Old ACT vs. Digital SAT: Which One is Better for Me?

With the Digital SAT upon us, conventional advice about which test on which to focus has gone out the window. Students find themselves unsure as to which test is best for them. With colleges accepting either test, which one is best for you? Let’s take a look at the similarities and differences between the tests. Take a look at our info-graphic, and then read below to help decide which test is best for you or your student!

English, Reading, and Writing

On the ACT you’ll see a long English section that tests grammar, mechanics, and composition skills. There will also be a reading comprehension section later on in the test that requires that students read four long passages and answer 10 questions about each of them. On the Digital SAT these two sections have been combined into modules that cover both reading and writing. The reading passages are far shorter (max 150 words each) but the writing questions overlap many concepts covered on the ACT. The relative brevity of the passages on the SAT gives students with shorter focus periods a better chance at showing their skills. However, the constantly changing topics may be distracting.

Math

The ACT math tends to cover a wide range of topics from elementary school up through introductory pre-calculus. Students will need a broad understanding of many topics and the ability to do math quickly in order to do well on the ACT. The ACT focuses on testing simple concepts in diverse settings. The SAT covers fewer subjects, but does so more in depth. Students must have a much deeper understanding of algebra and linear geometry to succeed on the SAT.

Timing

The SAT, in general, is a deep, narrow test. The test expects students to have a thorough understanding of fewer concepts compared to the ACT which expects a shallower understanding of more concepts. For this reason, the ACT expects students to think quickly and adroitly while the SAT grants more time for deep thinking. Most students can expect to run out of time on at least one section of the ACT, while on the SAT this is less of a concern.

Adaptiveness

The SAT is now adaptive; the ACT is not. Depending on how a student does on the first reading and writing module and the first math module of the SAT, their second modules may be easier or harder. Consequently, the SAT can be shorter than the ACT and still collect a large amount of information on a student’s skills. It also means that students sitting next to one another will have different tests, thus reducing the risk of cheating.

Students who prefer the ACT

Students who prefer the ACT tend to be big readers and quick thinkers. Students who read a lot in their free time (or who did in the past) tend to have an advantage in terms of speed and skill on the ACT. In addition, students who are good with data and scientific concepts will have an advantage on the science portion of the ACT. Students who receive extended time or other accommodations often prefer the ACT as well.

Students who prefer the SAT

Students who are strong in math (especially Algebra) tend to do well on the SAT. Students who prefer to have more time to think deeply about concepts, wording, and nuance also tend to prefer the SAT. Students with a shorter attention span, will often prefer the shorter passages and more direct wording of the questions on the reading and writing portion of the SAT.

The Long and the Short of It

If by now it isn’t obvious which test you should focus on, consider taking one of each to compare. Nothing beats the real-world experience of giving it a try.  If you’re having a hard time making a decision based on your scores and skills, please reach out: we’re always happy to help!

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

With the prevalence of internet accessibility increasing across the board, one key skill in education is diminishing: the ability to figure it out. It may be true that students no longer need to memorize key facts because they can always look them up, but being able to puzzle through things is essential to many jobs. After all, what happens when something can’t be looked up? What kind of world would we have if we didn’t have people who were willing to figure out new things? This ability to figure things out starts very young. Remember the toy where the small child has to match the shape of the block to the shape of the hole? Somewhere along the line, though, many children and young adults begin to expect less work in figuring things out. They’re given fewer puzzles to solve and more things to memorize. They stop looking at learning as a puzzle solving and start simply asking for answers (from a teacher or Google) if they don’t know.

The result is that by the time students get to the ACT and SAT in high school they often have very weak concentration and critical thinking skills. They view math as a set of memorized steps, not a puzzle to be worked through. They view reading as something to do only to gain facts, not as something that requires critical thinking. This leads to poor results and to many students struggling to develop skills that have long lain dormant.  

One key part of ACT and SAT tutoring is strengthening these weak skills. Students will often become frustrated when they say “I don’t know how to do this problem” and instead of explaining the steps a tutor starts asking them questions. But this is how these skills are built. Instead of explaining and having students memorize every type of question that could be on the test (an impossibility), asking the students questions and assisting them in breaking the question down and solving the puzzle on their own will enable them to figure things out on test day when a tutor isn’t there to explain things. Nine times out of ten, when a student claims they don’t know how to do the problem, they actually already have all the math or reading skills they need to solve the problem, they just don’t realize what type of math they need to use or where to focus their reading. Developing critical thinking skills leads to much batter results. Besides tutoring, students can develop their critical thinking skills in several ways.

