Grinnell vs Macalester

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>I'm international from Thailand.
I got accepted from both school and can't decide where to go.</p>

<p>I tend to major in some science or math or maybe political science or economics or maybe pre-med or international studies.
Second thought. I think I'm undecided.... but still, I want their science and math to be reeeeeeeeally good. And I think Grinnell is little bit better in science but I'm not sure.</p>

<p>And what about the interaction with international students in both school?
I heard that Mac has reputation in internationalism but that doesn't mean I'll have better social life at Mac, right? </p>

<p>I don't think I can go visit. And I'm not sure that I can live in the middle of corn field but maybe it's good for me. </p>

<p>Well, I don't exactly have questions here. I just want to hear what you guys think about both school like their student activities, student life, academic, clubs, sports, future in grad school and career, and whatever. Oh.. and feel free to complain everything you don't like about the school if you're current student or alumni. </p>

<p>Thanks!!!</p>

2

<p>I got this off princetonreview:</p>

<p>What Grinnell Students Say About...
Student Body

[quote]
Student Body
"In one of the publications on campus, both prospective students and seniors were asked how popular they thought the average Grinnell student was in high school, on a scale of one to ten," reports one Grinnell undergrad. "Both agreed on the number [four]." Conclusion: "Most of the students at Grinnell are the people who did not fit into a single social group in high school." Nearly all feel they have found a comfortable home at Grinnell although more than a few admit to being somewhat cowed by their peers. Writes one, "One thing I will say about the students here is that almost everyone is brilliant. I was at the top of my class in high school and was quickly humbled when I arrived as a first-year." Most students lean well to the left politically; notes one, "Part of the appeal about Grinnell is its legendary social consciousness and sociopolitical activism." Grinnell students are not immune to self-segregation, however: "On the north side of [campus], students are sportily clad with some kind of personal touch. On the south side: hippie styling, dreads, and barefoot."

[/quote]
What Macalester Students Say About...</p>

<p>Student Body

[quote]
"Walking from one end of campus to the other, it would not be uncommon to hear four or five different languages being spoken" at Macalester, where students representing over 80 different countries attended in 2004–2005. Mac undergrads tend to be very liberal; their visits to the Mall of America are as likely precipitated by an anti-sweatshop protest as by their desire to shop. The 'PC' atmosphere can be a bit stifling at times, students admit; "You end up debating whether 'white lie' is a racist term for hours on end. The costs of being overtly respectful sometimes borders on overwhelming PC-ness," explains one student. Mac students are typically quirky, nerdy, "intelligent, friendly, and grounded thrift store junkies [who] are likely to study abroad somewhere, probably in a third world country."

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Then there's ~1500 students at Grinnell and ~1800 at Macalester. Not much of a difference, but something to think about.</p>

<p>As far as math/science departments I'm sure both are excellent. They're both great schools and you'll probably have fun at either one. Although, personally, I'd go to Macalester, because it's more well-known and really DOES have a great international student body/atmosphere from I've heard/read. For example, in the summer, they ban speaking English on the campus. People can only speak in a foreign language (okay, a few people probably cheat ;)). Plus, one of the biggest malls (if not THE biggest?) in America is right around the corner. </p>

<p>I'd check out their websites and search on the forums for more info.</p>

<p>Good luck and congratulations.</p>

3

<p>I'd recommend reading their LiveJournals. <a href="http://www.livejournal.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.livejournal.com&lt;/a> and search for "Macalester" and "Grinnell" under "Interest". It might give you an idea of their student body.</p>

<p>I have heard that Macalester has a bit of an "international bubble" where the internationals tend to congregate together more than miggle with the domestics/locals. Then again, I'm sure it's not COMPLETELY true of all of them. Or maybe it's just the UWC kids who do that.</p>

<p>Grinnell's student newspaper is one of the best that I've read, frankly. Very intense, absorbed and shows how much the students are into the issues at their college and aren't afraid to speak out. I remember reading an issue about the raise of tuition fees and how detrimental that was to the current kids, but they talk about it.</p>

<p>Then again, it's all about what you're comfortable with and YOUR perception of the two schools.</p>

