Macalester vs. Grinnell (vibe)

<p>Ok, now I know there have already been a lot of these BUT most of them seem to focus on specific concerns/academics. </p>

<p>I have a day left to decide between Mac and Grinnell, and I was all set to choose Grinnell, but now I'm not sure at all.</p>

<p>My worry is that (and this is going to sound stupid) Grinnell students are a little TOO nerdy/unconcerned with clothes/wholesome for me. I really really liked Wesleyan and Oberlin (AHEM didn't get in though) more than Carleton for this reason . I'm not totally into the super edgy alterna-hipster activist vibe either, but I don't want to feel like I'm surrounded by only the kinds of kids grandmas and teachers would love. You know what I mean? Grinnell people sound really nice and smart, but I sort of want something edgier, a little more hip.</p>

<p>So my question is, in terms of that, which campus is more suited to my needs? And because I think this is a good indicator of that, which campus has a "better" drug scene? </p>

<p>THANK YOU for your help, I'm freaking out over here.</p>

<p>I visited both Grinnell and Macalester, although Iā€™m just a prospie so my impressions are based on my short personal experiences. (I loved Wesleyan too! Didnā€™t get in either though.) I think Macalester would be the ā€œhipperā€ school, especially as itā€™s urban as opposed to rural. Grinnell is really in the middle of nowhere, while the Twin cities seem quite easy to get around. Personally, I fell in love with Grinnellā€™s laid-back vibe, but I didnā€™t visit Macalester under the same conditions so itā€™s a bit hard to tell. (I went to Grinnellā€™s overnight admitted studentsā€™ program, and visited Macalester on my own on a weekend.)</p>

<p>Have you gotten the chance to visit either? It seems like the best way to tell.</p>

<p>Good luck with the decision!</p>

<p>If you read the Grinnell forum, you know Iā€™m an unabashed fan. But I also think that if you want ready access to an urban environment, you will be happier at Macalester. Itā€™s not so much which is ā€˜hipperā€™: Both schools have their edgier sub-groups, and the student vibe at Grinnell is well known as ā€˜individualisticā€™ and ā€˜quirkyā€™ rather than ā€œkids grandmas and teachers would love.ā€ Rather, Grinnell is more inwardly focused because itā€™s all about the students and the campus. There isnā€™t anything else less than 45 minutes away. Macalester has the potential to be more externally focused for those students who think a LAC might be too small or too limited. So go with your gut-both great schools.</p>

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<p>Thanks Mā€™s Mom and teamodnar-
I went with Grinnell! Just made the deposit. After a closer look, Mac sounds like it can feel a bit cramped, and even though the city is a plus, I think I could kind of dig the whole middle of nowhere thing.</p>

<p>Yesterday I talked to someone I know whoā€™s going (I was so shocked/excited to find out, I had no idea!) and she said she visited and the students were all really cool and chill (and yeah, sorta dorky, but not in a teacherā€™s pet way) and NOW Iā€™m super pumped for Grinnell. Yay!</p>

<p>Congrats on making your decision! Grinnell is such a great school and I probably would have chosen to go there if the financial aid had worked out better.</p>