EDII Selection

College Search & Selection
1

hi, all. i’ve been struggling to choose to which school i should apply early decision ii.

as of right now, my selections are:
– grinnell college
– case western reserve
– kenyon college

my ACT composite score is a twenty-nine and is a thirty when super-scored (yes, i know, it’s not very impressive, but it’s the best i could do.). i’m male, from tennessee, first-generation, and gay (i’m not sure if the latter of the four even matters, but i felt like mentioning it.). my GPA is 4.0 (school didn’t weight) and was a valedictorian of my high school. also, i took a gap year, so i’ve been keeping busy with the free time on my hands (tutoring my little brother to help with his ADD/ADHD, helping and also working with my sister’s cleaning business, self-studying classes i didn’t get to take in high school, working on self-publishing my own poetry book, etc.).

i’ve been showing a healthy and reasonable amount of interest in all three of the schools (i requested information, have been emailing my admission counselors regularly [all of which are so, incredibly nice. this, along with other reasons, has played a role in why these colleges are at the top of my list] to receive more information about each school and the departments it offers, will request interviews for all three, etc.).

grinnell college advantages:
– the open curriculum is a dream, oh my goodness. i want to major in cognitive science, which grinnell doesn’t offer as a major, so i emailed my admission officer (who actually majored in psychology) to ask if i would be able to combine certain classes to make up my cogsci major, and she said it sounded like a terrific idea. it also opens up the possibility of double majoring as well.
– the environment (from what i’ve been told) is so, so friendly and diverse. growing up in a conservative, small, and homogenous community in east tennessee where all but three of my three hundred graduating classmates were white has made me push for heterogeneity, thus leading me to my next point…
– the endowment is huge. because of this, grinnell has the ability to support more international and low-income students which helps foster diversity and helps on down the road.

grinnell college disadvantages:
– the location. is the location as drab as people say?
– the size. as i already mentioned, i’m gay. grinnell’s student body is ~1,800 (correct me if i’m wrong), so the dating/hooking-up scene seems very limited.

case western reserve advantages:
– cognitive science is offered as an actual major, so i wouldn’t have to go through the hassle of creating my own by pulling together classes.
– i want to be a psychiatrist, and case is right next to two hospitals, thus allowing me to pursue internships/volunteer opportunities if i wish to do so.
– the size opens up more available options in terms of dating/hooking-up/etc.

case western reserve disadvantages:
– greek life. i’ve been told a lot of the social life revolves around going greek… is there any confirmation on this? i, honestly, have thought about joining a fraternity, but my sexuality just seems too much of a turn-off for most, so it’s a worry of mine.
– the endowment, in my opinion, though around the same as grinnell, is a disadvantage because the student body is much bigger.

kenyon college advantages:
– kenyon is renowned for its writing and english departments. since poetry is an important part of my life, potentially being able to publish content while there with the help of professors excites me.
– although kenyon doesn’t offer cognitive science, it offers psychology and neuroscience, and my admission counselor explained an Off-Campus Activities Program in Psychology (OAPP) is offered which allows students to take advantage of its relationship with James Cancer Hospital in Colombus to volunteer/pursue internships there. he also explained it’s rather common to double major.
– my chances getting in early decision are greater given the sixty-four percent acceptance rate.
– this may seem like a silly point, but the campus is inarguably gorgeous, which is something i really, really like.

kenyon college disadvantages:
– the endowment is much, much smaller than both grinnell and case western reserve.
– the size of the student body is smaller than the other two.
– the location. is gambier as quaint and secluded as people say?

sorry for all the information, but I am struggling with my decision a bit. at which one, if any, do i have the best chance?
thanks for any guidance in advance, it means a lot. (also, yes, i know with my stats all three of these schools are still reaches, but perhaps applying early will help.)

2

Endowment per student matters very little to the every day life of students, for the most part. I would not make that such a huge factor in your decision making.

3

@anxiousenior1 oh, okay. thank you.

4

If you are really set on a specific major, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to ED a school that doesn’t have it. While it can seem exciting to create your own major, you will likely be better served by attending a school that already has an established program in your area of interest. So because of that, I would choose Case.

