Grinnell vs Macalester vs Coe

collegebound1441
Sun, 27 Mar 2011 15:06:09 +0000

Hi everyone. I am hoping that I will be able to get some helpful advice here. Fortunately, I have been accepted to all 3 schools. The down side is that both Mac and Grinnell will cost a very high amount (around $37k each). I received one of the top scholarships at Coe College (in Cedar Rapids) and would only have to pay around $16k. Here is where my dilemma begins. I have been going part time at a community college while in high school and have close to a year’s worth of credits completed, as well as a few CIS classes and AP credits. These credits would most likely transfer to Coe, but probably not at Grinnell or Mac. I am wondering which would be a better option: Going to a less prestigious school while paying less and graduating in 3 years, or taking out a large amount of student loans and graduating with a degree from a great school. I have been recruited to play a sport at all the schools, and I have begun to talk to the coaches at Mac and Grinnell about seeing if they are able to pull any strings to get some more money in aid. Grinnell is where I would like to go the most, so I am hoping something will be able to work out. Thanks for any help!