Grinnell

Colleges and Universities A-Z Grinnell College
1

<p>Hi. I have been accepted at Grinnell and it is definitely my number one choice. However, I have also been accepted at University of Virginia, Chapel Hill, Boston College and Lafayette. My parents really want me to go to either Uva or Chapel Hill because those schools are known pretty much everywhere. They think that I'll have a better chance at going to grad school if I go into a known big university. They also think that since Grinnell is only known in the Midwest, it'll be harder for me to get a job outside of that area. </p>

<p>Does anyone have any input in this? </p>

<p>Also, I'm visiting the campus on April 21st through their fly-in program for admitted students and will be staying overnight so I'll get a better feel for it. But from what I have read I already think I'm going to love it. The only worry I have is that I'm from Raleigh, NC and there are lots to do and lots of people. I heard that Grinnell is pretty isolated and that the town isn't that great. Is the adjustment easy? Are there lots of activities to do on campus? </p>

<p>Thanks. Any input will be greatly appreciated.</p>

2

<p>Grinnell, like other top LACs in relatively isolated areas, sponsors tons of activities on campus, from speakers, concerts, films, dances, parties, and so on. But if you are looking for the shopping and night life a city will offer, Grinnell doesn’t have it.</p>

<p>Grinnell is very well respected among grad and professional schools, so neither you nor your parents should be concerned that going to Grinnell would put you at a disadvantage vis-a-vis UVA and UNC as far as that goes. </p>

<p>Employment is a different issue. Due to their smaller size, LACs usually are not as well known outside their areas as large public universities like UVA and UNC, so that is something you have to consider, particularly if you want to start a career right out of undergrad. LACs do, however, have strong and loyal alumni networks that might come in handy. Good luck!</p>

3

<p>to echo the sentiment from the prev poster, I heard from admissions that 80 pct of GC students go into grad school - I am not sure by when 1, 3 or 5 yrs after graduation.</p>

<p>Son was accepted into GC Lafayette and UIUC, and he is a midwesterner. So he had similar concerns that you expressed about LC (no one in the MW heard of it - they think it is lafayette, Indiana).</p>

4

<p>gee, lets see if we can find UNC and UVA in this list of colleges that send the most percentage of kids to Graduate schools for PhD’s</p>

<p>[REED</a> COLLEGE PHD PRODUCTIVITY](<a href=“http://web.reed.edu/ir/phd.html]REED”>Doctoral Degree Productivity - Institutional Research - Reed College)</p>

<p>because, certainly Grinnell is there…</p>

5

<p>S is from a major metropolitan area on the east coast so we too wondered how he’d find being at Grinnell. Turns out that he loves the strong sense of community that arises from a walkable college where 98% of the students live and play on campus for all 4 years (except for that semester abroad in jr year that many do for a change of scene). He loves the courtesy and eye contact that you get walking down the street in a small town. He loves that there is more to do on campus than he can possibly participate in and Grinnell’s huge endowment provides amazing opportunities both on campus and off. Students can go into Des Moines or Iowa City (an hour away for both), but few do because there is so much happening on campus. And because the school is small, the administration is more accessible and flexible, and the personal attention by the faculty can’t compare to UVA and Chapel Hill. (Example: S has had several ‘what are your plans for the future’ conversations with faculty in his major this year because they have noted his talent and wanted to encourage him to continue his studies in their areas when he graduates. How often does this happen at Chapel Hill, I wonder?) </p>

<p>One of the great things about rural LACs is that nobody is a bystander - everyone is on the sports teams, in the orchestra, on stage, in the choir, or doing the community service…And even if you haven’t done something before, you know you’re welcome. (S had never played his sport before arriving at Grinnell but now it’s an integral part of his life - the guys on the team taught him to play and made him welcome.) He gets his ‘urban fix’ when he’s home or when visiting friends who live in urban areas. And have no fear about name recognition among grad schools - they know about Grinnell, as does anyone who knows LACs. </p>

<p>Are there disadvantages? Of course - the culture is very strong and pervasive so fit matters, the winters are bitter cold, and the course offerings and variety of majors will not be as extensive as at UVA and Chapel Hill. There are probably more corporate recruiters coming to those campuses - and more employer internships during the school year. Every school has its trade offs. You and your family have to figure out what matters most to you.</p>

