Academics
Ohio’s Denison University is a small private liberal arts university that “makes people able to critically think and attack any task that they are confronted with,” so it follows that the school listens to its students, and “if there is something you want to add to or change about the school, it is easy to do if you put in the effort.” Support networks abound, from the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Career Exploration (which offers “a variety of help with career decisions: practice interviews, career coaching, resume building, and more”) to the Writing Center and the library, which offers help to students in classes with lots of researching and writing. Academically, students “often are involved in multiple departments” either though double majors, minors, or concentrations, and “conducting research is very common for undergraduate students...during the school year or over the summer.” All classes are taught by “intelligent, thought-provoking professors,” and there are “a multitude of unique class options.”
At Denison, “one will find professors who are completely committed to their job: teaching their students.” Small classes mean students “really get to know their professors and can learn a lot outside of a traditional classroom setting,” and “a student is bound to form a great relationship, if not a friendship,” with many professors during their education at Denison. They are “almost always accessible outside of class time” and “have a knack for making students appreciate the interconnectedness of concepts and disciplines.” Professors are even helpful when connecting students to professionals in fields related to their majors, and alumni are a great boon to the school. The network is “very diverse in occupation and found all around the world,” and alumni “love Denison and are willing to help any graduate seeking advice, internships, or any job-related detail.”
Student Body
Since Denison is a small university, students know or recognize most of their peers. “I can comfortably sit with most fellow students during any meal at the dining hall or in the classroom,” says a student. Within the “extremely diverse” student body, there are many different interests on campus, “from sports to film, from math to poetry, and from theatre to science,” and this “creates dialogue between [students].” In fact, the university has “an East Coast liberal arts feeling,” except in central Ohio. Denison students are “always very engaged,” and there’s “a high expectation of involvement on campus.” They “are passionate about their futures and the futures of those around them” and are “heavily engaged in current events and take politics a little too seriously.” There are a fair number of international students here, and Denison has “people who have traveled from the other side of Earth, to students who live in Granville themselves.” “Although we are all very different, we all come together,” says one.
Campus Life
Located east of Columbus, Denison “sits atop the hill overlooking the village of Granville and is surrounded by beautiful forest.” “One easily feels at home here,” and although it may be somewhat isolated, “the community makes up for that.” Denison has an active student body regarding co-curricular and extracurricular activities, and “most students hold at least one leadership position on campus.” The average schedule of a Denison student is packed with “classes, meetings, rehearsals, practices, volunteer work, and much more.” This is an entirely residential campus which “encourages students to engage with each other in multiple settings,” and students congregate in common rooms to hang out regularly. “Everyone stays on campus during the weekends regardless of where they’re from,” and while some students drink and go out to parties, others watch movies or go to concerts. For people that don’t want to party, Denison has a large amount of programming—so much so that “students sometimes complain that the school is actually over-programmed.” “There’s so much to do on campus that people rarely leave,” says a student.