Graduate Student Life
Kent, a college town of about 28,000, is located 35 miles southeast of Cleveland and 12 miles east of Akron in a peaceful suburban setting. Kent offers the cultural advantages of a major metropolitan complex as well as the relaxed pace of semirural living.
There are a number of music (e.g., Kent State's folk festival and free chamber music concerts in the summer), theater, and visual art groups at the University and in the community. Blossom Music Center, the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra and the site of Kent State's cooperative programs in art, music, and theater, is only 15 miles from the main campus. This beautiful outdoor concert venue is also the site for many critically acclaimed rock concerts throughout the summer months.
The newly expanded Akron and Cleveland art museums are within easy reach of the campus. Cleveland is also the home of the world-renowned Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and several professional sports teams. There are a wide variety of recreational facilities available on the campus and within the local area, including West Branch State Park and the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area. Nearby Lake Erie and its beaches offer a broad range of water recreational activities. Winter activities include ice skating as well as downhill and cross-country skiing. Kent State's new state-of-the-art recreation and wellness center is available for supported graduate students free of charge.
Places to visit:
- Downtown Kent: http://www.mainstreetkent.org/
- Blossom Music Center: https://www.facebook.com/BlossomMusicCenter/
- Cleveland Museum of Art: http://www.clevelandart.org/
- Akron Art Museum: https://akronartmuseum.org/
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: http://www.rockhall.com/
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park: https://www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm
- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo: http://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Zoo/Zoo.aspx
- Akron Zoo: https://www.akronzoo.org/
- Headlands Beach State Park: http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/headlandsbeach
- Boston Mills/Brandywine Ski Areas: http://www.bmbw.com/
