<p>Life in Iowa is great! My S loves that complete strangers will look him in the eye and say hello when he walks in town. The students have a strong sense of community – not in the rah rah go team sense – but in that we’re all here together as “Grinnellians” and we need to work and live together well. The “self-governance” system fosters this, as does the location and campus layout, IMO. While there is not a lot to do in the surrounding area, the college brings a ton of stuff on campus, and of course, the student groups are all active. (Just as an example of the great talent they bring in, Esperanza Spalding played there, and so those students knew who she was when few others did when she won the Grammy this year for “Best New Artist” instead of Justin Bieber. They also bring in alot of indie bands who are very familiar to the students.)</p>
<p>The college is just two blocks from the quaint downtown. The surrounding area actually is quite pretty – rolling farmlands, wide open spaces and blue sky. Great for riding bikes! Like Bard, there are cities that can be visited (although no comparison between NYC and Des Moines or Cedar RApids!! and my S has not gone to either anyway).</p>
<p>Bard definitely has more to do in the surrounding area from a physical activity point of view and the nearby town is very charming, but it is not in walking distance. The campus layout is totally different with its sprawling and diverse buildings. (not a good or bad, just a fact). </p>
<p>The endowment is an interesting question. My s’s final decision came down to Bard and Grinnell, coincidentally, and I just couldn’t get a good handle on what Bard did or didn’t do with its money. They do spend it on interesting educational endeavors. However, when we visited again (the day before decisions were due!) we visited a student art installation where the focus was on how stingy Bard was things like classroom supplies. Bard also has alot of “visiting professors,” which someone told me was a way to keep costs down, but the professors don’t get some very important benefits. (they are there for the long-term even though they’re called visiting.) A friend whose daughter is a student there also told me that she and other parents felt like the school put alot of attention into its farflung educational endeavors, and wished it would focus more resources on its Annandale campus.</p>
<p>I was very impressed by the list of professors who taught there, with many names familiar to me from their work in their fields (I do believe Botstein when he says they attract great faculty because of its location – a sophisticated rural community with proximity to NYC) and my S came out of the IDP seminar saying “that was amazing.”</p>
<p>My son’s final decision, though, came down to a question of perceived fit with the student body and the sense of community he perceived at Grinnell. </p>
<p>I think that Bard will offer a fabulous education. The most important thing is what happens in the classroom, and here I do believe that the school will shine, and what happens outside the classroom with other students, but that is for your D to answer. </p>
<p>I would encourage you and your D to accept the offer wholeheartedly, and if a waitlist acceptance comes from Grinnell, revisit the issue then.</p>
And I don’t think that the term hipster is viewed negatively, but maybe that is just my own bias.