Grinnell College Visit Report by d'smom

Visit Activities:

Admissions Interview: Yes - Went well. Interviewer put son at ease and they had a great conversation. Seemed to be evaluative in nature. They discussed all kinds of information. i/e grades, courses, EC's, sports, clubs

Information Session: Yes - Went in October during their Grinnell Open House Weekend. It was wonderful to hear the President speak. We attended the financial aid meeting and listened to various professors speak as well.

Campus Tour: Yes - BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS! They definitely have spent some money. All the buildings are top notch. The campus center, theatre, athletic bldgs, science center, arts center are all wonderful.

Classroom Visit: Yes - Sat in on intro to Poly-Sci class & a Sociology class( loved it). Really impressed with how the professors get the kids engaged in class discussion based learning. No 200 kid lecture style class

---

Campus:

---

Kids are kids, but these kids are wonderful. They really care about one another & their respect for differences runs deep. Loved how everyone could be who they are and be respected and liked by

---

The president, coaches, admissions staff, and financial aid were all very nice and open. They answered all of our questions & made you feel like there are no wrong questions. Left w/ great feeli

---

Beautiful well laid out campus. The campus has old and new buildings that seem to blend very nicely. There was no sign of maintenance issues at this school. We liked the use of open space.

---

Everything was orderly and up to par. No signs of filth, litter or maintenance issues. Great facilities. These ppl have spent some money on their buildings and it shows. Love the use of glass!

---

There are some very nice new dorms, but the old ones have a lot of characters. Liked the wide hallways. Especially liked the indoor corridors and walkway. Will be nice feature when weather is bad.

---

Who needs security? This is in the middle of Iowa. Out of all the campuses we have visited this is by far the safest place. If you leave your bike unlocked it might be taken for a ride & return

---

Definitely at the top of our list. Loved it.

---

Off-Campus:

---

Very safe and nice area right around the perimeter of campus. Easy walk to town. No need for a car. They have a shuttle that runs to Des Moines if the need arises.

---

Cute, small town. Enough food establishments to fit the bill and at least they put the Walmart out on the perimeter of town. The town people were very nice and friendly.

Campus Visit Notes for Grinnell College

Visit Description:

We can't say enough great things about our experience. This school has it going on. Our over night host was one of the nicest kids. My son and him are still communicating.

We loved how diverse and open the people are at Grinnell. There was none of that "oh your a dumb jock or nerd" type attitude. There are no dumb jocks at Grinnell. All the athletes are smart and are there for the academics first and foremost.

There was none of that pretentious attitude thing lingering in the air like you find at some other elite schools. We sensed no competition type attitudes here. Everyone knows that everyone else is smart and nobody goes around flaunting it.

We really liked that although Grinnell is not located in a mecca for shopping, theatre etc....everything that one could need and want is right there on the campus. This school does a very good job making sure these students have a lot to chose from on a Friday and Saturday night. There are various music, art, lecturers and athletic events. The party scene was there, but in a good way. No frats or cliques here. Who needs frats?

These kids like to have fun. We got the sense that they work very hard, but know how to let their hair down on a Friday and Saturday night. My son also liked that there was no pressure on him to drink. Everyone kinda does there own thing.

What we probably love most is that our son met a couple kids in just two days while there and two of them are keeping in very close communication with him. They treated him like he was already in college and that really has meant a lot to him.

Another thing that really stands out as a positive is the fact that the school allows the kids to self govern themselves. There is a lot of responsibility put on these kids, but isn't that a large reason why they go off to school in the first place?

Definitely on the top of our list!

Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:

Stayed at the Best Western which was very clean and new. Good price and nice staff. Next time would like to try a B&B.

Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:

The mexican restaurant is great and the coffee house is cute.

Other Comments (Transportation, local attractions, parking, etc.):

Parking was no problem. About one hour from Des Moines. Very easy drive from there to the college. They also offer a shuttle for the kids, so a day in the city is very doable even without a car.