Grinnell vs Whitman vs UMich

Colleges and Universities A-Z Grinnell College
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Hi guys!

So with the last of my acceptances/rejections coming in today, I finally have narrowed my choice down to three colleges: Whitman College, University of Michigan, and Grinnell College.

As someone who is most likely going to major in chemistry (though, of course, that can change) and move on to grad school to work on either a Master’s or PhD, I’m a little concerned about the “prestige” of where I go. Do grad schools in general look favorably upon more well known institutions such as UMich compared to something most haven’t heard of (Whitman)? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not just some kid slavering over the name and prestige of stuff like Harvard (though it would have been pretty cool to go there) etc., I just want to make things easier for grad school.

Grinnell is a bit of a better school than Whitman, but it’s looking to be about ~$5k more per year. Is it really worth the 5k? I understand that Grinnell is pretty strong in the sciences, so I thought that perhaps this would look better to grad school adcoms…

I suppose the more “practical” option is Michigan, simply because I have a pretty good offer, and it’s a well established school. I suppose it’s just not very “exciting” to me, since I’ve lived ~30 minutes from its campus for my whole life. Am I crazy for not immediately jumping on their offer?

Sorry if I have some misconceptions, but I’m just feeling a bit lost :stuck_out_tongue: Most likely going to post this in Michigan’s forum as well for another viewpoint too! Thanks!!

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5K a year is a lot also considering travel from Grinnell home would be more $$. But Grinnell does adjust aid each year based on increase so maybe check that out with UM. Other than that I can’t help much - seems since they’re so different it’s up to you and your circumstances.

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^Agreed. If finances are paramount, then consider the total of all 4 years at college. When budgeting, factor in annual tuition/room & bd increases, if minimum gpa is required to maintain aid each year, transportation costs, additional chem fees (books, lab, computer, materials), on campus fees (parking, printing, laundry), sports/greek/art expenses, employment opportunities on/off campus. If you don’t know, call the college’s admissions/financial aid office and ask. Little things, like your phone bill, social events and storage fees, can add up over time, too.

But beyond financial considerations, have you visited all 3 schools? I imagine you’ve been to UM, which is large and urban. Grinnell & Whitman are small and rural (though Walla Walla is a lovely town). So, very different sizes & settings, learning environments and feel/culture. Bottom line, you go to college for an education, so first assess your learning style, then delve into each college’s academics (faculty, teaching style, courses, experiential opportunities) to determine your fit.

How do you learn best as a student? Would you thrive more in a community of discussion-based classes fostering professor mentorship or in a community where lectures, anonymity and competition are the norm? Where would you most likely end up in the top 10%? Would you flourish or struggle at the prestigious school? Are you comfortable with the expectation of daily class participation? Email the chemistry dept. heads & professors and ask questions about program strength & variety, research ops & recent grad school outcome.

So, Large or Small? That should at least narrow the field to either UM or Whitman/Grinnell.

If you were my student, I would counsel: it’s less about prestige and more about you.

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Here is a good discussion about science rankings for LACS:http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1737399-which-top-liberal-arts-college-has-the-strongest-science-programs-p1.html

You’ll note that both Grinnell and Whitman rank highly. Grinnell ranks higher in some areas but not by a huge amount. I don’t think you need worry that grad schools wouldn’t know and respect Whitman, many students go on to excellent grad schools from there. Whitman is worth a visit if you can manage it, it offers a great education in a beautiful place with a collaborative friendly campus culture. The outdoor program is amazing!

It’s a wonderful dilemma, you’ve got great choices. I agree that now you should think about the place where you personally can thrive for 4 years. Good luck!

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Thanks for all the awesome advice guys!

As of last week, I’ve visited all three. It’s going to make me seem a little… fickle or something, but I’m actually leaning towards the pre-med track now. Talking with quite a few pre-meds at Grinnell really got me interested. Anyhow, I do think all three are great for pre-med. UMich has an excellent hospital (I was born there :D) which is a nice perk for close internships and that type of thing.

UMich actually seemed less… gargantuan than I would have thought when I visited. Also Ann Arbor is super cool, so there’s that. It’s also by far the cheapest out of all three (though the difference between most expensive and least expensive is less than $10k in loans). While visiting, I also began to appreciate what a “big” school can bring. Cafeterias in most dorms, great facilities, tons of restaurants/food places like 3 minutes from dorms, little convenience stores in each dorm. It was pretty awesome. I’m used to the weather, so whatever.

Grinnell was suppper laid back and I loved that. They also have an insane amount of money, which I didn’t realize. Around $1M per student, which is actually 5 times that of Michigan (though it doesn’t have a nice hospital close by). On account of lots of money, they also offer paid summer internships/research projects and funding for unpaid internships from 3rd parties. They also offer something cool called an “externship” which is essentially a period of a few days where you can shadow an alum in a certain field. I think it’d be an awesome opportunity to see if medical stuff (or chemistry stuff!) is really what I want to do. Only problem I saw was Iowa (lol). Similar weather to UMich, but once again, I’m used to it so I don’t really mind.

I’ve visited Whitman many times on account of both my parents being alumni, and my grandpa former faculty. I’ll be flying out next week, though, so I can ask them some questions about internships and opportunities that would be available whether I go pre-med or chem PhD. Like @bopambo mentioned, Whitman ranks around the same as Grinnell for sciences, maybe a bit worse, but it’s still a relatively level playing field. I haven’t actually talked much with the current students, but I’ll probably get to do some of that next week :slight_smile: Also, I’m a bit leery of the Greek system… I don’t care much if people drink, but it seems like frats encourage overdrinking, etc. which is pretty gross. Walla Walla is also a really small town, but there is actually a Target not too far from the college, so it’s not completely in the middle of nowhere (looking at you, Grinnell >.>). Also a plus, my grandparents live not too far from here, so I have some family support in the area if I need it. I also looovvee the weather. Winters can be gloomy, but they’re not that cold, and the summers are gorgeous.

I appreciate all the advice guys. It’s just a really hard decision for me; I’m really indecisive about some things. For instance, I don’t necessarily prefer discussion over lectures, but I also don’t prefer lectures over discussion. Whatever works for me. I am leaning towards smaller since feeling isolated from my professor at a big place like UMich, but at the same time, I don’t need to eat dinner at their house. They’re my professor, not my best friend after all! One last question (sorry!). Are these schools fairly equal in regards to pre-med? I’m guessing UMich is probably the “best”, but I was under the impression GPA and MCAT score is most important to med schools.

Thanks once again guys, you’re awesome!

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Yes, I’ve read numerous times, right here on CC, that GPA and MCAT scores are what counts when applying to medical school. I think you’ll find Whitman fraternities are pretty low key compared to frats at state universities. There are a lot of parties at the houses, but they’re open to the whole campus, or easy to avoid if you want, there are only three of them and they are all on the same corner. Whitman has a really active campus so there is plenty to do besides party.