I thought I had made my decision (macalester) but I just got my acceptance to Grinnell. I want to work with refugees abroad and need a strong education, preferably in global development studies or human rights. Which one is a better fit?
I think in that subject area I would pick Mac.
These are both great colleges. Grinnell is rural while Macalester is urban. Which environment appeals to you for four years?
In my field (academe) I see more Grinnell graduates than Macalester ones; I think Macalester is an up-and-coming college and Grinnell has a more established academic reputation. But they are both very good schools.
I don’t agree with that assessment of Mac – it is well established. IR, global development, and human rights are very much in their wheelhouse, too. Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the UN graduated from Mac in 1961.
Your interest seems to be a great fit for Mac and it is a fantastic school.
Anyone else have some more thoughts? I’m still not sure…
I think your interests would be very well supported at Grinnell, and you’d be with other students who have similar values and priorities. Have you visited? I guess it’s more a matter of rural vs. urban setting.
I’d agree that your areas of interest suit Macalester very well.
Grinnell alum again here (sorry I’ve never visited Macalester, so I can’t really compare)–but Grinnell really does instill a strong sense of social responsibility in its students and graduates. I’m not sure how this happens. But even over 20 years after graduation, I still feel compelled to drop everything and help the refugees from Syria (but my husband won’t hear of it and insists we send checks to help them instead) or develop libraries in Africa. Macalester might be similar, and in an urban area, you may not have to travel to be of direct assistance. But many Grinnell grads go into the type of work you’re looking into, so there would be alumni support and networks.
I chose between Macalester and Grinnell 20+ years ago and my son is looking at both schools now. I chose Grinnell and was very happy, but I think you can’t go wrong. I’d recommend visiting both and picking the one that feels like the better fit. They are in very different settings. Some students are turned off by Grinnell’s remote location. Personally, I liked the fact that life at Grinnell centered on the campus. There was an amazing amount of stuff to do right on campus and I only had time for a small fraction of it. Grinnell has a very diverse and international student body and although I’ve lived in large cities and abroad after Grinnell, it was the most cosmopolitan experience I’ve had.
I’ve hired both Macalester and Grinnell grads. They’ve all been top notch.
There is talk in the above posts about the rural and remote location of Grinnell which is certainly a con for many students. However, if you truly want to work with refugees or similar, then a remote setting in Iowa should not even be an issue for you because you will find yourself in far more remote settings in the future. Nonetheless, Grinnell may be very “rural” but for the size of town it is, it has wonderful restaurants and community support. It is truly a one of a kind town to have 10,000 residents plus have the facilities that it has (restaurants, parks, shops, hospital, etc.). Go visit - visit Pagliai’s pizza, the Depot restaurant, Michaels restaurant and hen look around at the campus facilities… amazing.
Hello! I chose Macalester for both its major offerings (International Development, Human Rights and Humanitarianism, international studies) as well as its urban locations which offers opportunities to volunteer or intern during the year with human rights based organizations in the Twin Cities. Thank you all for your help!
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Congratulations! Enjoy every minute.
Thanks for coming back to let us know! So glad you made your decision and are happy with it. They are both fine schools but you can only attend one. Sounds like you knew how to prioritize what you are looking for. Enjoy!
Two great options and you made a great choice. I was going to say it is a city mouse country mouse question.