Bush and Democratic candidate Senator John Kerry. "I think for Bush to beat Kerry is going to be fairly simple. What he has to do is raise doubt in the minds of the American electorate about Kerry's ability to protect the United States and American security in the war on terror," Rowe was quoted as saying. "I think that for the American electorate, security is probably the single most important issue in the election. Concerns about the economy are going to be secondary."
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