Of the three colleges listed, which one is the most difficult to get into?
In the National Liberal Arts Colleges category, U.S. News assigns a selectivity rank of 2 to Haverford, 5 to Hamilton, and 19 to Grinnell.
Thank you!
Class of 2024 acceptance rates:
Hamilton 18%
Haverford 18.4%
Grinnell 23.1%
Hamilton and Haverford are reaches for just about everyone. Depending on an applicant’s stats, Grinnell could be a reach or a match.
Middle 50% – SAT Reading & Writing
680-750 Haverford
670-740 Hamilton / Grinnell
Middle 50% – SAT Math
700-790 Haverford / Grinnell
700-780 Hamilton
Students scoring 700-800 – SAT Reading and Writing
68.0% Haverford
61.7% Hamilton
59.5% Grinnell
Students scoring 700-800 – SAT Math
78.2% Grinnell
77.0% Hamilton
75.8% Haverford
Students scoring 30-36 on the ACT
94.8% Haverford
91.4% Hamilton
83.6% Grinnell
Students in top 10% of their class
92% Haverford
83% Hamilton
62% Grinnell
Re reply #3, that appears to show Grinnell’s acceptance rate for the class of 2023.
DS son HS class of 2015 applied to all 3, was accepted to Hamilton and Grinnell and waitlisted at Haverford (school takes very, very few kids off waitlist - he didn’t stay on waitlist). So that gives you one data point.
Grinnell may be an easier admit next year because Iowa is doing such a bag job of handling Covid. In a usual year (when ever that happens) they are 3 great SLAC and you can’t go wrong with any of them.
Academically and culturally, Grinnell and Haverford are peers, in my view. Both are schools where students are deeply engaged with their academics, are not competitive with other students, and are committed to a strong student community – Grinnell through its tradition of “self-gov” and Haverford through its Quaker tradition of the Honor Code, plenary, consensus etc. I don’t know Hamilton well enough to compare, but of course, it is a highly regarded, excellent LAC. Acceptance is easier at Grinnell because, unlike say Carleton, another excellent LAC in the Midwest, it isn’t an easy in-and-out for students flying from either coast. We’ve visited Grinnell numerous times, with both kids, and have been so impressed.
1 Like