4

<p>IzzyJ, you replied my post again, yeah!!!
Where is Bucuresti anyway?</p>

<p>And PavelB, are you Thai?</p>

<p>Thank you both of you.</p>

5

<p>No, I'm Russian, but I have been living in Thailand for 14 years. </p>

<p>;)</p>

6

<p>Bucharest/Bucuresti is in Romania. Eastern Europe.</p>

7

<p>Oh I recognize Bucharest</p>

<p>Wow!!! very cool
so you're both europian</p>

8

<p>No, I'm not. Like PavelB, I'm living in a country that isn't my home country. :)</p>

9

<p>drink more water, what school do u go to?</p>

10

<p>drinkmorewater.......GO TO MACALESTER!!!! PLZ PLZ GO TO MACALESTER!!! DID U GET GOOD AID IN GRINNELL???? well i got waitlisted in grinnell and so um saying u should go to macalester plz plz!!! plus grinnell's in the middle of corn fields.......plus KOFI ANNAN passed out of macalester......u can tell every1 that and show off.....noone knows BOB noyce....every1 knows KOFI ANNAN......GO TO MACALESTER!!!</p>

<p>hey....kidding...chose whatever skul suits u better....</p>

11

<p>cvasoontara,
I go to Mahidol Wittayanusorn High School.
ummm or do you mean college?</p>

<p>haha, melissarahman, ya craaazy
what college are you going to?</p>

12

<p>drink more water, u mean u're studying at mahidol high school right now? cos i think its kinda rare for thai students from thai school to be going to LACs =)</p>

13

<p>yeah, that's pretty weird but it makes more sense if I was an exchange student in the US where I did my college research and found that with my verbal scores and without a lot money, I can only apply to LACs.
Well, I did stalk you and oh you got in to John Hopkins. Congratulation!</p>

14

<p>drink more water, i guess prestige-wise, macalester would have an edge, thanks to kofiannan. however, if u really think about it - how many people in thailand would know what grinnell or macalester is? im singaporean, and trust me, the situation aint much different here. </p>

<p>i recommend reading review sites on the lives in those schools, since u seem to be pretty concerned about your social life. good luck!</p>

15

<p>try adding <a href="mailto:whetherseed_boy@hotmail.com">whetherseed_boy@hotmail.com</a> to your msn list, he's a Thai student at Grinnell, perhaps he'll be able to answer any questions u have :)</p>

16

<p>Hi,
We live overseas but we are American citizens. My sons had been overseas 11-12 years when they applied to college, so an international presence was important to them. </p>

<p>My eldest son is an English major at Grinnell (sophomore). My younger son was accepted to Macalester but is attending another school. I visited Macalester with both my sons. We visited in summer, and English was being spoken everywhere--- there are specialized programs only where there is language immersion in other languages...</p>

<p>I loved Macalester's location in St. Paul...it is fabulous. Grinnell is in a small town in the middle of Iowa- my son is very happy there, but it is not for everyone! Because the school is in the middle of no-where, they import a TON of things for people to do on campus, for free. My son is never bored on weekends!! He also gets off campus some weekends to nearby larger cities.</p>

<p>There is a big international mix on both campuses. Son #1 had a Chinese roommate his first year, many of his friends are international students and he became friends with them at the international orientation. Son#2 ran into kids he knew from regional competitions during his visit to Macalester..</p>

<p>The campuses (besides location) have a different feeling and buzz. Grinnell is more relaxed and less edgy. I suspect this is because there is a greater distribution of what students are studying, etc... At Macalester, which is so international in its orientation, there is a feeling that this is what everyone is oriented towards. I know this is simplistic, but this is how it felt. Also, in visits to about 35 schools over 3 summers, Macalester's admissions people were among the 2-3 least friendly...</p>

<p>Grinnell has a very impressive endowment and the campus and programs reflect this. This is not an inconsequential issue in my mind. </p>

<p>In short, both are wonderful schools. I would choose Macalester if you feel you HAVE to be in a city or if you are 100% sure on international relations as a major....I would probably think hard about Grinnell otherwise, but you can't go wrong either way...</p>