Chance me - Grinnell- No Aid - SC resident - 3.92 UW - Test optional

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Demographics

  • US domestic

  • State/Location of residency: SC

  • Suburban, large High school

  • Other special factors: None

Intended Major(s): Psychology/social work

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.92

  • Weighted HS GPA: 4.78 out of a 6 point scale

  • Class Rank: 72/498

  • ACT/SAT Scores: went test optional, 27 ACT

List your HS coursework

(Indicate advanced level, such as AP, IB, AICE, A-level, or college, courses as well as specifics in each subject)

  • English: English 1, Honors English 2, Honors English 3, AP Lang, AP Lit

  • Math: Alg 1, Geometry, Alg 2, Pre-Calc, Calc, AP Stats

  • Science: Biology, Honors Chemistry, Forensic Science, AP Chem

  • History and social studies: AP psych, APUSH, World History, Government DE, Honors Econ

  • Language other than English: 3 years of French (Highest level my school offers)

  • Visual or performing arts: Art 1 and 2

  • Other academic courses: 2 Criminal Justice Dual Enrollments, finished the criminal justice pathway program, 2 marketing classes, Sociology and law Ed

Awards:

Palmetto Boy’s State

Top 10 in DECA - Psychology related community awareness project

Honor roll all 4 years

Art in district Art Show

NHS - NFHS, NAHS

Extracurriculars
Police Explorers - corporal - 50+ hours of service hours, $500 raised for special Olympics- in charge of teaching new explorers and hosting Sunday extra trainings

Psych related service hours - 250 hours on a crisis like site for mental health

Track and field - 4 years - Varsity for 4 - Most improved 2025

Swimming - 2 years on Club - 3 years on School team - Captain -

Speech and debate - 2 years - On leadership

STEAM passion project - educated kids in my area about STEAM curriculum through weekend sessions

French honors society - President

Lifeguard - 3 Years year round

Selective Youth Leadership Program alumni + on planning committee for current class - oversaw current community service project + did one myself

freshman Class President

Essays/LORs/Other
lOR were from my AP psych teacher as well as my swim coach who I have had a relationship with for 3 years

Supplemental Essay was on how I like change which is something Grinnell would give me

Common app essay was on the butterfly effect and how being in residential treatment center inspired me to become a forensic psychologist to support kids who were similar to who I was. I wrote this essay at a workshop and the admissions counselors did not have any red flags with it.

Important: my class rank and weighted GPA were affected due to being in a residential treatment center my freshman year. The lack of a lot of honors classes reflect this, as well as the fact I took 3 maths while I was there so I had to stay on the CP route.

2

Congrats on a fine record. I think you need to go TO - the 27 will be hard for them to swallow. It will also make them question your grades - where was the rigor.

Coming from SC, you’d have a chance. Best of luck.

3

That’s why I went test optional..

I struggled with ACT solely due to math. Although I did take 3 maths while in residential, they didn’t really teach me anything to actually provide me with a good foundation. Throughout a lot of my schooling, I’ve had to teach myself different parts of previous math courses. For example, trig in precalc was the first time I had ever done anything geometry wise.

I think that’s another reason I declared why I was in residential which did affect my grades since it also effected me throughout my high school education

4

Sorry - I missed that in the subject line.

I think coming from SC will help. If you need no aid and truly want to go there, it might be worth ED too.

Good luck.

5

OP has already applied so ED is not an option.

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6

Duh sorry- was thinking next year. If not Grinnell, I’m sure they’ll have other fabulous choices but it does seem a reasonable app. Best of luck to them.

7

It seems like you applied this cycle for Fall 2026 entry. If you applied RD, Grinnell should release decisions within the next two weeks. At this point, I am not sure if there really is anything else to do but wait.

8

I’ve gone 8/9 for acceptances (last one being Grinnell) so far..

Grinnell has been my dream school since I was 12 so yes.. I do have plenty of options, but getting in would fulfill genuinely my all my childhood wants lol

9

Well you’re 8 for 9 - either way be proud.

Best of luck to you.

1 Like
10

What I can tell you from looking at their Common Data Set is in the 2024-25 cycle, at least half of their enrolled students had applied TO, and about 44% of those reporting rank had not been in the top tenth of their HS class. What we can’t know is how many admitted applicants were both, how many who were both applied ED, and/or were recruited athletes, or so on.

Still, I would say this is enough to suggest it is realistically possible, but not guaranteed. And that’s about as far as any of us can get.

11

I’m just hoping my semi unique life experience carries my low academic stats .. my class rank throughout high school went from 130s to 70s but still wasn’t able to cross the 10% mark.

12

I definitely think Grinnell sometimes looks past just the basic numbers for kids it thinks could really make a strong contribution to their community. I again can’t give you specific odds on whether that will work in your case, but it was reasonable to apply.

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13

Grinnell was my only reach I applied to so obviously I’m not holding too much hope on it, but it would be nice to get into.

14

Two areas raise concerns: Modest ACT score & year spent in a residential treatment facility.

The positive aspect is that your experience in a residential treatment facility has led you to a well thought out career goal.

Congratulations regarding 8 acceptances !

15

How badly could residential effect me, especially since I was there freshman year and have maintained no other mental health issues since as well as no random drops in grades to indicate “struggling”

16

I’m also hoping have a lot of career specific extra curriculars like police explorers, police pathway, DE related to CRJ, psych ECs like a community awareness project etc help.

17

I do not know, and prefer not to know, the specific reason for your stay. That is a personal matter. However, residential schools evaluate all factors when making admissions decisions.

18

I didn’t declare why I went nor submit anything that would give any reason why I went. Besides grades from there, I didn’t get a LOR from anyone or put an ECs I did there besides student government.

19

Decisions come out in waves, mine didn’t come out in the acceptance wave so I got rejected most likely

It is what it is I guess. That’s the point of reaches, you’re not suppose to get in and if you do it’s a surprise. Sucks sure but I guess I have a lot of other options where I’ll most likely be happy at

21

Misclick :wilted_flower:

Clemson :white_check_mark:

Lander​:white_check_mark:

Connecticut College :white_check_mark:

Augustana College​:white_check_mark:

Westminster (Ut) :white_check_mark:

St. Ambrose University :white_check_mark:

Westfield University :white_check_mark:

Fairleigh Dickinson :white_check_mark:

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