Am I a good fit for Grinnell?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Grinnell College
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<p>Hello everyone, I am considering applying ED2 to Grinnell. Can you guys chance and let me know whether Grinnell is the right college for me?</p>

<p>I'm international.</p>

<p>My stats:
GPA: don't use the US GPA system but pretty solid in my country I think.
SAT: CR 670, M 790, W 760
SAT II: Math
EC: Leader/ founder of some community service projects working with disadvantaged children, organizer of some social events, entrepreneurship, tutoring. Many of them are related to people work.</p>

<p>Type of person:
Interests:
Humanities, esp Psychology (which is shown in my recs as my teacher told me)
Like to do things in service and human development.
Gonna double major Economics & Psychology & maybe a minor in Math
Character:
Ambitious and studious. Strong character for a girl, very liberal, want to create changes, a bit unconventional and artistic.
(which are strongly shown in my recs and commonapp essay)</p>

<p>Other:
I don't party much and don't drink.
I want a non-preppy place with good diversity, where everyone is friendly, loves to study for the subjects not the grades, political and society-aware.</p>

<p>I know that Grinnell is strong in the Sciences, but its liberal culture and diversity impressed me. I am wondering about its Humanities Department? Is it good enough?
And do you think Grinnell is a good place for me? What do you think I should include in my why essay?</p>

<p>Thank you very much.</p>

2

<p>Sounds like it could potentially be a good fit. What country are you applying from? That is a factor in your chances. There are many very competitive applicants from China, India, Korea and Nepal. The Psych dept is excellent and is taught as a science - with labs. And Economics has a strong quantitative base, which is great prep if you are planning on attending grad school in that area.</p>

<p>No matter where you end up, check out the ‘substance free dorms’ which is on-campus housing for students who agree that they will not bring alcohol or recreational drugs (pot) into the dorm. That doesn’t mean no one in those dorms goes to parties outside - they do - but it means you can leave the party behind when you are tired of it and return to a clean and quiet dorm. It also means that you’ll be living with a self-selected group of students whose idea of a good time doesn’t revolve around partying. Grinnell’s admin also makes an effort to provide lots of ‘sub-free’ alternative activities for those who aren’t into the party scene.</p>

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<p>Grinnell doesn’t offer minors and to be frank the Econ department is when it comes to professors pretty hit or miss, i.e. half of the professors are great, the other half are terrible. From what I’ve heard and seen I think the Economics department is actually one of the weaker departments on Campus.</p>

<p>The Psych major at Grinnell is good if you want to go into research and I could see it potentially working out with Econ, as the cognitive psych classes are pretty decent and compliment Econ. However be warned, the psych major will have you do quite a bit of lab work and you need to take senior seminar in order to graduate, which is probably the most useless class taught in the department. </p>

<p>You sound like you could be a good fit for Grinnell, but then again considering how the class of 2016 overall seems to be a lot of things Grinnell is not, I am not sure whether that will still be true in a couple of years.
I see an increasing number in people just focused on the grades, being slactivists not social activists and generally being completely different from the Grinnell I came to 3 years ago. </p>

<p>The Humanities department btw is great. Despite the fact that all the money seems to go into the sciences, some of the language departments are very strong, e.g. Arabic and German, but so is Philosophy. There is also a good array of classes offered, that I would call general humanities, for example greek mythology that are very interesting.</p>

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<p>Strong character for a girl?? Uhhhh.</p>

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<p>-silence I typically like to stay on topic with the post but digging deeper into your comment above might also help blueorchid… Can you elaborate on “I see an increasing number in people just focused on the grades, being slactivists not social activists and generally being completely different from the Grinnell I came to 3 years ago.”?? Give some specific examples? After 3 months of being at Grinnell how is this first year class different from others? Are they really different or it is your perspective being older and wiser? Just curious…</p>

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<p>Total speculation here, but I think the fact that Grinnell has been “discovered” by the masses of smart, upper-middle-class students from the coasts may have something to do with it. (As I recall applications increased by 50% last year.) I toured Grinnell last fall with my son (he ultimately chose another college) and I was surprised how different it seemed from the laid-back-but-intellectual Midwestern LAC I was expecting. </p>

<p>There is a poster whose name I believe is bethievt whose child is or was a Grinnell student. You might want to ask her.</p>

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<p>Sally305, applications were up from all regions of the country last year. I find _Silence’s comment a real generalization and would be interested to hear the specifics to back this up. </p>

