<p>I'm currently a freshman at a public state university, and I'm seriously considering transferring next year. I feel that I don't fit in with the student body; I am completely tolerant of conservative and religious personal views, but that is all I'm surrounded by here and I feel uncomfortable speaking my (quite liberal and agnostic) mind for fear of being judged. I currently have about 1/5 of the school work compared to my senior year of high school; I realize freshman year is easier than the others, but I'm not being challenged whatsoever. In addition, everybody I know here is either completely against partying, or partying 5 nights a week. I love partying, but I'm also pretty nerdy and enjoy a night of board games or just goofing around in the dorms. That's a type of student I have yet to find here, and it's getting lonely. I've been looking forward to college since I can remember, anticipating 4 years of new and exciting experiences, intellectual growth, and building life-long friendships. I'm scared I won't get that here and I don't want to live the rest of my life with that regret.</p>
<p>Based on my troubles with my current school, do you think I would be happy at Grinnell? As a transfer, might I have problems integrating into the community and making friends? Academics are definitely the most important aspect of college, but to me a good social life and feeling like I am part of a "family" (maybe that's a little much haha) are a very close second.</p>
<p>First semester freshman year is awfully early to decide that a state U isn’t a fit. The thing about state Us is that there is pretty much every ‘type’ of student around - but because it’s so big, it can take a while to find your group. I wouldn’t assume that because you haven’t found the fit yet, that it means it’s socially a wash. I assume you have tried joining clubs and interest groups that might help you find your fit? Too many students expect the dorm to be their primary source of friends - but proximity isn’t a great proxy for social compatibility.</p>
<p>Are you a good candidate for Grinnell? Take a look at the Common Data Set, Section C, and see how your stats compare to those of admitted students. Socially, you sound like you could be a fit - but you might want to visit before you decide. Grinnell is very nearly the opposite of a big state u in many way - and choosing to study in a small college town in Iowa requires some significant self-selection and self-knowledge. And of course, there is always the question about what you can afford.</p>
<p>You sound like a social fit for Grinnell as long as you’re ok with small town Iowa. The social life is all centered on campus though and the school brings in tons of entertainment. My son went to most of the weekend parties (lots of tradition there!) but said one of his favorite things was hanging out with friends just talking. Though I’m sure some students vote Republican, it is a progressive-leaning campus. Funky and progressive is, I think how the Fisk Guide described Grinnell students. Unconventional thinkers. Academically, Grinnell is challenging enough for anyone and the advising is excellent.</p>
<p>I don’t think it would be a problem being a transfer student. They mix students from different years in the dorms and there are LOTS of clubs and activities that make it easier to make friends. My son made more good friends in a year at Grinnell than he had in his whole life before that. They will be lifelong friends, I believe and they are from all over the country and the world. Though he felt ready to graduate after 4 years (and did!), I notice he returns to campus whenever he can.</p>
<p>Thank you both for your replies! I’m definitely going to continue exploring my current school and try to find my niche, but I want to apply to other colleges as well just so that I have options.</p>
<p>Would you like to know where else my son applied? We don’t know your stats or financial needs, so we can’t have a sense where you might be accepted and/or where you could afford to go.</p>
<p>High school:
GPA- 3.75uw, 4.6w
8 AP’s, all A’s and B’s
Honors whenever possible
SAT: critical reading 620, math 650, writing 660
EC’s: band for 3 years, two of which I made wind ensemble, and I’ve been playing piano for 12 years. FFA for 4 years, last 2 years I was an officer. National Honors Society my Senior year. 180ish hours of community service at a hospital, spreading from freshman to senior year. I had a job an an animal hospital my senior year, which I still have.</p>
<p>College:
Psychology major
GPA- 4.00 hopefully, fingers crossed for final exams!