Here are some every day suggestions for strengthening this key skill.

  1. Hypothesize before looking things up:
    Let’s say you need to know the date for some key historical event for a school assignemnt. Before hopping on the internet or grabbing a text book, try to figure out at least a range of time that even could have happened in. Make a game of it to see how close to the correct answer you can get by using all the information you have already in your mind. For example, if I needed to know the date of the moon landing, I might go through a thought process like this: I know the moon landing was during the Cold War and the Cold War was after World War II but before the 90s, so it’s probably between the 50s and 90s. I remember back to a TV show I where the characters watched the moon landing. The TV was black and white and their clothes seemed bright. There were also a lot of hippies as characters. Maybe the moon landing was in the late 60s or the 70s. Only once I have thought through all of this and come up with a hypothesis do I look up the answer: the moon landing was in 1969.
  2. Do puzzles regularly:
    Sign up for a daily word or number puzzle. Maybe it’s a Sudoku. Maybe it’s a mini crossword puzzle. Make it something you can do most days, but that you can’t look up the answer to. Don’t let yourself give up quickly! If you need to, put it down for a few hours and then come back to it later. Work through feelings of frustration and focus on how much easier it gets over time! Try to be okay with not figuring it out if you puzzle on it for a good amount of time and can’t crack it.
  3. Ask specific questions:
    If you’re stumped on something at school or in anything you’re working on, focus on asking really specific questions. More specific questions force you to think about the problem a lot more before getting help and will avoid the helper just giving you the answer without making you think. Avoid saying things like “I don’t understand this thing” or “I don’t know how to do this” and try instead to say things like “what is the relationship between these two things- I don’t think I fully grasp that” or “If I’ve already done steps one and two, what should I consider to get to step four.” Once you’re comfortable with that try asking yourself those questions before asking other people.

Developing the skills needed to figure things out is difficult, but it’s well worth the effort and will pay off in many ways beyond just standardized tests. Keep working on those skills and let us know if you’d like any guidance along the way.

Michal Strawn


Boston College

Despite the name, Boston College is not actually in Boston. When you step off the train at the very last stop of the Boston local rail system, you find yourself across the street from BC which is is surrounded by the sleepy town of Chestnut Hill, a far-flung suburb of Boston. While students still have access to all the opportunities of the city via a 30 minute transit ride, they also get to enjoy the relatively calm community that envelops Boston College. Because the college is further away from the hustle and bustle of the city, it has been better able to develop and maintain a distinct campus culture, rooted in the Jesuit tradition, and relevant to the students of today. This blend of city and small town appeals to many people and is one of the many reasons why BC is so popular.

Academics

Another reason BC is so highly sought after is the Jesuit style of education that is its bread and butter. This educational focus has led the college to its status as a tier one research institute even while class sizes are kept small; an average class has around 20 students. BC has around 9400 undergrad students and a large population of graduate students. All students are required to complete core education credits which they can select from a large pool of options and, while they are required to enter into a specific school, they can hold off declaring a major within that school until the end of their sophomore year. BC does a good job of ensuring that students get through their required course work with 89% of students graduating in 4 years.

At Boston College you can expect many of the same educational opportunities that many colleges have including research, study abroad, and internships which all work together to help students graduate with the connections they need to secure employment.

Campus Life

Freshman year at Boston College is a bit different than some might expect. Despite the historic and charming campus being outside of Boston, BC struggles with having enough space to house all the students who choose to live on campus. Consequently, the freshman class is split with forty percent living on a secondary campus a few miles away. A continuous bus services runs during most of the day to allow for ease of access in both directions. Despite the split, students report good experiences on both campuses, and campus spirit is strong, but students should know that they might not end up living “on campus” their freshman year. The secondary campus is not part of the tour.

The culture at BC is strengthened by faith. Students at BC mostly share a Roman Catholic heritage with 70% claiming a Catholic background and 30% active in their Catholic faith. Students who are not Catholic or even Christian, however, report that they feel accepted and that they appreciate the educational focus that comes with being on a Jesuit campus.

The overall community culture is also strengthened by the complete lack of social Greek life. This forces students to make a wide range of friends across campus. Students who are looking for a traditional Greek experience should consider other colleges.