<p>Blueorchid, to me Grinnell sounds like it would be a great fit for you. </p>

<p>I do think that Grinnell, as an institution, is making efforts to provide the students with “real world” connections to what they are doing, but I don’t think that this in any way diminishes the focus on education for its own sake at the school. </p>

<p>Some specifics would be “Learning From Alumni” short courses, a beefing up of the Career Development office, and the Social Justice Prize which brings in winners not only to speak, but to sit in with classes and interact in small settings, and provide opportunities for students and staff to work with their organizations over the summer.</p>

<p>(I know that the Social Justice Prize has not been without controversy – but, at least IMO, it is doing some really great things both on campus and beyond.)</p>

<p>I can only speak about my own S’s experiences He adores Grinnell. He is a total learning for learning’s sake kind of a person, but he has also taken some of the alumni short courses. From what I see, and from what he tells me, Grinnell has been as promised: quirky interests are celebrated and supported, intellectual discussion abounds and it is diverse on most counts except for political viewpoints, in which case yes, there can be some close-mindedness… </p>

<p>I also don’t think that all Grinnellians are activists. I know my own S is passionate about issues and loves to debate and discuss them, but an activist, not really. But, the school really does amazing things to support those who are. </p>

<p>The first-years are all housed with the upper-class students, btw, so it is difficult for me to figure out how _Silence could be developing such a monolithic view of the class.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the conversation. I’m a bit hesitant when posters on this site make generalizations such as this, especially since it’s so early in the year. Might some of these perceptions also come from the change in the economic climate which seems to push all college kids into the “how the heck are you going to get a job with a BA from a SMLAC” anxiety state? I’m not big on blaming the kids…</p>

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<p>My son graduated (Phi Beta Kappa) in 2011. I realized when I read the requirements for PBK in Grinnell’s chapter that his advisor must have pushed him to take the one science class he did (psychology) so he would qualify for PBK. He really liked most of his classes and profs. The one favorite was his Arabic prof. Seems like everyone loves her. He majored in history and that department seems very strong. He is an activist, not making much money yet, but he had an amazing education. Every Grinnell student I’ve met I have loved.</p>

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<p>Are you seeking financial aid ? If so, I believe that Grinnell offers financial aid to international students–something that is not true of most schools.</p>

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<p>I’m not sure Grinnell has been discovered by “masses” of smart kids from the coasts. Apps jumped from 3000 to 4500 (about 40% of the jump was international, so no coasts of the US anyway), big in terms of %, but we are not talking 35,000 apps as at Stanford or Harvard. And I have to laugh, as a coastal resident and parent, is the implication that the masses of smart kids from the coasts are somehow akin to barbarians at or inside of the gates?</p>

<p>On another thread, an alum seemingly wistfully wrote that Grinnell has gone from being chosen to choosing. It would be interesting to know whether this year’s freshman class came from different places than in past years, and how if at all that has impacted the politics of the class. My guess is the students came from about the same places as in the past, and that the politics have not changed much if at all. I can tell you that in New England, Grinnell has for a long time recruited at prep schools and wealthy high schools, that has not changed. I think it has been a long time since Grinnell might have had the vibe of other Midwest LACs (say Beloit or Lawrence) that are overwhelmingly kids from the Midwest, places like Grinnell and Carleton have been much more national than that for a long time. I also would guess that for generations seniors at Grinnell, as at many other schools, have lamented the failings of freshman, I know I heard it from my kids when they were seniors in high school and now in college–freshman are small, shallow, ignorant, selfish, etc., etc.</p>

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<p>^No offense meant. And I did admit to “total speculation.” When we were there all the other families we met were from the Northeast or California. It DID feel different from the other midwest LACs you mention. And there has been a lot of “buzz” about Grinnell’s huge endowment (and subsequent generosity to students) over the past few years, particularly among followers of the NYT “Choice” blog.</p>

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<p>Well just to offer some more info on my comments, this year attendance at many things has been incredibly low. The publication I run had to print 24 fewer pages, because nobody felt like submitting something, because they don’t get paid. Other student groups I am a member off or attend have seen fewer and fewer people showing up. I talked to other people and they agree, that they have faced similar problems with attendance. I work in the mailroom, which is normally a pretty popular job option so you would think people would want to hold onto it, however my supervisors ended up having to let 5 people go. Out of 7 new hires the library let 6 go because of poor performance. The Dining Hall currently has 50 unfilled positions and is desperately in need of more people working. This is the first time I can remember so many departments on Campus were shortstaffed.
You would think that this wouldn’t happen with such a huge incoming class, unfortunately however, few people seem to have to work.</p>

