Keilexandra

^^ So how is Grinnell's rep if you don't want to stay in the Midwest? I have a hard enough time convincing my parents to let me spend 4 years in Iowa, much less establish a career there. And in the long-term I personally want affordable access to seafood. XD

bethievt

I think the most important factors are that you would get a great education, that you could take advantage of internship opportunities, often funded by the college, and that alums are highly motivated to provide internships and jobs to Grinnell grads. Since it's such a small school, you might think these opportunities would be limited, but Grinnell grads are all over the globe and they generate a lot of jobs.

SDonCC

Bethievt, I"m curious if you live in Vermont, or if your screen name means something else. I'm only asking because I noticed that none of the schools your son got accepted to are in New England. We live in New England and also find these midwestern schools very appealing, but aren't ruling out the ones we can drive to by any means. I'm just wondering on what basis you chose to rule out more local schools? (unless the "vt" in your name isn't for the state) Just asking because, on the one hand, I do have a sense that the experience at these midwestern schools probably is different than we'd get here on the East Coast, but trying to get a better first-hand feel for this.

My son hates to fly, but he is willing to consider these colleges. We visited Carleton, Macalester and Oberlin and he loved them (except didn't like Mac's campus as much, with the split between the peaceful quads and then the busy street for the dorms). We're thinking about flying to Grinnell in November, but can't decide if he should just go ahead and send in an application instead. Which, I guess, leads me to the question of whether you think it would make a difference if he went there in person? He has a bit of a mixed profile, with top test scores, but erratic transcript. He blows people away when he interviews, though, often staying in there for an hour, when the usual time is 20-30 minutes....

I have to say that when he looked through Fiske for the first time, he flagged Grinnell as something of interest. But now that we've been visiting colleges, he walks away from each visit saying "that was great!" So, now we've got schools ranging from Oberlin and Bard to Williams and Bowdoin on the list! I do think he'd be able to find his nice anywhere, provided they have a few activities he'd be interested in... One of the things I really liked about Grinnell was the kind of clubs they had -- I recall seeing baking, Boggle, etc. A student body that is engaged in discussing current events and intellectual topics outside of the classroom is a plus.

bethievt

SDonCC--Yes, we are from VT. My son did prefer to be in a different part of the country. Now that he is, he's learned that he doesn't have allergies in other places, only in VT--a nice side benefit! The travel issue is not trivial, especially in the winter. Because my Mom lives in the Midwest, H and I would fly to Grinnell from VT for Thanksgiving and Christmas, then drive to my Mom's. Twice in one year, we were fogged out of Cedar Rapids, had to rent a car at O'Hare and drive to Grinnell, then to WI. They said this weather was unusual, though and stuff like this could happen anywhere.

In any case, it has been worth any inconvenience to have him at Grinnell. He is having a great experience and it is a perfect fit for him. This year, we'll travel to Morocco to visit him there--YAY!

I also noticed that Grinnell had more goofy-sounding clubs than any other school S was considering and thought that was a plus. I think clubs are a great way to make friends in a relaxed, non-party environment. The only one my son is doing is quiz bowl, though I think he tried salsa dancing too.

Yes, I think a visit is important, especially if he interviews well and has an erratic transcript. The school does consider this a statement of interest. Grinnell gives better merit $$ than most schools at that level. Their hefty endowment has allowed them to weather this economic storm extremely well.

If he goes, he should spend some time in the wonderful new student center. The architect really understood how to foster community!

ana92ksa

S has been in Grinnell for almost a month now. So far he is loving it. He says that all his professors are good teachers and really care for the students, the food is excellent and his dorm mates are great guys. When I visited there I liked the campus and the facilities, only wished it was located near to Des Moines. The driving from Des Moines airport to Grinnell is very easy but renting a car there can be expensive. During my visit the people I met from the admissions and student affairs departments were all very professional and welcoming; a group of people hard not to like. The college tour was conducted by a religious studies senior student and he did an amazing job; it made me wish S would be also able to do such a good job few years down the road. From what I've seen Grinnell can be a wonderful places for those who don't mind to be cut off from the urban scene for a while; the town is pretty but there is no much there. On the other hand, the continuous intellectual activities provided for free by the college is first class.

BengalMom

SDonCC -- we have visited a few of the other schools you mentioned: Carleton, Mac and Bowdoin, along with at least a dozen others.

