Why I Chose Kenyon

Phillip Gray Clark
April 15, 2016

As admissions season hits its peak and hundreds of students come up to visit their potential future home, I thought I’d explain why I chose Kenyon College. I have already talked about my admissions story in a previous blog post, but I didn’t really go into great detail as to why I picked Kenyon. Kenyon fits the criteria of many small competitive liberal arts schools, but there is one thing that really made this place stand out: the location.

When I tell most people back in Atlanta that I go to a school of 1,600 people, in the middle of corn fields in rural Ohio, an hour away from a large city, I always get the same two questions: 1) How have you not frozen to death? 2) Why? You’re from a city — don’t you miss it? The answers are: 1) a Russian fur coat and 2) never.

I’ve heard Kenyon’s idyllic location described as its greatest hurdle and its greatest strength. It does take a very specific type of person to head off to a place with only around 1,600 people, but that is what makes Kenyon so special. You are put on this Hill with only your classmates, professors and administrators, but that builds an incredible community. Everyone on this Hill has such a specific experience, but you feel this intrinsic connection to all the other students. Everyone who comes up to this Hill picks Kenyon for Kenyon. I’ve never heard of anyone coming to Kenyon because they want to hit up the Mount Vernon nightlife. You come here because you love this school, and the environment gives you the perfect setup to love this place. You don’t have anything to distract you, unless you really love picking corn, so you are forced to put all of your energy into Kenyon. That, to me, is what makes Kenyon so special. All 1,600 students on this Hill love Kenyon so much, and put their heart, soul and all their energy into showing that love each and every day.