I don’t really see anything in OP’s post that is particularly excited about what Grinnell has to offer them. It was more about feeling honored that they were chosen for the award but nothing else.
Contrast that to someone who would be just gleeful and not hesitate to accept because they were sure it was a great fit.
So hence, the hesitation. And there is nothing wrong with that. You just need to be honest with what you feel is the right decision for yourself.
The difference between the earnings may have something to do with the kids each school tends to attract in the first place with Grinnell attracting a more laid back and academic minded student versus Duke attracting a more pre professional goal oriented type.
Both have bright kids but different focus. Grinnell may provide a more supportive environment to explore whereas Duke provides a place to hone in on skills.
Interestingly enough, I know of kids who went to both. Realize it’s just a small sample but the parents who sent their kids to Grinnell were academic types and the parents who sent their kids to Duke were more business types.
Also, the Grinnell parents and kids strike me as not being interested in the prestige factor as much as the Duke parents and kids.
So if OP is interested in the prestige factor (again, nothing wrong with that if you can own it) Duke has the advantage there.
With Bruce Springsteen canceling a concert and the NBA announcing that they will not hold the All Star game in North Carolina unless they repeal the law, I suspect that the pressure will grow to repeal it. But per this article in US News, Duke did issue a statement that "its campus won’t be affected, but went out of its way to condemn the bill.
“Duke University values every individual. We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, which makes us a better and stronger community,” according to the statement. “For that reason, we deplore any effort to deny any person the protection of the law because of sexual orientation or gender identity.” "http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-03-24/the-long-reach-of-north-carolinas-lgbt-law
Run the numbers with your parents. Talk about where the money would come from to cover the differences. Consider what that money could be used for if not for your college education. Look up transportation costs to and from all of the campuses, and talk about how often you would be able to get home.
Communicate with the financial aid offices at each campus, and find out how changes in your family income will affect the aid. Find out what you need to do in order to keep the merit scholarships for all four years.
Thank you to everyone who replied so far - I greatly appreciate it! :x The anti-LGBT HB2 law passed in NC has definitely been something I’ve been pondering about. Hopefully I’ll get in touch with someone who is a student at Duke to discuss the issue with. I also see that I definitely have more research to do regarding Grinnell.
As silly as it sounds, I don’t really think I know what I want… One day I feel like a small liberal arts school would be fabulous, another day I feel like a prime research university would be a better fit. However, future salary is something that is unequivocally important to me, considering I’ve seen my parents struggle over their financial burdens, so @NerdyChica 's post about Duke does seem enticing. The added student loans for Duke? - Not so much.
I’ll keep you guys in tune with what I end up deciding. College Confidential has been such a welcoming, informative community over the past few months - I can’t say thanks enough!
When you look at salary differentials, it really is important that you get a breakdown by majors. There may well be no differential for people with your major - or the differential may not be enough to make up for the difference in your costs within a reasonable amount of time.
One thing that has been researched is how a prestigious university can offer more to a lower socioeconomic student. But I don’t know how these schools exactly fit into that category. My understanding was that at prestigious schools lower SES students make the connections and develop the social skill set to navigate the upper class environment.
Again anecdotal but may be worth mentioning is how the kids going to Grinnell from my experiences already had the connections through their parents and were able to get great career opportunities.
So it may be worth looking at what each school offers low SES students to shore them up in this area- supportive services.
No, it won’t. So relax. These are all excellent choices. What you do with your time in college, the opportunities you take advantage of, connections you make, what you learn, how you change and grow as a person, will impact your future much much more than which of these 3 you attend.
This is a biggie. You don’t want to have that hanging over you in addition to the challenges of college.
I can see the appeal of Dartmouth (“ivy”) and Duke (“ivy-ish”), but honestly, I would advise you to go to Grinnell. The undergraduate education it provides is excellent, it’s one of the top schools in the country in terms of the % of graduates who get PhDs (that tells you something about the student body), and it has a small focus with lots of attention, a welcoming atmosphere, cooperative, etc. Believe me, a degree from Grinnell is arguably just as likely to open doors for you, as one from Duke or Dartmouth, again, depending on how you use your college experience.
Parent of a Grinnell student here. School offers amazing resources, individualized attention, connections to real-world experiences and learning, both on-campus and off. . For example, on campus, they offer short courses on “Learning from Alumni,” where alumni return to teach multi-week classes lessons on leadership, organization, etc. The idea that students who go to Grinnell succeed because they came in with connections is diametrically opposed to the school’s vision and how it operates! Its commitment to social justice means that it puts its resources and attention into breaking down the barriers that have prevented an even playing field for many.
Grinnell also offers extensive opportunities for student research, and often the students win awards at the national levels, competing very well against students who attend universities.
I would not look at lists that report on what students earn after attending these colleges – it reflects as much the student body, not what the school provides. Grinnell may graduate a greater proportion of students who go on to service / non-profits or grad school, so that is what is likely to drive these results. Many Grinnellians also go directly into business, too! Alot of the students are entrepreneurial-minded, and the school provides resources and attention to support this spirit. As well as resources for students interested in graduating directly into more established business opportunities.
I am not going to cast a vote here for which school is preferable for you – these are very different institutions. I think that an on-campus visit is important to making a decision.
Have you also factored in travel costs to these schools? That can add up if you expect to go home for thanksgiving, xmas, and spring breaks.
If it’s prestige you are concerned about, many people don’t even know Dartmouth is in the Ivy League. I personally consider Duke to be a more prestigious school.
The college does not “produce” graduates who earn more, just as Liberty University does not “produce” conservative-leaning graduates. It’s self-selecting.
I think Grinnell is the best fit for the OP based on the OP’s statements and, while it does not carry the overall cachet of Dartmouth or Duke, cachet won’t make an unhappy student feel any better while he or she is there. It’s four years – choose the place that feels most like home.
Regarding the starting salaries, realize that the kids who make a lot of money coming out of Dartmouth and Duke tend to be doing it as Wall Street bankers or maybe as engineers. Grinnell is not exactly known as a hotbed of bankers and engineers. It’s a comical argument. Besides, standard of living differences dictate that most areas of the Midwest pay less than most areas of the East Coast. $50,000 in Iowa buys the same stuff as probably $60-$70,000 in, say, Boston.
These are obviously all great schools. In your case, Grinnell might be the best fit:
Lowest cost of the three
No Greek life whatsoever
Fairly laid back student body. People around here call it "Iowa Nice."
Top-notch academic quality, including all the usual pros of a LAC
Grinnell is rural. It’s between, and not too far from, two cities (Iowa City and Des Moines), but the school itself is probably as rural as Dartmouth is. If that is a concern, take it into consideration.
@NerdyChica: This is potentially a very serious issue, and what is condemnable is to downplay it and not encourage the OP and others in a similar situation to gather what information they can and think seriously about how it might impact their college time.
Already over 100 businesses/business leaders have condemned the law, threatened to pull out business from the state or reconsider siting there (with some actually following through on that). Some cities and states have restricted travel to North Carolina. The NBA has indicated they will move next year’s all-star game from the state. Bruce Springsteen has cancelled a concert there.
I suppose all these actions are condemnable as well!
Let us just agree to disagree. You can try to scare the OP into making a bad decision based on a law that will likely remain in place for a grand total of 3 months. I will educate him/her with the facts.