<p>So here's my issue: I committed to Willamette, but just got accepted to Grinnell off the waitlist and am having trouble trying to decide. Both have offered roughly the same Fin Aid. I have until next Wednesday to decide. I loved my visit to Willamette and it seems to offer most everything I want in a college. The resources abound and are very high quality, professors are amicable and accessible, lots of student service/organizations... But Grinnell's higher rank and more intellectual, diverse student body appeals to me. Also, resources abound with the 1.5 billion endowment and professors the professors are supposed to be unparalleled. These things really matter to me in my decision. I'd love to fully see the tiny college in the middle of nowhere in full swing, observe classes, talk to students... But I'm visiting this weekend and the admissions office will be closed, leaving me having to get to know Grinnell purely from the outside. Not sure how many students will be around, but at least a few because commencement is Monday. I'm just not sure if shlepping out all the way to Grinnell, IA is going to tell me much of anything though... Thoughts? Will it be worth it? Also, can anyone give me a comparison of the two schools? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>We visited both schools in the past three months. We found Wilamette to have a tight nurturing community. Salem offers some internship opportunities and some minor entertainment. Of course you are a hour from Portland which offers a lot of great entertainment and fun. The students seem studious but not over the top.</p>
<p>Grinnell, although it is a great school, there was nothing that wowed us. If you are going to spend four years in such a small town you want to be wowed. Maybe your experience will be different. </p>
<p>Visit Grinnell this weekend, then decide with your heart and gut. Do not decide to go to Grinnell just because it is a better school on paper. When I say better, I mean more selective, better facilities and greater financial resources.</p>
<p>This is a tough one, because students will be leaving all weekend and there will be alot of parents coming in for graduation, so it will not be at all a look at what campus life is like.</p>
<p>Just speaking from my son’s experience, he picked Grinnell because of his perceived fit with the student body. There were several nearby campuses that he revisited after his admission, because he had only seen them during the summer and needed to see them with real students on them.</p>
<p>These visits led him to make the hard choice not to pick a college in driving distance from home, but to fly, even though he hates flying! But, his reason for picking Grinnell was that it seemed like the kids were “my kind of people,” a phrase I heard others say when I dropped him off for Orientation…He tried using a spreadsheet for all the schools but that didn’t help. </p>
<p>The thing about Grinnell’s location is this: it is part of what makes the school what it is. Students are there because they want to be at the school. Although there is always something to do on the campus itself, I would say that you have to be there because you want to be part of that community. If you feel that you are the type of person who really needs alot of diversions, then Grinnell might not be for you. If you really enjoy hanging out with kids who are bright, engaged, and pretty happy doing things with others because they just like those people, then you probably will find a fit at Grinnell. </p>
<p>My son loves the location (apart from the difficulty of getting there). He loves the friendliness of a small-town and exploring the beautiful wide open spaces on his bike.</p>
<p>I really don’t know anything about Willamette so can’t help you with any comparison.</p>
<p>Grinnell is often on the list of schools that “quirky” students like. What I’ve seen is not that all the students are offbeat, but that kids can feel comfortable expressing themselves however they want. This doesn’t mean that everyone makes a point of being different, but if a person has an interest or a way of being that is unconventional they can feel safe and open about it. </p>
<p>Without going into specifics, I would say that my S has some intense and somewhat offbeat intellectual interests and he has found that rather than people being annoyed by it, his friends really celebrate and enjoy his expression of it. </p>
<p>The self-governance policy of Grinnell really creates a unique and supportive community as well.</p>
<p>So you haven’t visited Grinnell before?</p>
<p>This might be unpopular, but if you know you love Williamette, think about sticking with it and skipping the visit. When ds1 was trying to decide, there were a couple of great colleges he applied to sight unseen and where he was accepted (Notre Dame, Tulane). When all the decisions were in, he had great options, including Grinnell, and didn’t feel compelled to check out all the other yesses. I was so thankful that he was happy with the options he knew well and didn’t feel compelled to explore “new” ones. Of course, money was a big issue for us, and I was thrilled not to have to fly all over the country.</p>
<p>Anyway, just wanted to give you “permission” to say that you’re happy with the decision you made two (or more) weeks ago.</p>
<p>Graduation will be this upcoming weekend so there should be a lot of students still on campus. I am coming back for that weekend as a graduating senior and you can PM me if you want me to give you a tour of the campus or ask me some questions about Grinnell.</p>
<p>Grinnell is a great school and congrats on having two good choices. You really can’t go wrong at this point and hopefully after you visit Grinnell you will have a better idea on which school is best for you.</p>
<p>SuperfluousSmurf - the great news is that you have two good choices. My son is finishing his sophomore year at Grinnell. He also had to decide between Willamette and Grinnell. Willamette would have been far more convenient (just a few hours drive or a nice train ride). He decided that he liked the vibe of the campus, the students, and the fact that it was a smaller student population. He would also admit that he was influenced by how highly Grinnell is ranked as a small liberal arts college. The financial aid offer from Grinnell was better (more direct aid and less in loans). He loves Grinnell and feels at home on campus (although the transportation to and from home is a drag). He has really enjoyed his classes and the faculty at Grinnell. He has a very tight group of close friends from all over the country and has many good friends who are international students. This summer, he will participate in a Grinnell-funded internship. Today is the last day of finals and he has been looking forward to the annual Grinnell “Block Party” – a huge, year-end all campus celebration. All this being said, he has a good friend from high school who goes to Willamette who is very happy there.
(I just couldn’t stop myself from posting some of the things our family appreciates about small liberal arts colleges.)</p>
<p>What are you planning to study/major in? What are your longer term goals, if you know? And what do you like to do in your free time?</p>
<p>OP, it sounds like you did you’ve done your homework on both schools. Hope you let us know what you decide. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thank you so much for all your input and sorry for taking so long to respond! I ultimately want to pursue documentary film and broadcast media. While I know Grinnell doesnt offer a Film Major, I feel their Sociology program will provide a wonderful foundation for video journalism.</p>
<p>So I deposited at Grinnell! Havent visited, but I feel I got all the info necessary. The class of 2016 facebook page assured me I was making the right decision, by showing me the incredible diversity and passion of the student body. Cant wait! Gonna be a Sociology and Theater dual major. Was planning to do Socio and Film at Willamette with theater minor. Went to high school of the arts for Film, so i feel prepared to make some movies in college. Afterward, I plan to do a second City Year (oh yeah…did i mention i took a gap year?) and then pursue a grad in doc film.</p>
<p>Thanks again everyone!!! So helpful in making my decision.</p>
<p>Sent from my Android using CC</p>
<p>I feel sure you will love Grinnell. My son graduated last year and has friends for life from all over the world. Congratulations!</p>
<p>SuperfluousSmurf, you’re going to love Titular Head. It’s a major event on campus every year where students make their own videos and present them to a huge audience.</p>
<p>This is one from a few years back: [I'm</a> at Grinnell - YouTube](<a href=“I'm at Grinnell - YouTube”>I'm at Grinnell - YouTube)</p>