Kenyon Admissions: Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Atherton

I feel as though I'm saying the same thing day after day after day, but to be honest I had another terrific day of visits and met some wonderful people. I began at Castilleja in Palo Alto where I was, as always, warmly greeted and assigned a student escort to the counseling offices. Four young women were there to meet me and learn more about Kenyon, and it was a delightful visit.

The Castilleja campus is stunning. I tried to snap a few pictures that captured some of it.

And to make it even better, the best sign an admissions officer can see at a school:

My second visit was a very quick drive to Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton. As always, a sincere pleasure to see Ms. Kleeman. Again, four students took time to sit and talk with me and two of them were on campus not long ago.

The new performing arts center that was in progress last year is complete, and it is stunning. Here's the best picture I could work with my phone.

Every year this day works out to be my most efficient day of travel because I can visit a number of schools and drive less than a total of five miles all day, from hotel and back included. My third visit took me to Menlo School, only about a mile (if that) from Menlo-Atherton.

I did see, briefly, one student whose sister is a junior at Kenyon. I know I'm getting old but I didn't think he'd be looking at colleges already! I had a most enjoyable chat with some of the counselors there, and I'm grateful for their time. I was also able to see their new athletic center which was under construction last year, and it, too, is a beautiful modern building. However, check out these pictures from the front of campus.

Finally I paid a visit to Sacred Heart Preparatory School which is just a few hundred yards from Menlo School. This is probably the most beautiful campus I will visit all year. It is amazingly landscaped and the main buildings are gorgeous. Though I've been to their campus four times before for the Bay Area Case Studies tours, it was my first time for a high school visit and it didn't disappoint. I had the chance to meet with a young woman who actually has family in Warren, Ohio, the county seat where my parents live. Fun!