My son was accepted to Grinnell, Macalester, Colgate, and Washington and Lee. Grinnell is the top choice but not 100% sure if Grinnell is the one. I’d like to get more information about these 4 schools.
He wants to do double major (Physics, Japanese, or Music). If he goes to Grinnell then he will major in Physics and Music.
Grinnell: scholarship + aid grand about 46,000
Macalester: scholarship + aid grand about 48,000
Colgate: aid grand about 57,000
Washington and Lee: aid grand about 46,000
Questions:
Which school has better Physics program?
Which school has better Japanese program?
– Grinnell doesn’t have Japanese major
Which school has better music program?
– Grinnell offers free music lessons for music major student.
Which school has better study abroad program in Japan
Grinnell offers free events (movie, concert, outdoor program, …) for students. Correct me if I am wrong.
Grinnell also has Horseback Riding Lessons
Does the other 3 schools have anything special or good that we should know?
I’ll let those familiar with the specifics of these schools respond to your questions, but I did want to observe that your son’s list spans a remarkable ideological range: Macalester is one of the most liberal/progressive elite LACs (with Grinnell just a step behind it), while W&L is one of the most conservative/traditional. Could your S be happy and thrive in both of these very different cultural climates?
Hi MrSamford2014, Thanks for your reply. My S will probably skip W&L because the Greek life style. if you don’t participate a fraternity then you won’t have much to to.
I think your interests are too specific for anyone to really give you an accurate comparison. What i would say is this: given that your son has so many interests, i wouldn’t worry about Grinnell not having a Japanese major. He can always add on an Independent Study or a Mentored Advanced Project (basically, mentored research) in that. Plus, every week, there is a “Japanese Table” where students and professors gather at lunch for conversation. (many languages have this, as do some other academic disciplines).
Your son may also find that once he gets to college, he may discover other areas of interest. He won’t have time enough in his schedule to fit them all in!
Grinnell’s funding is put to good use to further student interests, subsidize internships, open up research opportunities, etc.
I agree that there is a huge difference in culture between Grinnell / Macalester and Colgate / W&L. My impression (and this is a superficial impression so others with more knowledge may correct me!) is that Colgate will have a preppier, pre-professional culture as well.
Please note that at Grinnell, even though there is not a pre-professional feel, there is plenty of opportunity to learn about how academic knowledge can be brought to bear in post-college life. The school has a wonderful Career Services Department; alumni come on campus to teach short courses about their work and skills needed (eg, a leadership course); the school sponsors site visits during spring break; and does some subsidizing of summer internships.
Here’s the link to the Career Services department. Even the name of it gives a sense of what kind of college this is. It isn’t about just getting a job. It is about “empowering students and alumni to live, work and learn with meaning and purpose.” https://www.grinnell.edu/cls
p.s. - My reply is Grinnell focused because i am a parent of a Grinnellian!
Thanks for your detailed information, SDonCC, I am sure Grinnell is the best choice for my son after I read the report from Baccalaureate Origins of U.S.-trained S&E Doctorate Recipients. Grinnell is ranked at #7. http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf13323/nsf13323.pdf
I can reduce the schools to Grinnell and Colgate. Colgate gave a more attractive financial aid award. Parents contribution is $5,000 and student work study is $2,000. That’s it, Colgate covers the rest cost.
About Grinnell, Parents contribution is $15,000 and student work study is $2,200. Grinnell covers the rest cost.
Is it possible to ask more aid from Grinnell to match other schools?