6

<p>as usual, a perfect recap of Grinnell’s attributes from M’s mom. I just want to quibble about the study abroad for a “change of scene.” I"m sure she didn’t intend it that way, but I think most students go for the opportunities and not just to get away from Grinnell.</p>

<p>Also, Grinnell offers programs in the US for semesters away that are job internship focused and political focused (one is in DC and the other, I think, is in Chicago). </p>

<p>My son, too, loves the feel of the town, and that when he walks down the streets, strangers smile at him and say hello!</p>

7

<p>And I would note, so far as employment opportunities are concerned, that Grinnell is part of SLAC–the selective liberal arts consortium-- which holds recruiting events around the country. Several Grinnell students attended the one in Chicago in December (with the school paying most of the cost.) Son landed a very nice summer internship through this event. So while there are not as many on-campus interviews at Grinnell as at larger institutions, other opportunities abound.</p>

8

<p>SDonCC, I agree about study abroad. While my son’s semester in Morocco was extremely rewarding, he couldn’t wait to get back to Grinnell. He has noticed that many of his friends are the children of college professors from around the country. This suggests some name recognition and respect for Grinnell in academia.</p>

9

<p>Sunmachine - I’m not really the type of person who says “lets go to the mall” (Robin Sparkles! Hopefully some of you CC people watch the best show ever, “How I met your mother”) so I don’t think it’ll be a problem. Also, I don’t really have a night life either. I got to bed at 11 haha. </p>

<p>That’s really cool though, about the loyal alumni. I haven’t thought about that, makes me more comfortable about employment possibilities. Thanks!</p>

<p>Roderick - Haha same here! My friends asked me where I got accepted and they have no idea where Grinnell is located. They think I’m crazy to consider it over UVA or UNC, but I am from NC so that explains it. </p>

<p>Japanoko - Thanks! I’ll have to show this to my parents. </p>

<p>M’s Mom - That’s awesome. One of the reasons I really like Grinnell is that it’s small so it can feel like a close knit community. I think I can withstand the winters, and since I have no idea what I want to major in yet, I actually like the fact that there is a limited amount so I can narrow it down. Hopefully when I visit later this April, I will be more in love with the school than I already am now. Grinnell is definitely at the top of my list, but my counselor has warned me that it takes certain types of people to be happy there. I guess she refers to the isolation and the seemingly infinite cornfields. </p>

<p>SDonCC - Thanks! I’ll have to show my parents about your comment that the schools offers programs that are more internship focused. I’m not sure what I want to do with my life yet, but I’m sure after freshman year I’ll know what I want to do, so these programs will come in handy.</p>

<p>Dairy State K8 - Ahh thank you so much. I know I want to go to grad school, but knowing that Grinnell is part of SLAC is much more comforting. I had no idea. </p>

<p>Bethievt - Wow knowing that college professors’ kids go there is pretty incredible! I’m falling more and more in love with this school. </p>

<p>I liked that some of you guys hit upon study abroad programs. Since I’m low income, financial aid is vital. Chapel Hill has this awesome program called the Carolina Covenant. [Academic</a> and Personal Support | The Carolina Covenant ~ The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](<a href=“http://www.unc.edu/carolinacovenant/support.php]Academic”>http://www.unc.edu/carolinacovenant/support.php) It’s a pretty amazing program and the only reason I’m talking about it is that it also helps with opportunities abroad. [Study</a> Abroad: Exploring the world | The Carolina Covenant ~ The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](<a href=“http://www.unc.edu/carolinacovenant/study-abroad.php]Study”>http://www.unc.edu/carolinacovenant/study-abroad.php) Do any of you know if Grinnell has options like these?</p>

10

<p>I don’t have much to say, other than echoing the advice of the others. In academia Grinnell is very well known, which will help getting into grad school.</p>

<p>I’m also going to on the 22nd, but not staying overnight.</p>

11

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<p>jamoretti, here is a present for you regarding Grinnell that you can also show to your parents:</p>

<p><a href=“http://web.grinnell.edu/institutionalresearch/webdocs/PhDProd_F06.pdf[/url]”>http://web.grinnell.edu/institutionalresearch/webdocs/PhDProd_F06.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;