<p>I came to the board about a year ago having Googled "Grinnell or Oberlin" (as these were the colleges my son was deciding between). I cannot quantify absolutely, but I would guess there is about 10 times as much discussion of Grinnell this year as last, or maybe I am just more aware of it. Of course there was that write up in Newsweek more than 18 months ago, but I wonder what, if anything, has created a stir...(well, the tuition is a relative bargain as I gasp at what we will pay for a school in the Northeast...)</p>
<p>Also, does anyone notice any other trends on the board? Is there more discussion of the midwestern LAC's in general than there used to be??</p>
<p>robyrm, I think both are going on simultaneously. </p>
<p>First, I do think it's like buying a bright yellow sports car that you think is somewhat unique. You are guaranteed to see 4 others on your drive home.(Because you are more aware of news stories and posts about the school.)</p>
<p>Second, I just think some schools get hotter. Grinnell is one. So is Southwestern in Texas. Rhodes in Memphis is another. I tell D that at Rhodes the stats are growing like kudzu (much higher and overnight).</p>
<p>After we bought our minivan the exact same model seemed to appear all over the place, to the extent that at least a couple of times I've tried to unlock someone else's car and get in, only noticing after I can't get in that it's not my car . . .</p>
<p>Grinnell seems to be on a roll, though. It's a great school with better odds to get in than the picturesque northeastern LAC's, and the price is far more reasonable. I remember I thought I "found" it for my son when I was trying to get him to look at schools. I started pushing Grinnell early in the game, and then not long after, it appeared as a "hot" school in Newsweek. We even talked about that to the Grinnell interviewer-- "just so you know, we were looking at Grinnell even before it became 'hot'!" The more we (H and I) looked at that school, the more we liked it. So I guess I'm one of those who bring it up from time to time. I've become a fan of the school. I would love for one of my kids to go there.</p>
<p>Robyrm:
Not sure if your son is going to Grinnell or Oberlin (or neither). Noted a heated discussion going on in another thread regarding Davidson and its position on diversity. Interesting article cited below that notes Grinnell and Oberlin rank BELOW Davidson in terms of African American racial diversity at leading libertal arts colleges. (In fact Grinnell is dead last on the list from this article). I always thought that these two schools were much more liberal than Davidson and assumed they would have done a better job of recruiting minorities. I noted somewhere on another thread that you had identified the Grinnell student body as eclectic.</p>
<p>From what I can see, the link you posted is to an article on universities, not liberal arts colleges, and they don't list Davidson, Grinnell, or Oberlin. Is there another article about LACs?</p>
<p>RHD,
My son is at Grinnell. You are right about the low % of African Americans, not surprising given the rural Iowa location, to my way of thinking. THe school has several programs in place to try to make the location more appealing- bringing a range of specially identified kids in from urban locations and ensuring added support, etc. To provide an element of diversity in the school, in part, there is also an unusually high % of international students (14%? in last years class). They do a great deal of outreach in Asia and Africa...and then there are the Grinnell alum who work in aid organizations in high numbers probably doing the same.</p>
<p>My description of the student body as eclectic was less a reflection of diversity, and more a reflection of the individualistic nature of the kids. It is just not a cookie cutter place.</p>
<p>I think they are welcoming, period. My son attended the international student orientation (as an American who grew up overseas) and by the time I arrived 4 days later everyone we passed knew him by name and vice versa. I can't really speak as to what daily life is like, but from what my son says people maintain that spirit pretty much all the time. Wish I could provide more specific input, but if you are interested I could ask my son what he thinks...</p>
<p>That's fine. I was just curious (being an african-american) because I wouldn't want to go to a place where I wouldn't feel comfortable. Thank you for your reply. (I am seriously considering applying next year...hence why I'm curious)</p>
<p>Celebrian,
I would definitely visit and definitely make it a point to meet some African-American students...I don't think the numbers at Grinnell are so completely out of line with a lot of other comparable schools, and it is a pretty friendly place...good luck...</p>
<p>My son is a sophomore at Grinnell and has a large and diverse group of friends including african-american, international, gay, and lesbian students. It doesn't seem to be an issue on any level. He did say when he was a freshman that the various groups who attended pre-orientation weeks, urms, internationals, math and science majors, and athletes self-segregated to some extent since they had already formed friendships. My impression this year is that some of those friendships and groups have remained more intact than others.</p>