5

Working backwards from the goal of psychiatry – which means med school – the most important factor is reducing debt and maximizing affordability. On the other hand, if the goal were grad school leading to research or other type of work, then minimizing loans is still important, but doesn’t dictate so much of the choice.

We know Grinnell and Kenyon well, having visited both multiple times with two kids and having one kid go through recruiting. It sounds like you have not visited them? If true, I can share our impressions. Personally, I find Grinnell’s campus gorgeous – with the older, brick dorms with loggias on one side, and the newer, limestone and glass dorms, also with loggias, on the other. It is a couple blocks walk to town, where there is a wonderful grocery with large organic selection and prepared foods, as well as bike shop, doughnut shop, pizza etc. The endowment does not affect day-to-day life, but Grinnell’s endowment does allow it to provide a breadth of opportunities – I recall the summer funded fellowships and internships (which many schools now offer, this is not unique to Grinnell), and just gorgeous buildings, lots of entertainment, talks, etc. on campus.

Kenyon IS beautiful, and many people’s vision of the picture perfect campus. Town is much smaller than Grinnell, really two streets, with a perfect coffee shop which is basically a campus commons, some sandwich shops/pubs, a bank, post office and realtor. Mt. Vernon is about 10-15 minute drive and has drug store and other essentials. After a number of visits, my kid realized he wasn’t a big fan of how isolated the athletic facilities felt from campus, as they are down a long hill. But all that is very personal and does not necessarily translate to others and their preferences. Remember, Kenyon does have about 25-30% greek life participation, though members don’t live in the houses. I recall hearing from tour guides that participation in the Kenyon Review is very competitive, and many students come in dreaming of being involved and then have to find another outlet – of which there are many, I’m sure.

Both schools will be open and welcoming to LGBTQ students.

Case Western is a different kind of school, altogether. Large, urban, strong pre-professional and STEM emphasis. We know some kids there, they are very happy.

Keep in mind, ED acceptance rates include recruited athletes who have had pre-reads and know they are on-track for admission, so the higher acceptance rate is not necessarily applicable to each individual student. Kenyon did have a dip in applications last year so a male who is committed to attend might be very attractive in the ED2 round.

6

@Midwestmomofboys hi, thank you so much for the insight! no, i (very unfortunately) have not visited them. i’m going to attempt to convince my dad to allow me to visit at least one of them (and maybe even do an overnight stay if possible)! it’s funny because i don’t know what attracts me to grinnell so much… obviously, i love the powerhouse academics, the inclusivity, etc., but there’s something special about it that keeps me coming back.

what worries me most is wondering if i stand a chance at even being accepted ED because, like you said, recruited athletes usually cause the acceptance rates to soar higher, and i’m in the bottom percentile when it comes to test scores for both grinnell and case western reserve, so i suppose that, too, is something i should really consider. since none of them have extra “Why (insert school name)?” essays, i contacted my admission counselors asking if i could write and submit my own, and they all told me it’s a great idea, so maybe my passion for them all will shine through during my early decision read-through and my regular decision read-throughs.

again, thank you so much for the information. i really appreciate it. :slight_smile:

7

@kalons I don’t want to sound too negative about ED2 chances. What I mean to suggest is really, don’t get hung up on percentages. As a first gen student from a state which does not tend to send lots of kids to midwest LACs, you will probably be intriguing, and that may create enough opportunity for Admissions to recognize your special contributions to campus!

I do love Grinnell, so am completely sympathetic with the response that “there is just something special” there. The faculty my kids met with were superb, the facilities are gorgeous, the kids are all kinds of everything, from quirky to jocky, to nerdy to sweet. I appreciate the open curriculum, the emphasis on “self-gov” which means the students are creating the community, and the genuine warmth on campus. I just wish one of my kids would have loved it as much as I did! Good luck to you.

8

@Midwestmomofboys ahhh, fingers cross the admission officers do see something in me! thank you for the good luck, i’m going to need it, haha! :slight_smile:

9

This is a legitimate concern. In fact, it was one of the two reasons I eliminated virtually all LACs from my own application list. CCers quick to gush about how “gay-friendly” and “welcoming” a college is are often completely clueless about the realities of the dating scene – be wary of meaningless brochure talk.