Admission

Boston College, like most other schools, boasts a “holistic admissions process”. They are currently test optional for the high school class of 2023, but they have not made decisions beyond that. Admissions representatives stress that students who score in the 33+ range on the ACT (or the equivalent SAT) should absolutely submit their test scores. BC is a fairly selective college, admitting only about one quarter of applicants. As with most schools that have early decision, applying early decision improves a student’s chance at acceptance and, since BC meets 100% of demonstrated need, can be a good choice. As always, students must be completely sure that BC is their number one choice before applying early decision.

If you have any questions about college admissions or about my trip to BC please let me know! I am always happy to help.

Michal Strawn

Co-Op? Internship? Work Study? What’s the Difference?

Many students plan on working in some capacity while they attend college. There are a number of different ways to make this work out: work study, co-ops, internships, off campus jobs. What is the benefit to working while in college, and what are the differences between all these different opportunities? Broadly, a co-op or internship is part of the student’s learning experience. It will be in their chosen field and will be part of their education. This is different from off campus or work study jobs which are ways that students can make money to help support themselves while in college. Let’s take a closer look at all four.

Off Campus Jobs:

These are the simplest to understand. An off-campus job is just that: a job. The employer is not affiliated with the college or university and the work does not count as part of the student’s education. This would be a normal full or part time job that a student finds for themselves to supplement their income. Many college students work in retail or in food service as well as in other industries. These jobs can have good pay rates, but because they are unaffiliated with the college or university, however, it can be difficult to find one that will work around the often hectic schedule of a student.


Work Study and On Campus Jobs:

Work study is a type of on campus job. Students can work in many capacities for the university at a set pay rate. The difference between work study and a regular on-campus job is simply where the funding comes from to pay the student. Work study funds are part of a student’s financial aid package and come from governmental institutions whereas a regular on campus job would see the student paid from a department’s budget or other pool of money on campus. These jobs will essentially look the same to the student- they just be careful if they aren’t approved for work study not to apply for jobs that are advertised as work study: there might not be funds to pay them!

On campus and work study jobs can be very varied. They might include working as a teaching assistant, manning a front desk, making copies, selling concessions, taking tickets at sporting events, helping the grounds crew, and a myriad of other opportunities. In the opinion of this author, the best jobs are the ones that are simple enough that a student can complete homework at work (working a desk), or in an area that can help a student build connections (working for a professor) but they all pay, so if a student needs supplemental income, any will do in a pinch.

Internships:

Internships are generally off-campus “jobs” that are set up in conjunction with the college or university in order to help the student get real life work experience. Many (if not most) internships are unpaid, so students who need financial support should ensure that they are working at paid internships prior to starting. The primary goal of an internship is educational, not financial. An internship is a part time job in addition to a regular class load and is often actually part of a class. If a student is interested in an internship he or she should talk to a professor or career services about finding one. Internships can be a good way to get a foot in the door with a possible future employer.

Co-ops:

A co-op is also a learning opportunity. Unlike internships, however, co-ops take the place of classes on campus for anywhere from a summer to a semester to a full year. Co-ops are full time work and as such should be paid opportunities. Different colleges may handle co-ops differently. Make sure you ask about tuition policies while in a co-op: some colleges will waive tuition for a co-op while others might not! Co-ops are great opportunities for hands on learning and financial support, however, because they take the places of classes, students need to make sure that a co-op will work with their graduation timeline. Academic advisors are great and assisting with such questions!

Regardless of which option they pick, students should plan to work in some capacity in college. Upon graduation, students who will be applying for jobs will find that any kind of work experience on their resume will give them an advantage of students who have no work experience at all.

If you have any questions please get in touch! We’re happy to help you better understand college working options.

Michal Strawn








Visiting Boston University

Located in Boston Massachusetts, just a few subway stops from the historic North End, and across the river from MIT, Boston University is well positioned for an involved urban experience. Boston University is a large, private, teaching and research university. Admission to BU is highly sought after by students from all over the nation, and application is simple with the common app, so their admission rate hovers around 20%.


Academics:

Boston University does its best to have a flexible approach to academics. Students who apply undecided into one of BU’s ten schools will have two years to declare a major. BU focuses on hands on learning, with 40% of their student body studying abroad at some point and many more students taking part in internships and completing research during their time at BU. BU has a program which they describe as “our take on the liberal arts” in which students can pick from over 1000 classes to build what the university sees as six life skills. Outside of those classes and classes for their major, students are free to fill their electives however they choose.

BU does a decent job of getting students to graduation with 80-85% of students completing their degree in four years. BU has a 10:1 student to faculty ration and their average class size is about 27 students.

