I can still clearly remember walking onto the Denison campus on a frigid January day seven years ago. I was ten at the time and my parents, who graduated in the early 80s, had brought me to see the school on one of our trips to visit my grandparents in Columbus. As I walked around the first college campus I had ever been on, I tried to focus on anything but the sub freezing temperature by listening to my parents ' stories about meeting up in the student center or studying together in the library. They both had wonderful experiences at Denison, but made it clear to me that there would be no pressure to attend or even apply when the time came.
The fall of my senior year I found myself back on the Denison campus for a much more serious and official look. I'll admit that when my college counselor first proposed I add Denison to my list of schools, I was a little reluctant. "My parents went there..." I said, thinking those four words more than explained why I wouldn't be adding it. After doing some research myself it became clear to me that I could no longer ignore the obvious match I had found in Denison. First and foremost, it's the perfect size for me, small enough to feel like a community but still big enough to be able to meet new people all through college. Denison's strong academic reputation is also appealing, as I would be afforded the opportunity to explore my interests in English, psychology, and education in small, discussion-based classes. I was incredibly impressed by these departments because of the unique classes that are offered. As I read through the course catalogue I found myself intrigued by a number of classes ranging from the English department's nonfiction writing seminar and emphasis on creative writing to the psychology department's classes in psychology of learning, child development, and special needs. Additionally, I would like to write for Denison's school newspaper and literary magazine as an undergraduate student. Despite the strong and rigorous academics that Denison offers, I got the sense that many of the students value balance, something that is very important to me. Lastly, Denison is within an hour of my grandparents, which would be a nice comfort since I would be far away from my home in Portland, Oregon. After my second visit, I realized that I would be equally as excited as my parents still are to be a graduate of Denison University.
