A tricky choice... Reed or Grinnell?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Where do I begin?
I've been accepted to Reed ED with a fair amount of Financial Aid, and while we can make do with it, it's not quite what we were hoping for.
Here's where it gets weird. I applied ED before visiting - and subsequently falling in love with - Grinnell. Grinnell encompasses all of the reasons I love Reed - highly intellectual environment in an exceedingly liberal and open atmosphere - while also presenting a uniquely open curriculum, removing one of my only reservations about Reed: it's rather restricted curriculum.</p>

<p>As the money is a bit worrying with Reed we've gotten to talking to the school and (miraculously) getting an extension on our ED agreement to see what Grinnell offers in terms of Financial Aid. PLEASE don't ask questions about this process. It's unorthodox and I actually thoroughly hate it, but that's an entirely separate conversation. I want to focus on these schools.</p>

<p>What I value most in college is a sense of community, an opportunity to follow any interests I have (I'm pretty undecided in a major but leaning towards Human Geography, International Studies/Relations, CS, coding... lots!), and a supportive environment in which to do so. While I hate the descriptor, I truly love "intellectual" activities and don't mind writing a ton and studying, especially if it's something I'm even remotely interested in.
I'm happy to answer any more questions here to help answer this question...
TL;DR: Accepted to Reed, but have the choice between it and Grinnell. Which is the best for me?</p>

2

<p>Okay, I won’t question how you managed to apply ED to two schools…but as for the fit, these schools differ in a few significant way and only you can weigh the relative importance of these differences:</p>

<p>1) No distribution requirements at Grinnell - Reed has distribution requirements and requires a senior thesis to graduate.</p>

<p>2) Reed is urban and Grinnell is in a very small college town. That has a significant impact on the culture. Whether it’s a plus or minus depends on you.</p>

<p>3) Reed is famous for it’s edgy, alternative and ‘angular’ student body: Grinnell is somewhat more mainstream. </p>

<p>4) Grinnell has a huge endowment which translates into state of the art facilities, generous financial aid and lots of money to support student endeavors. Reed has less money - I haven’t visited so I can’t comment on the facilities.</p>

<p>5) Transportation-wise, it may be easier to get in and out of Portland than it is to get in and out of Des Moines or Cedar Rapids (nearest airports). Depends on where you live.</p>

<p>6) Reed is rainy. Grinnell is freezing cold in the winter. Your choice.</p>

<p>7) Both produce a high number of PhDs, so ‘intellectual’ would describe both. Reed may have the edge here.</p>

<p>Full disclosure: S attended Grinnell and loved it. Neighbor’s son attended Reed and was equally thrilled with his choice. It’s all about fit.</p>

3

<p>The ED and aid issues aside, this is all about personal preference. Things would be different if you were leaning strongly toward a major that one has and the other does not. Otherwise, if you prefer an open curriculum, that’s a good reason to go with Grinnell.</p>

4

<p>My S attends Grinnell, so I will build on M’s Mom’s comments (I know nothing about Reed). If you’re looking for a sense of community, then Grinnell has it in spades. For two main reasons, I think: </p>

<p>One because of its location – people come to Grinnell because they want to be there (and not because it’s easy to get to or it’s well known to the general public: we always preface by saying, “He goes to school in Iowa at Grinnell” because otherwise people hear “Cornell.” Being in a more isolated location (but with a town two blocks away) means that life is campus-centric. But, there’s always a ton going on, and if you’re concerned about missing out because of its location, then check out this link (not sure if you’re interested in music or not, but it’s a good indication of how the school brings the world to its campus; this is a student-run organization – the college itself also brings in speakers, musicians, etc. in a variety of areas):</p>

<p>[Grinnell</a> Concerts |](<a href=“http://grinnellconcerts.com/]Grinnell”>http://grinnellconcerts.com/)</p>

<p>The second is because of Grinnell’s “self-governance” system. In essence, this means that students are responsible to and for each other. They say: “self-gov is love,” which doesn’t mean there aren’t problems or conflicts, but that they look to each other to resolve them. Here’s a link:
[Self-Governance</a> | Grinnell College](<a href=“http://www.grinnell.edu/campus-life/self-governance]Self-Governance”>http://www.grinnell.edu/campus-life/self-governance)</p>