Campus Life:

Like most city colleges, BU lacks the charm of the traditional green quad and wide open spaces. It is a fairly compact campus that often appears to be just part of the neighborhood around it. This would appeal to students who want to live in a major city and still be on a college campus. The campus has a mix of historic and modern buildings which makes for an interesting campus feel. Students are required to live on campus for only their freshman year and many take the opportunity to move into the surrounding neighborhoods with friends once their first year is over.  There is a decent amount of Greek Life on campus with 20% of students taking part in Fraternities and Sororities, but students say there are plenty of social opportunities outside of the Greek system.

Admission:

Applying to BU is fairly simple because BU uses the common app. While there are later deadlines for regular admission, admissions counselors at BU stress that students should have their applications done by December 1st for merit scholarship consideration. BU is test optional for at least one more year, so if you feel that your test scores do not reflect you, you can apply without them. In addition, BU will superscore any tests that you do submit. The best piece of advice given by the admissions officers is this “be specific when answering the essay question ‘why BU’”. Take your time on that supplemental essay. Don’t give a generic answer, don’t apply just for the relative prestige BU can offer. Have a good and specific reason why you want to be at BU in the fall.

Let us know if we can help you with that essay or with any part of your college application process- good luck!

Michal Strawn

I Got into Multiple Colleges: Now What?

It is that time of year again. College admission decisions are flying in and students are trying to figure out where they’ll be moving in the fall. Many students find themselves with several acceptances and struggle to make that final, crucial, decision. Even students who got into their dream college should sit down and think through their options prior to saying “yes”. We’ve compiled a list of some things for students to consider as they ponder their choices.

  1. Wait for financial aid packets:
    When students find out they’ve been accepted to the top school on their application list, the temptation is often to confirm attendance as quickly as possible. This is generally a poor decision. Students have until May 1st to respond and they should be patient and wait until they’ve heard from all their applicant schools and received financial aid info before committing to any one institution. It’s always a bad idea to buy something without looking at the price tag. Comparing the final out-of-pocket price and the amount of debt that students will incur for each college is a vital part of the decision process. Students should also remember that loans are real money. Just because you don’t have to pay right this minute, doesn’t mean that that particular school is a good deal! Financial aid awards can be drastically different at different institutions, so crunch the numbers.
  2. Consider plans after college:
    Students often see college as the end goal. They’ve been working toward college for so long that they tend to forget that college is just a stepping stone to a career. Many of those careers require additional schooling in the form of graduate programs. When selecting a college students should consider how the colleges may set them up for success in grad school or in a career. Financials are especially important for a student who is looking at an additional few years of schooling after college. If a student hopes to attend law school or med school, they should be careful not to deplete any cash resources they have just to get through undergrad. In addition, students might look for the school that has the best track record for helping its graduates gain admission into the grad program they are hoping to complete.
  3. Weigh program strengths and weaknesses:
    Students often choose their campus based on gut feeling or on a ranking list. The higher rank on the national list must be the best choice, right? Not always. The same college might be great for one student and terrible for another. Students need to consider which school will give them the best education. After all, that’s the reason they’re paying for college. While a school might be high up on a national ranking list, that doesn’t mean all of their majors are high ranking in and of themselves. Every school has programs that are stronger and others that are weaker. Consider program strength, not just overall college ranking. A school might be highly nationally ranked because they have world-class humanities programs which dominates the school, but if a student is studying chemistry, the humanities department is rather irrelevant.
  4. Imagine life on campus:
    This is number four for a reason. It’s the last thing that students should consider, but it should be considered nonetheless. Occasionally a college just isn’t right for a student. Students should be careful not to make the decision based on any minor issues: every college will have one or two minor issues. However, large issues that would lead a student to being uncomfortable or miserable for four years should eliminate that college from contention. Maybe they applied to the local large university as a backup, when really they would feel lost on the giant campus. Maybe they applied to a foreign school for fun when they can’t see themselves moving overseas. These are important considerations beyond just “the campus isn’t as pretty as I want” and should be taken seriously.

While there are other factors to consider, these big four will set you up to make the best decision you can. If you’re still struggling, ask for help from parents, or a college counselor. If you’d like to chat with one of our counselors about your options, we’d be happy to help!

Happy College Decision Season!

Michal Strawn

Why Do Unreasonable Expectations Seem Reasonable?

Grades in school are often not indicative of how a student will do on the ACT or SAT.