I’m part of the Honors College
EC’s- Pep band, Psych circle (just a psychology club, we talk about random psychology topics), Psi Chi next semester (national psychology honors society), I volunteer at a hospice center, VP of a service club, i MIGHT be able to help in one of my professors’ research lab next semester.</p>
<p>My SAT’s are pretty low, especially since Grinnell is super competitive for transfers, so I might take the ACT and see how I do. And that would be awesome to know where your son applied! Thank you so much! I don’t think finances are a huge issue, it’s just convincing my parents that a psychology bachelor’s degree (which they consider useless) is worth it haha. I want to get a PhD in psychology though, and Grinnell has great PhD productivity in social sciences.</p>
<p>I think it would be worth your time to take the ACT and to prepare with a practice test, just to get the format down. My son was a little thrown by the science part, because it seemed to be all about reading graphs and tables.</p>
<p>I have a PhD in psychology and worked as a psychologist until I had my son. I did my undergrad in nursing because I absolutely needed a job right away. Then a Masters and PhD.</p>
<p>Here were his schools: Carleton, Haverford, Reed, Goucher, Lewis & Clark, Macalester, Grinnell, of course, Pomona, Oberlin and Vassar. He did get accepted at all of them, with merit $$ at Grinnell, L&C, Goucher and Oberlin. The rest don’t give merit money. My son’s stats were high. Good grades where you are now could make a big difference.</p>
<p>As M’s mom says, you will also find your people at your current U if you really work at it. Some places require more work on that than others though.</p>
<p>Thanks for your advice my first priority is definitely making my experience here better, but now I know what to work on if I want to apply to Grinnell or similar schools.</p>
<p>schrickxy, you sound like a wonderful kid and I encourage you to work on transfer applications, if only to keep your options open. If your life at school improves, then that’s good, but when I hear that you aren’t being academically challenged, then it seems like even finding your way socially might not be enough for you. It would be a pity to spend your college years not stretching yourself intellectually.</p>
<p>I think that Grinnell does sound like a good fit for you. I imagine that integrating yourself as a transfer wouldn’t be that difficult, especially because the housing is mixed with all class levels and the dorm residents change every year, so it is not like a fixed group of kids are moving through the housing together. </p>
<p>Between the small class sizes and clubs, I think that it would be easy to make friends. My own S always seems to be increasing his network of friends and they are from all years, not just his own class.</p>
<p>No I don’t mind sharing. ACT 34 SAT 760 790 790 GPA 3.98. Lots of ECs. He was accepted everywhere he applied and he chose Grinnell. It was the best fit for him, though I didn’t know it at the time. Parents kept our mouths shut and let him pick.</p>
<p>Hi all, I’m also a freshman who intend to transfer to grinnell for the next fall term too. I have been in the same conditions as schrickxy, my college is too big, it’s hard to fit in and most of my major class are taught in lectures. However, I know I only have a slim chance of 0.01% of being admitted, as I’m an international student who request finaid. (Grinnell does say that they offer aid to transfer int’ the way they consider freshman, but of course, transfer would be a totally different things).
So I kinda need any of your advice, about how to increase my chance to be admitted
Here are my stats:
High School: 97.1/100 (Catholic high school, I don’t know if they do GPA…?)
SATs: really low, 1900k
ECs: clubs at school, volunteer at hospital and library
Recs: I did have 1 spectacular recs from my AP US History teacher, but don’t know if it will help at all
College
GPA: 3.6, Biological Science major
ECs: Volunteer mostly, work part-time at restaurant
and my contribution is 23k/ year
So any advice, please??!!! I appreciate all your helps!</p>
<p>How much financial aid do you need?
Are you transferring from another college in the US? </p>
<p>I don’t know how transfer applications are judged but it might be a close call for you. I am not sure. What country or region are you from? This might also be a consideration.</p>
<p>Thank you, Silence for replying!!! I’m currently studying in Drexel, so yes, I will transfer from another college in the US. About the financial aid, my max ETC is $23000/year, which means that I probably need around $27000. This gives me some kind of hope, as I know the average grants of the college is > $33000, and lots of int’ need more than $35000 to be able to study here (sorry, don’t want to be sarcastic). I’m from Vietnam, and looking at the admission facts, my country does not have the most populated groups here!! I just hope that it could be a close fit for me as you say, but still… :(</p>
<p>Consider taking the ACT, this might help your admission chances. Other than that I have no other advise for you other than contacting Grinnell directly and ask them about specific transfer requirements.</p>
<p>I actually won’t be able to take the ACT before the application is due this really sucks, because I was getting 33’s on practice tests, and my SAT scores really suck… do I stand a chance of getting in?</p>
<p>Did you miss the Feb. ACT? You should register for the April 13 test. Late is better than never. You should submit your transfer application by April 1 (with you SAT scores) and let the admission staff know that you are to take ACT in April. Try to arrange an interview to let the staff have a better understanding of you as a promising student and you are definitely more than what your stats can show.</p>
<p>Since you are already in college, your performance in the freshman year should count much more than the SAT/ACT. SAT/ACT scores are usually used as a reference for comparing students from different high schools as well as a predictor of college success. </p>
<p>You have good qualifications and it seems that you can afford the cost without the financial aid, so you should be optimistic.</p>
<p>@Meliora, thank you SO MUCH. You gave me the boost of hope and confidence I needed to keep trying for Grinnell. I’ll definitely try to arrange a visit and interview, and give admissions a call about my ACT :)</p>
my first priority is definitely making my experience here better, but now I know what to work on if I want to apply to Grinnell or similar schools.</p>