<p>In terms of the student body, the best description I’ve heard was someone here on CC who once said, Grinnellians have a “come as you are” attitude, and from my son’s experience and my observations on visiting, that’s what I’ve seen. Grinnell is known for having a “quirky” student body, but to me, what this means is not that everyone tries to be different, but that students have the freedom to be who they are. If a student has a passion, or a way of dressing or identifying that is their own, then they can be comfortable in expressing that. And, they will find that their fellow students enjoy and celebrate unique attributes. It is a very supportive place (unless one is right politically; that’s one area where there is less support…)</p>

<p>The supportive environment absolutely extends to exploring intellectual interests, and here’s where Grinnell’s curriculum (flexibility) and money comes in. The school subsidizes summer internships, attendance at off-campus conferences, etc. and has this program:
[Mentored</a> Advanced Project (MAP) | Grinnell College](<a href=“http://www.grinnell.edu/academics/research/maps]Mentored”>http://www.grinnell.edu/academics/research/maps)</p>

<p>Good luck to you. Sorry that you are in this dilemma, but if it doesn’t work out that you can make a choice to switch (if that’s what you decide is preferable) then I am sure you will have a wonderful experience at Reed and be sure to go there with an open mind!</p>

5

<p>Quick bump…
But yes, I’m in a unique position. I’d like to expand on the fact that I’m not delaying ED specifically to find out my acceptance at Grinnell but rather to see how much money they offer. I hold both schools in such high regards that it’s difficult for me to face that choice should Grinnell offer a significant amount more than Reed.
This whole process is insane and I wish you all the best of luck! Hopefully it’s a little more clear cut than mine… I just want to make the right choice.</p>

6

<p>You actually told Reed you applied ED to another school? And they’re letting you evaluate two ED FA offers? This process is more than unorthodox, it violates all agreements I know of.</p>

7

<p>Re: Erin’s Dad
All I’m going to say is that that is not the exact situation. All I’m trying to do is get a feel for whether Grinnell is really a better fit for me, would offer more money, and is worth waiting out for.</p>

8

<p>Maybe Grinnell has agreed to do an early read on FA for him. But that doesn’t mean he will have an acceptance even if the money works… </p>

<p>I believe Grinnell has EDII, maybe the OP has an application in that pool already and has not withdrawn it. I guess you have permission from Reed on this, but not sure how that plays with whether Grinnell should know you already have an ED acceptance from Reed.</p>

9

<p>A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!</p>

<p>Are you really going to turn down your ED acceptance?</p>

<p>Reed isn’t that restrictive a curriculum. Chicago is far worse. As long as OP is okay with Reed’s freshman humanities, the major difference is one of location. Does OP want to be in Iowa just to have an open curriculum?</p>

10

<p>no, rhg3rd, I think one of the major differences is an unknown, and that’s the OP’s point: OP doesn’t know what Grinnell would offer financially and would like to know before making the decision. Pretty tough time of year to get Grinnell to pony up that information with so many schools basically closed til at least this Monday or January 2nd. What if Grinnell $ comes back way under Reed? what if they come back even? what if they come back way over Reed $?</p>

<p>Reed doesn’t want unhappy students, so they cut OP some slack. But OP has an obligation to Reed and to whomever else signed the ED “contract” to fulfill it. On the other hand, OP has an obligation to his parents to minimize their outlay, too.</p>

<p>Ethically, and this is my opinion only, the OP’s obligation and that of his parents who signed onto the ED contract presumably is to go to Reed. It’s too bad that he discovered Grinnell only after applying ED to Reed, but that is what happened. He could have done better research before falling in love with Reed but did not. He has to go to Reed now. If he’s miserable he can transfer (yes, I know about transfer money and chances). Please note that I am not telling OP what to do but simply playing out the ethics in my head. </p>

<p>Interesting mess you’ve gotten yourself into, Ollie!</p>

11

<p>Considering OP is in contact with Reed, I think there’s no problem with the ethics - it’s sort of “Your aid package isn’t quite what I need, do you mind if I check with another school to see if they can be more affordable?” If Reed had come back and coughed up the money, that would be one thing, but they haven’t, so I see no problem.</p>