Grinnell has 745 male students; if 15% of them are gay/bi (a generous percentage), that’s a dating pool of only 110 undergrads. When you start eliminating those not out, those not looking to date, or those already dating, the already slim dating pool gets even slimmer very quickly.

Why these three in particular? I can think of several schools that meet all of your criteria better than these three. Oberlin, for example, is quite a bit larger than Grinnell and Kenyon and has a thriving LGBTQ scene, has no Greek life, has a lovely campus, and offers strong science programs, including a cognitive science concentration.

10

@warblersrule hi! thank you for responding. the thing about oberlin is, while i adore the school and am most certainly applying regular decision, it is extremely liberal, and both my father and mother (mainly the former) are not too keen on that, haha. that, along with a couple of other reasons, is why i chose not to consider reed for early decision as well. grinnell, case western reserve, and kenyon don’t have the particular reputation of being in-your-face liberal (which isn’t a bad thing… i would dare say i lean that way a tiny bit) like oberlin and reed, so i knew my parents would not want to be forced to pay tuition for a school they prefer less than others. now, that’s not to say they wouldn’t let me attend should i be rejected from all three (grinnell, case western reserve, and kenyon), they would just rather i have the best chance at a school they do prefer if that makes sense!

11

I can’t assess your chances of admission (ED or otherwise), the dating pool (it’s more like 1600 kids btw) or the viability of your major, but I can say you sound like a kid who would be happy at Grinnell. The approach on all sides is pretty much 100% cornfields for at least an hour in each direction, but I find both campus and town low key and charming. (I actively love the big bright student center.) If you crave bright lights, big city, though it’s not for you – but if you like small town community feel, it does that very well.

Kenyon is arguably prettier in a classic old-timey college campus way, but there’s no real town to speak of – it’s more like a movie set.

Case and Cleveland are an ENTIRELY different ballgame.

Also: I would not look at raw percentages for assessing ED chances. There are so many soft factors (especially athletic recruiting) that they’re essentially meaningless. Figure out where YOU want to go and also how your stats compare with maybe a slight tip in your direction for geography/context.

12

@porcupine98 hi! thank you for the response. i think what attracts me to grinnell (and kenyon, for that matter) yet acts as a disadvantage is the fact it reminds me a little bit of my home currently? obviously, it’s quite different in some aspects (cornfields vs. cow fields, flat vs. mountainous, etc.), but the town/community of grinnell reminds me of my own (population of ~10,000, lol), which, to me, is both a good and bad thing. i love my community right now, but i’ve always wanted to be in a city, but i also wouldn’t mind being in a small town/community while in college? haha, i’m quite all over the place. thank you for the information though! i really appreciate it. :slight_smile:

13

If it helps, Grinnell is an easy hour’s drive from both Iowa City/Cedar Rapids and Des Moines. Not that they’re the most happenin’ towns ever, but if you like small town life but don’t want to be limited by it, you have options.

14

I encourage you to play the long game in this decision. Choose schools (for EDII and RD) that you think will best set you up to lead the kind of life you want to lead after college.

A welcoming and very open campus in a smaller town might be a good fit for you. Both Kenyon and Grinnell (as well as other schools) can offer you opportunities like summer internships in big metro areas. Also, I know that spending a semester abroad is a big part of the Grinnell experience and I expect that it probably is at Kenyon too.

15

Kenyon is an hour from Columbus, OH which is a very cool city. IMHO its one of the most innovative and progressive Midwest ciites - the Short North area, which is where Ohio State is located, has got a great vibe.

16

@Chembiodad hi! thank you for the response. yeah, my father really likes columbus (and is also a huge paul newman fan, go figure), so that’s what sways him more towards kenyon. :slight_smile:

17

@Otterma hi! thank you for responding. yeah, i agree. i think i would prefer the more intimate setting grinnell and kenyon offer vs. case western reserve because it’s what i had in high school. i learned better that way. grinnell being seventh nationally in how many alumni receive phds also gives it an extra edge!