<p>Perhaps I used the wrong words to frame my perception. I do however think that Grinnell students have changed significantly, at least in so far, that there are more students stemming from a wealthy background you don’t need to work while in College. Which is great for them, but on the other hand it is also incredibly frustrating to repeat every time you have to schedule a group meeting that you have work and cannot just take time off.</p>

<p>I agree it’s definitely not just the kids who fear that they won’t be able to compete without a 3.9 GPA and therefore just focus on grades, but on the other hand, Grinnell of all places should be a place where you question these things. </p>

<p>I do believe the socio-economic background of students is what changed most significantly. As someone I believe on this board posted out, in some states Grinnell recruiting events only happen at private schools, or schools in affluent neighborhoods. the discussion of admitting more internationals, because usually they can pay in full; these things make me worry about the direction Grinnell might be taking. I think financial aid is integral to Grinnell, and the fact that it is even up for debate to do away with need-blind admissions worries me and perhaps also turns me into a little bit of a cynic.</p>

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<p>_Silence, i value your perspective. My son did work when at Grinnell, for security and for the newspaper because he wanted to. When we were shopping for colleges, I loved that Grinnell said anyone who wanted a job on campus could get one. You could be right about students having a higher SES now, I just don’t know. None of my son’s friends were from “the 1%” as far as I could tell; well maybe one friend from India, but her life plan was to go back home and educate young women, so I think her values were in order.</p>

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<p>Another thing that might be worth adding, which someone in my year pointed out: On the 2016 Facebook group someone asked for jobs, that would allow them to study while getting paid for it. The way the question was asked however, made it sound very entitled, as if getting a job was only worth while doing homework. I don’t want to put words into the students mouth that he didn’t say, but in retrospect seeing how many departments have problems finding enough students to work, I am no longer surprised. </p>

<p>I worked in the Dining Hall for two years and I didn’t like it, but at the same time I do think that it was a valuable experience. There are jobs out there that really do suck and having worked some of these jobs makes me appreciate my current jobs even more. </p>

<p>As I said, if a student does not need to work, that is great for them, as long as they understand that this is actually a privilege.</p>

<p>I am not sure what to make of it, but something has definitely changed at Grinnell and I am partially blaming the administration. As I have already mentioned, I don’t understand why even after several alums and current students have voiced their disappointment with even so much as the idea of abolishing need-blind admission, this is still a discussion the college is having.</p>

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<p>“As I have already mentioned, I don’t understand why even after several alums and current students have voiced their disappointment with even so much as the idea of abolishing need-blind admission, this is still a discussion the college is having.”</p>

<p>How is the endowment doing now that Buffett is no longer managing it? That will probably answer your question. Quite a few of other need-blind schools have reexamined the policy since the market cratered in 2009.</p>

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<p>Again I guess should have been more precise. </p>

<p>I don’t understand that the discussion about Grinnell’s financial aid policy is still happening while on other sides the college subsidizes course travel, or for the Hall Wellness Coordinators to go to Denmark during winter break. I understand that these are very different things, and that financial aid is a huge chunk of the college’s money, but if you want to save money, even comparatively small sums matter.</p>

<p>I think course-embedded travel is a great opportunity but I don’t think that this is more important than financial aid. </p>

<p>And this is the last thing I am going to say on this thread, after I’ve hijacked it.</p>

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<p>_silence - don’t worry about speaking out. it’s what makes his board interesting. We all bring pieces to the puzzle (reminds me of the story of the blind man and the elephant but that may be dating me). I find your comments interesting but being a researcher I tend to look for validity in situations. I think a lot has changed in the last few years and college seems to becoming a bigger pressure tank. Do I have the data to back this up - no - but I can throw it out there as a point of discussion. And hopefully this discussion has helped the original poster think more deeply about Grinnell.</p>

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<p>What silence has to say is worrisome to me. One of the main reasons I am applying to Grinnell is because so many students are on financial aid. I thought I wouldn’t be out of place coming from a family that can’t spend 50k a year on education. Grinnell is still need-blind, correct? Are there any numbers that state last years incoming class is receiving less financial aid or anything like that?</p>

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<p>It is still need-blind as far as I know for domestic (US) students and gives better financial aid to international students than most schools, I think. My son’s friends there were mostly from modest financial means, like people who would be Occcupying Wall St rather than working there, not that they couldn’t have worked there, but might not want to do so.</p>