Northeastern Colleges Similar to Grinnell?

College Search & Lists
1

<p>Are any of you familiar with colleges in the northeast that are similar Grinnell? My son visited last summer, and he has said more than once that it would be his first choice except for its location. Here is a description of a Grinnell education [Institutional</a> Planning](<a href=“http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/institutionalplanning/links/grinnelleducation/]Institutional”>http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/institutionalplanning/links/grinnelleducation/)</p>

<p>I think he liked 1. The facilities which are amazing for a college its size. It has one of the largest endowments per student in the country. 2. The fact that the students are in charge of rules and discipline. 3. Students are allowed to select their own courses. 4. Many opportunities to form ec’s that are funded by the college. 5. The "it felt right’ factor. </p>

<p>Any ideas?</p>

2

<p>hamilton is another school that is super lax with regard to course requirements i applied to both grinnell and hamilton (i was waitlisted at grinnell, will be attending hamilton)</p>

<p>hamilton is also similar in size at 17something</p>

3

<p>Take a look at:</p>

<p>Haverford
Vassar
Wesleyan
Skidmore
Bates/Bowdoin/Colby (sadly, I think of them as one big school)</p>

4

<p>Grinnell is an excellent school.</p>

<p>Just about all of the top dozen or so LACs in the northeast share most of the characteristics you mention with Grinnell. </p>

<p>For example, the top five per student endowments at LACs are: </p>

<p>Grinnell
Pomona
Swarthmore
Amherst
Williams</p>

<p>I know for a fact that Swarthmore and Williams spend significantly more per student per year than Grinnell does. A lot more. </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>There are different approaches to this. He might like Haverford with its formal student run honor code system. Or, he might like Swarthmore’s infomal concensus student-run campus. You haven’t seen anything until you’ve see Swarthmore students veto a candidate for Dean or reject a proposal for “theme” housing by refusing en masse to sign up for it.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Students select their own courses at all LACs. Some do require that a student take a few humanities courses, a few social science courses, and a few science/math courses. If he likes no restrictions, then he might want to take a look at Amherst.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Again, several of the northeast LACs spend considerably more per student than Grinnell does. I don’t think you would find a lack of funds for student initiated stuff at Swarthmore, Amherst, or Williams. For example, Swarthmore paid my daughter a grant stipend to do community service one summer in Boston.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>It’s hard to single out schools here because the “it” factor will be different for each student! One kid’s “it” factor maybe Williams. Another’s may be Amherst. Another’s may be Swarthmore. Another’s may be Bowdoin or Wesleyan or Haverford. I can think of several possibilities for perceived “it” factor at Grinnell that would suggest different east coast alternatives.</p>