This is unfortunate but true. A lot of tutoring starts with something along the lines of “I just don’t understand! Her grades in school are so good. She has a 4.2 and is multiple advanced courses; we just don’t understand why her ACT isn’t at least a 28.” There are a few issues with this mindset. The biggest issue is that the ACT isn’t a test over what the student has learned in school: it’s a test of critical thinking.

School grades, for the most part, are a reflection of how well a student can memorize things and understand concepts. The ACT tests how students can apply those concepts in new situations. This is something that is rarely practiced in school. In addition, there are almost unlimited opportunities for grade improvement at school. Teachers offer test corrections, extra credit, and close to unlimited time to finish work. Teachers want students who show up and work hard to succeed and to have good grades. The pressure on teachers not to fail students is immense. This leads to grade inflation. For all these reasons, a good GPA often does not translate to good ACT scores even though it seems like, reasonably, it would.

Getting tutoring or working hard does not guarantee large improvements.

Because of the school system just described, students and parents alike are conditioned to believe that if a student simply works hard and seeks the appropriate help their scores will reach the level they would like. This is, unfortunately, not the case. Tutoring and hard work will help a student learn how to think through the questions on the test; critical thinking can indeed be improved. However, most students will eventually hit their natural limit. It would be cruel to put the expectation on any high school runner that they could turn into a 21st century Jesse Owens through just hard work in high school.

 In the same way that physical limitations will always exist for athletes, mental limitations exist for students. The ACT and SAT are both designed to find these natural limitations, whether they be high, low, or, like most, in the middle. The good news is that this will generally not prevent a student from continuing their education after high school. On the contrary, the United States has a very wide range of colleges, universities, and trade schools that cater to students at all levels, and using standardized tests to discover a student’s abilities and limitations allows students to attend a school where they can be successful!

Set reasonable expectations.

Because of points 1 and 2 students and parents alike need to set reasonable expectations. It is wonderful when expectations are surpassed, but there is nothing quite so heartbreaking as when a student improves through hard work and the result is disappointment on the side of the student and/or parent. To set reasonable expectations, let’s talk about percentiles on the ACT.

The ACT is designed on a curve. The 50th percentile is a score that tends to hovers between 19 and 20 nationally. This will not change. No matter how much students across the nation study, the test will be adjusted so that 50% of students fall below the 20 mark and 50% rise above it. When a student gets a 20 they are often disappointed, they think that is a terrible score. Parents, peers, and teachers often agree. None of them realize that this is actually just about the national average!

Now, let’s talk about goal scores. Those who start at 20 often set their hearts on 25, 28, or 30. In this situation, a 25 on the ACT would be in the 78th percentile or a 28 percentile point increase over a 20. A 28 would be in the 88th percentile or a 38 percentile point increase. A 30 would be in the 93rd percentile and a 43 percentile point increase. What this means is that a student would have to, between one test and the next, leap frog over 43% of his or her peers (most of whom are also studying) in order to move from a 20 to a 30. This would be not a leap of knowledge but of critical thinking. This is not a reasonable goal. Such goals put undue pressure on the student and in ninety-nine percent of cases lead to dashed hopes no matter how much hard work is done. A reasonable goal will depend on what score the student starts at and what their natural abilities are, and no matter what the score is, there will be colleges that are open to them. A good tutor will be able to help you set those reasonable goals, work toward achieving them, and reach your potential.

If you have questions or comments about the ACT or SAT, how to prepare for the tests, or what reasonable goals might look like please get in touch! Helping students reach their potential is our number one goal.


Statistics source: https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/MultipleChoiceStemComposite.pdf

Ohio Wesleyan University

Ohio Wesleyan University 12-14-2021 Next on our college tour of Ohio is Ohio Wesleyan University. Located in the heart of Delaware, OWU has small town charm and, with Columbus right down the road, big city accessibility. Ohio has a lot of small, seemingly generic liberal arts universities, but, if you pay attention, each one has a slightly different flavor that can make it stand out from the crowd and be a good fit for some students.

Academics
Ohio Wesleyan University has a few things that give it its unique flavor. Academically, the standout feature is the OWU Connection which encourages students to think big, go global, and get real. Through this program, which is available to all students, students can get research funded, study abroad, and locate internships in their desired areas of study. The OWU connection works to take learning out of the classroom and actively engage students, which leads to success. OWU is also known for their business/management major as well as their biology program.

Campus Life
Beyond academics, OWUs campus life has a strong Greek life presence and Greek or interest specific housing. Many smaller universities are not able to offer Greek houses or interest specific housing to students, making OWU stand out from the crowd. OWU also has a strong showing of student athletes.