12

<p>Some people “appeal” FA offers. If the issue with Reed is strictly money, then OP should pursue that avenue. However, OP still won’t know how other colleges will view OP’s FA needs. That’s something OP’s parents should have thought about before signing an ED agreement for any college.</p>

13

<p>rhg3rd, that’s exactly where we’re at. We’re in communication with Reed and if we proceed (the deadline for committing to Reed is Jan 10th, so we have a little time) then we would definitely do it while staying in full contact with the schools. We are not tricking any schools!
That being said, has anyone considered how absurd the process of application is so that it necessitated that we apply ED just to boost my chances of getting in and securing financial aid*, yet because of the astronomical price we’ve now technically forfeited our right to evaluate our options and make a smart choice for my own educational and financial future?!
If you ask me, the process and system is messed up from the bottom all the way to the top and I have no problems “gaming” it, because that’s all it is: a sick and, honestly, kinda twisted game!</p>

<p>*see other CC post re: students being waitlisted last year yet not accepted because the school had used all it’s FA money</p>

14

<p>Also, just FYI, I’ve done exhaustive research and the fact that we visited Grinnell at all is a miracle, it’s a huge financial commitment (money that we don’t really have) to go visit schools all across the country.
Having to schedule it so that it interfered minimally with my parents’ work schedules and my own employment necessitated that we visit after sending in my ED application to Reed. No amount of “reading up on” or “researching” Grinnell prepared me for visiting, which gave me an entirely unique perspective on the school.
Like I said, it’s an absurd process and an absurd situation.</p>

15

<p>The biggest difference (aside from location–a MAJOR difference!) is intensity. Both are great schools, but Reed is (in?)famous for being a pressure cooker. Also: drugs. If you want work/life balance, choose Grinnell. If you want to MAXIMIZE your undergrad education, pressure and social life be damned, pick Reed.</p>

16

<p>I always wonder what HS students have against distribution requirements - for me that’s not a con or a pro, just a feature of the school. Colleges in the liberal arts tradition want their student to take classes across the curriculum - hence the meaning of a liberal arts college - and that’s why they have distribution requirements, but you have a great deal of freedom within those requirements. And even then, it doesn’t end up being that many classes. I truly enjoyed all of my distributional requirements at my LAC, and they only amounted to 7 courses (11 if you count my 4 semesters of language). I took at least 35 classes at my LAC, and at colleges where classes are 3 credits instead of 4, you’ll take more like 40+. I also really enjoyed writing my senior thesis, but I did it by choice.</p>

<p>There are some minor differences but on their face, Reed and Grinnell are more similar than different. I think the biggest difference is the urban environment of Reed vs. the rural location of Grinnell, but for you, the deciding factor is likely to be financial aid. So wait until you get your package back.</p>

17

<p>julliet, it’s not so much the distribution requirements that I’m “against,” it’s the opportunity within those requirements to explore and take classes I want to take while not failing, pulling strings, or being inhibited by it.</p>

18

<p>Grinnell, as someone living in Portland, Reed is a depressing ****-hole.</p>

19

<p>jstrachan7 care to elaborate? Did you go to Reed?</p>

20

<p>I go to Reed and one of my best friends goes to Grinnell, so I have some information about both schools.</p>

<p>Let’s put it this way: Knowing what I know about Grinnell from my friend, and having spent two years at Reed, I would never swap Reed for Grinnell. Although my friend is very happy at Grinnell, I think I’m more satisfied with my college choice than her, overall. She views Grinnell as a stepping stone to a more ‘prestigious’ school for grad school, while I can’t imagine any school in the US offering me a more stimulating and fulfilling experience than Reed–a sentiment echoed by many Reed professors who got their undergrad degrees at Reed, went elsewhere for grad school, and returned to Reed to teach.</p>

<p>Both schools are small and offer a very strong sense of community. That’s not going to be an issue wherever you end up. They’re both very accepting as well.</p>

<p>If you have any more specific questions about Reed, I can answer them. (And let me hasten to assure you that it’s not “a depressing ****hole” by any means.)</p>

<p>That being said, money talks and I’d advise you to go with the school that offers you the best fin aid, should you get into Grinnell as well.</p>