<p>You may laugh, but Grinnell showed up on my personal radar screen because their basketball team got a lot of positive press last year. Articles in the NY Times and Sports Illustrated, and one of their games was televised - I watched it! very disappointing!! :) This publicity raised the profile of the school bringing it to the attention of many who had never heard of it.</p>
<p>The coach has them play at a frenetic pace and uses all of his players, subbing frequently. He developed this approach to keep his very bright players from getting bored and quitting the team which was happening under the traditional model wherein 7 players get all of the playing time and 4 or 5 never see any action.</p>
<p>You'll feel very comfortable, from my limited experience, i can almost guarantee it. Grinnell is very laid back, but they actually recruit a great deal of diversity in the form of giving inner city kids full tuition scholarships (google posse for more info) as well as consider "minority status" to be a major factor in their admissions process. I was there for a minority student reception, and I've all but sent in my deposit.</p>
<p>JunaydMahmood:
Not meaning to challenge you, but how can you "almost guarantee" that a minority will feel welcome at Grinnell when this article says they are the lowest ranked liberal arts colleges in terms of attracting minorities (Blacks specifically). You say they work to "recruit a great deal of diversity", and they "consider minority status" in applications, but the data suggests that you are dead wrong. On what facts are you are relying? Did you look at the article that was cited?</p>
<p>The JBHE ranking is a little unfair (and they admit it) because they count each of those columns equally in calculating their ranking. So you could have high black enrollment and very high numbers of black faculty, but be docked if your rate of increase is low. </p>
<p>Grinnell's percentage of black enrollment is actually pretty good considering that there isn't any black population within 500 miles of the place. But, look at their yield. That kills them. Any black student who can get into Grinnell can get into a bunch of other schools a lot closer to home than Iowa. Grinnell's only real shot is merit-aid inducement of middle and upper-class minorities. Full-ride need-based kids will get the same package closer to home.</p>
<p>I don't think there is necessary a correlation between difficulty in attracting black students and their welcome on campus.</p>
<p>I realize that this is anecdotal, however:
I just came from visiting Grinnell and I had extensive conversations with one African American student and one African American professor. I also talked at length with the (lovely) parents of an African American graduating senior. They all LOVE Grinnell and wouldn't be anywhere else. The one dad was sad because he would no longer be part of the Grinnell community now that his D was leaving. I asked the recruiter why the numbers weren't higher for ethnic diversity (I don't mean Asians) and she talked about the Posse program. I think that it will be productive in just a few years. That all being said Grinnell does not "feel" homogenous: it feels very diverse. More like a large school would feel.</p>
<p>Well, to be completely frank, statistics dont take into account the intangibles of a college experience. I sat in on 3 classes: Russian, Biochemistry, and American Cultural Beliefs and Values. The professor for that last class was African American. There were 2 African American girls in that class. I mean, honestly, we have to be realistic. It is small-town Iowa, where the closest city is Des Moines, a staggering 51 miles away. Why would a young African American that was so academically inclined to apply to Grinnell, not apply to schools closer to metropolises, such as Amherst, or Georgetown. Grinnell offers Posse students from LA and Washington D.C. full tuition scholarships as well as generous financial aid to attend their schools. They literally put their money where their mouth is. From your reply, I can obviously see that you havent researched the Posse program, and if you clicked on "Grinnell" on their website, you would know that over 80 Posse students have full tuition scholarships and Grinnell is looking to up that amount. Besides numbers, you really have to consider experiences. I encourage you and the interested parties to visit, and take it in for yourselves. My host was Asian-American, and the people I hung out with were largely minorities. Grinnell has full-paid tuition scholarships for 10 students from the middle east. I mean, they are the second richest college in the nation behind Harvard, and they use it to entice students to the college. But theres only so much they can do given their geographical situation.</p>
<p>No, I dont take your inquisitiveness as a challenge. I'm glad that your concerned with your child's choice of school, as opposed to my parents that just want me to stay within a few hours of home. But stats can be misleading, and scary. I encourage you to visit before you discount Grinnell, because it really is a great great place.</p>
<p>In response to Interesteddad's comment that there are virtually no blacks who live within 500 miles of Grinnell, I'd like to point out that Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis are all cities less than 400 miles from Grinnell that have substantial black populations. However, I do agree that black students who meet Grinnell's admission criteria are likely to receive generous scholarships from many outstanding schools in more attractive locations.</p>