<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>I've decided to go to Grinnell for college this fall (i'm super excited!!)</p>
<p>I love everything about the school, but I didn't get a chance to visit.
How is the campus? I've seen great pictures of Carleton College through my friends there,
so I want to know how Grinnell's campus compares?</p>
<p>What do you guys think about the Campus in general?</p>
<p>Hi, </p>
<p>I havent visited Grinnell but the pictures I’ve seen on the internet all look great. Grinnell is very rich school and you can see that on the campus.</p>
<p>By the way, see you in the August, I’m going there too :-)</p>
<p>Check out A Portrait of Grinnell, by David K Kennedy, a former student, and now a professional photographer. We have a copy of his book, but if you go to his web site you can probably find pictures of the campus there. The shots don’t include the new construction, but it gives you a good feel for the beauty of the place. And yes, it is a pretty campus with some excellent architecture. [architecture</a> | photography by David Kennedy](<a href=“http://www.david-kennedy.com/architecture.html]architecture”>http://www.david-kennedy.com/architecture.html)</p>
<p>Attractive, but very midwestern. It is in many ways similar to Carleton, but don’t expect the gothic-ness of your northeastern schools. I actually found the campus more attractive than Amherst’s, although the area around it doesn’t compare. Grinnell the town is small, rural, and not very pretty, like most small towns in Iowa (and I say this as a visitor to many, many towns in Iowa).</p>
<p>The campus is very beautiful and well kept. The facilities are top notch and you will need for nothing there. inatlga is correct in that it’s not gothic, but I like that. There are some very nice newer buildings and blend nicely with the older ones. There are some nice variations of architecture and they have a lot of money. They are currently finishing up the natatorium and the indoor track and indoor tennis courts. They are beautiful. This will really be nice for indoor recreation in the cooler months. The student center is very pretty and has a lot of glass, which again is nice in the winter. You will not be disappointed. Grinnell has a huge endowment(one of the biggest in the country), and they have been on a building blitz in recent years. All tastefully done I might add. I like the way the campus is set up. It’s compact in that you can get across it fairly quickly in cold months, which is a real plus. I thought Grinnells downtown was quite quaint, but I don’t think anyone would say that is why one chooses Grinnell. I have been told that students who want to get away on the weekends catch the free shuttle bus to Des Moines and or Iowa City. The school spends a lot of money bringing in a lot of free things for the students and many never feel the need to leave. And, everything is “FREE”. Big plus in my opinion and makes for a more inclusive student body as nobody is left out. I agree that it’s more attractive and nicer than Amherst’s campus.</p>
<p>How is the weather in Grinnell?</p>
<p>What is free, for example?</p>
<p>The winter is COLD. I grew up in MN and have lived in VT for many years. They are all cold in the winter and I think that part of IA is often windy, so there’s a wind chill. If you dress appropriately, it is fine. This time of year and in the late summer/early autumn you could expect some very pleasant weather.</p>
<p>I also think the campus is beautiful. I have one of David Kennedy’s photos of it framed and hanging in my bedroom. The new student center is lovely. It has a wonderful feeling of community space inside.</p>
<p>Everything is free. Free in that once you are a student there, there are no hidden costs to go to things like shows, music events, dances, sporting events. The school does a great job bringing in stuff for the students. I have heard that many kids don’t even need spending money when they are there. Of course you can always go off campus and spend money, but you don’t need to is my point. One mom told me that they could not believe how their daughter never spent her spending money because of this. LOL</p>
<p>They bring in all kinds of speakers and performances, music, dance, movies, etc. You have to get tickets to reserve your seat, but the tickets are free. Townspeople can also come for free, so, for the very popular stuff, you’d want to reserve a seat right away. I’m pretty sure my son said they had the Bolshoi Ballet and the Beijing Opera, for example, last year. The art gallery has really great exhibits that change frequently.</p>
<p>Grinnell does not have the beautiful Arboretum adjacent to campus that Carleton has, but I think Grinnell’s facilities are nicer. I toured Carleton after spending the morning at St Olaf (which is stunning, btw) and came away with the impression that Carleton’s buildings were rather dark and dreary. </p>
<p>I literally expected Grinnell to be in the middle of a cornfield before I saw it. Not the case at all. Grinnell has many large, beautiful trees on campus and lots of flowers and landscaping. And the fattest squirrels you ever saw. Not a cornstalk in sight, unless you are in a hot air balloon. </p>
<p>Congratulations to siddj08 and Cermi!</p>
<p>I’m from upstate NY, so I’m somewhat used to the cold. And Iowa gets way less snow so that’s something. Grinnell sounds really nice though. I checked out those pictures-- beautiful. I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to visit so it was nice to see. How is the actual town of Grinnell?</p>
<p>The town of Grinnell looks like a movie set for a Midwest town in the 1950s. Several churches, a nice library, small local businesses, a park that I think has a gazebo or bandstand. The most interesting building is probably the Sullivan Jewel Box, a bank designed by a well known architect. It is now part Chamber of Commerce office and part bank. There’s one fun coffee house/ bakery called Saint’s Rest, owned by a Grinnell grad and a few nice restaurants. One movie theater, a nice little supermarket near campus and then, a bit outside of town, a Wal-Mart and 2 larger supermarkets.</p>
<p>Dairy State: I laughed when I read your comment on the squirrels. They were huge, cat-size creatures. Apparently the kids feed them cookies.</p>
<p>The only building we found disappointing was the library, which was a bit cramped. It is my understanding that it is next to go when they build something new.</p>
<p>Dairy State : Thanky ouy for your comment on squirrels - can’t waitto see them :-D</p>
<p>Yes, the squirrels are surreal!</p>
<p>I love the library with its Bauhaus architecture and “treehouses”, study carrels that students climb into. But yes, they are planning to build a new one. I hope they turn the current library into something fun.</p>
<p>Thanks guys for your explanations! Congrats to those of you who are going there next fall!</p>
<p>It sounds like a great place. I’m currently on the waitlist, so we’ll see. How is the student body? Diverse? Alternative?</p>
<p>Yes, it is very diverse, especially considering the setting and very unconventional.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for all this information.</p>
<p>@ M’s mom, David Kennedy’s pictures are absolutely stunning! The campus looks gorgeous (even in the winters)
@ Cermi: Hi to you too! Can’t wait to meet you and the others this fall.</p>