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Grinnell College Visit Report by susanr64

Visit to Grinnell College in October 2008 by susanr64
(Parent of Student, HS Class of 2010)
(Member since October 23 2008 with 153 posts)
 
4 of 4 people found this visit report helpful

Visit Activities:


Information Session: Yes - There were a few other scheduled sessions as well. The day was well-organized.

Campus Tour: Yes - The tour was good, led by a very flamboyant but entertaining sociology major.

Classroom Visit: No - My daughter attended a Literature class. She said she was acknowledged but did not feel comfortable.

Campus:


Friendliness/Courtesy of Students:
5 - Excellent
5 - Excellent
Most students were friendly and I got a kick of the ones sneaking through the student center trying to steal the goodies for the Open House. Some were very chatty.


Friendliness/Courtesy of Staff:
5 - Excellent
5 - Excellent
Very friendly. When my daughter was in class, a few sat down just to chat.


Appearance of Campus:
5 - Excellent
5 - Excellent
The school's money shows. Several buildings are really awesome and look new. There was construction, but no signs of needed maintenance.


Building/Facilities Maintenance/Cleanliness:
5 - Excellent
5 - Excellent
Very good.


Dormitories:
3 - Good
3 - Good
Didn't get to see one, not even a model. We kind of peeked in some windows. They looked adequate.


Security/Safety:
5 - Excellent
5 - Excellent
Looked like nothing would happen there. I was more concerned about the train tracks running through campus. Do trains go through there and make kids late for class? Don't know.


Overall Campus Impression:
5 - Excellent
5 - Excellent
love all the MACs on campus too.

Off-Campus:


Area Immediately Around Campus:
2 - Fair
2 - Fair
Typical LAC boring surrounding town. We ate at a really good Mexican restaurant that was driving distance away from campus.


City/Town/Community:
2 - Fair
2 - Fair
Same as above.

Campus Visit Notes for Grinnell College


Visit Description:

The campus was not designed to be quaint with century old buildings; some of the buildings were more modern-looking, especially the student center. We enjoyed the funny postings that were all over campus but were surprised that some had racial slurs. Guess there are many opinions on campus. The student body was very quirky in appearance, which I expected - part of the appeal for my D. One thing that miffed many parents....the session on financial aid was a 25 minute session on why Grinnell is wonderful and 5 minutes on financial aid. Sadly, the lack of merit aid will likely keep D from attending, since we do not qualify for FA but still cannot pay the price. But for the right student who is able to get appropriate aid, it looks like a fabulous environment.

Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:

Country Inn and Suites

Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:

A Mexican restaurant whose name I cannot remember

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

Car looks to be about it. 1 hour away from Des Moines airport.