We had an incredible tour guide at Grinnell (best anywhere), and absolutely loved the campus and the people we met. As we were walking back to the car, S said (with a huge grin on his face) "That's it. I'm done." That is very high praise coming from this kid.

finnsdad

To keep this string going... My daughter really wanted to go to school in the Northeast and we visited Cobly, Bates, Bowdoin, Union, BC but they were all intense in their environment (socially and academically) and the distance from home scared her a little.

We visited Grinnell late in the game and she too was really surprised at how "great" it felt to her.

She has now been there for about a month and although the work load - reading, writing, classroom participation is demanding she is really happy. As parents we are thrilled that the transition has been relatively smooth and cant wait to see her for parents weekend next month.

Grinnell may seem like its too good to be true but after the first month its not!!

SDonCC

finnsdad, is it possible for you to be more descriptive in what you mean by "intense" with the northeastern schools? I am certain that Grinnell would be a great fit for my son, but frankly, if he gets into comparable quality schools on the East coast, he would probably elect to go somewhere he doesn't have to fly to. We will probably go out to interview anyway, because I think that will be critical to his application and I think in this admissions environment we have to be open to all possibilities.... But, I'd be curious to get a better sense of what your daughter didn't like about the Eastern schools.....I am trying to figure out just how different Grinnell might be to make it possibly worth flying to on a regular basis as a student if he accepted there.

parent2009

As I see it, there are probably three (co-ed) liberal arts colleges on the East Coast with better academic reputations than Grinnell -- Amherst, Swarthmore, and Williams -- and four or five others with equal reputations (Wesleyan, Middlebury, Haverford, Bowdoin, and maybe Vassar). No other east coast school is really in Grinnell's league.

Many students attending Grinnell's "equals" on the east coast wish they were at the Big Three. Moreover, lots of them have money. This is a lethal combination from an academic and social standpoint. Grinnell, being where it is, doesn't attract as many Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, and Ivy League wannabees. To the contrary, the school tends to attract kids who want precisely nothing to do with that whole scene. The result is a much more relaxed and accepting atmosphere.

I realize that I'm generalizing but I do think that for certain kids Grinnell really is a better fit than any of its east coast peers. I know it was for my daughter.

bethievt

I could not possibly have said this better!

Keilexandra

For the knowledgeable parents/students here: how would you compare Grinnell to Oberlin/Carleton/Macalester? They all seem to have the Midwest vibe, which I like. Disregard climate.

bethievt

My son was admitted to all of these schools. He chose Grinnell, but other students would make other choices. They are all amazing. For Grinnell, I would say small classes, great advising, incredible facilities, merit $$. I'm sure he would have had a great experience at any of these schools. My H is an Oberlin alum, my niece is a Mac alum and we know many Carleton alums.

Keilexandra

Merit aid isn't really a concern for me (would be nice, but Grinnell doesn't offer enough to surpass my need-based expectation). Why would you say that Grinnell is -better- than C/M/O in small classes, advising, and facilities? (I know Oberlin has slightly larger classes, having a larger student body--but that also means a larger course selection each year.)

PRJ

great post parent2009!

bingle

I've visited Carleton, Grinnell, and Mac with my d - she (and I many years ago) chose Carleton. There's a definite difference in surroundings that will sway some. Grinnell is the most rural, the town is a small farm town, and it's an hour from Des Moines. Carleton is also surrounded by cornfields, but Northfield is much more a college town than Grinnell since it serves 2 good LACs. Also, N'field is an hour from Minneapolis/St Paul which I think most would view as better thank Des Moines. However, that only matters if you care about being an hour from a big city<grin>. Mac is in St Paul, although I'd describe the area as more a suburban than urban feel. I know some who chose Mac over Carleton because they wanted to be in a city and others who chose the opposite because they didn't.
In terms of the campus itself - Grinnell and Carleton are bigger campuses than Mac. D though the Mac campus seemed a bit confined. Carleton has an 800 acre arboretum which is a draw for some and the campus itself seemed to have more trees than Grinnell. D also didn't care for the train tracks running through campus at Grinnell (for aesthetic not noise reasons). Carleton has train tracks in town and certainly has train noise. However, all three are terrific schools and any kid bright enough to get in will get a fabulous education and make wonderful friends at any of the three.

Never been to Oberlin.