A couple of things: Grinnell places higher in the rankings because it awards a lot of merit-based aid to middle-class families. Merit-aid has nothing to do with your chances of admission as a high-need international student, nor does it have anything to do with how much aid either Grinnell or Conn will eventually award you. You have a solid shot at both of them and money won’t be an issue if either of them admits you. Personally, I’m with the Conn College crowd. Connecticut (the state) is a much more cosmopolitan milieu than Iowa; I guarantee you will want to step off campus once in a while and New London is just a more interesting place to explore without going too far or needing a car to do so. Just my two cents.