Applying
Students who want to make OWU their home for four years do need to put in some work. While the acceptance rate is 68 percent, students are expected to submit letters of recommendation along with their transcript and essay. Students with at least a B average in high school have the best chance at admission. OWU offers early admission. OWU is test optional, but of those who submit test scores, fifty percent are between 23 and 29.

Kenyon College

Historic Campus

The oldest private college in Ohio, Kenyon looks the part. The main campus breaths history and the buildings feel like they would be at home in any of the historic campuses of New England. The dining hall at Kenyon is awe inspiring and reminiscent of the Great Hall of Harry Potter fame. Students who appreciate a small town, historic, classic college experience will fall in love with Kenyon and will enjoy living on campus for all four years of their time there. At most colleges the newer dorms are in high demand, but upperclassmen at Kenyon hope for a good enough housing lottery number to score a room in the historic dormitories right at the heart of campus.

Modern Appeal

The college has modern conveniences in addition to historic buildings. Thanks to a generous donation, an entire new quad is being erected. The first building, a new library, is already completed and, while the exterior fits the historic aesthetic of the college, the interior offers every amenity for the modern student. New class buildings will be completed in the next few years and Kenyon looks forward to a bright academic future.

Great Education

Kenyon is best known for its English department. In fact, Kenyon has long been known as the writer’s college. Their graduating classes for years have been filled with illustrious names that you see on bookshelves and on bestseller lists. While Kenyon maintains its excellence in the written word, they are also strengthening their STEM offerings. Students who attend Kenyon for STEM degrees have wonderful research opportunities as there are no graduate students with whom to compete for grant funding. The modern science and tech buildings bring Kenyon into the future.

Strong Candidates

Students wanting to attend Kenyon need to be strong candidates. While the school is currently test optional and has hinted that it may stay that way, the average candidate who submits test scores tends to hover in the 29-33 range on the ACT. Kenyon has only a 34 percent acceptance rate and cannot easily increase class size since all students must live on campus. The admissions office stresses the importance of good quality letters of recommendation to improve admission chances.

If you’re looking for a good writing degree, earned on a charming campus and would like to experience the closeness of a small community, the drive to Kenyon is more than worth it.

Denison University: Close Community, Great Education

I had the pleasure of visiting Denison University during their finals week in December of 2021. My tour guide was a wonderful young lady named Daisy who showed me around campus and answered my endless questions about the University and the students there. Based on my conversations with Daisy and the information session prior to my tour, I feel that students who are high achieving go-getters looking for a tight community would be very comfortable at Denison.

Academics:

Denison splits its academic requirements into thirds. One third of a student’s classes will be in liberal arts instruction. One third will be in their major. The final third are electives. This allows Denison’s students to create highly personalized curriculum. Each student takes a different path to graduation and can focus on what interests them the most. This is part of Denison’s commitment to focus on the individual student, not the aggregate. Students are encouraged to take control of their education and focus as much on experiential learning as on book work.

Campus and Community:

The campus has a strong community. All of the students live on campus for four years, making Denison quite close knit. The campus is nestled in the small town of Granville, Ohio, so students who want to escape the hustle and bustle of cities and suburbs will find it to be a pleasant retreat. Granville is only 30 minutes from downtown Columbus, and students are allowed to have cars on campus all four years, so should a student want to leave campus for food, shopping, or entertainment, they absolutely can. Mostly, though, the campus and Granville are self-contained, which strengthens the community feeling.  

In addition, Granville encourages students to find mentorship and promotes diversity. Most students on campus find a mentor in their time at Denison and participate in international experiences. These both bolster the in-class education received at Denison and contribute to the community feel.

The campus itself is very beautiful. Located on “the hill” the University owns far more land than it could ever use: somewhere in the area of 850 acres. A small portion of the campus holds the buildings and sports fields that I toured and that around 3,000 students call home. The rest is a nature preserve with walking paths and scientific research stations. Given that the campus is on a hill, students will get lots of exercise walking up and down the copious hilly sidewalks and abundant staircases that connect all the buildings.

Applying:

Those students interested in Denison will want to make sure their application is in tip top shape. Denison only accepts around thirty percent of students who apply. The school is test optional and only about half of the students who are accepted submit test scores. The average ACT score of those students is around 30. Once accepted, the university does meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for their students, meaning Denison can be an affordable option. Applying students should get in touch with the financial aid office to discuss the particulars of their situation.

-Michal Strawn

College Consultant