Middlebury V Grinnell V Colby (Financial related)

@Corbett thankfully Middlebury isn’t doing that.

Definitely feel free to ask on the financial aid side. Be polite, upbeat, and know what you want (because they may just ask you). The worst that can happen is that they say no…and they may say yes. And for the record, I just gave my son this same advice as he is deciding between two schools.

Best of luck. You have amazing choices!

Hey guys just wanted to update you all on my decision. After visiting Colby, Middlebury, and Carleton I realized that I could manage to have a great time at all my choices, including Grinnell. Sadly Midd did not increase my aid after appeal and I didn’t feel like what I would miss at Midd was really worth 3,000 in light of my other choices. Lots of agonizing later… I finally decided to commit to Grinnell.

So at the end of the day, I’m a Grinnellian! While I have just gotten off the waitlist at Swarthmore, my two friends have not received the best financial aid from there which actually drove one to commit elsewhere. My circumstances are much more different than theirs so I am hopeful but If it comes down to it, I will turn down Swat for Grinnell if the aid just doesn’t come through.

To anyone reading this in the future, follow your gut feeling and it’s ok to feel unsure. To me, it’s kind of insane thinking how with a single click of a couple of buttons I can complete change the course of my next 4 years and quite possibly my life. Even now I’m unsure! But at the end of the day, every decision you make is the right one as long as you make it with the proper intentions.

I have a friend who went to Grinnell and absolutely loved it. It sounds like a very friendly culture with very smart students and seemingly endless resources. Enjoy!

Big fan of Grinnell - enjoy!

Hi, Wondering how you like Grinnell. My son is deciding between Grinnell and Middlebury. He will be a freshman in the fall of 2018.

Congrats on two great options @OhioMomof4boys. I have a kid who is very happy at Grinnell.

I don’t know Middlebury as well, but think it is overall sportier, and less economically diverse, if that matters to you one way or another. I think the Middlebury campus is prettier, but I actually quite like the Grinnell campus. Depending on your location, one or the other may be harder to get to.

This article from the NYT addresses the economic diversity question: https://nyti.ms/2j9yoae. Middlebury was one of the schools that had more kids from the top 1% than from the bottom 60%.

Yes, porcupine98 is completely right. Middlebury is sportier and less economically diverse. But there is a strong love of the outdoors and excellent academics that unites everyone. I feel like it is overall more “traditional.” My husband went there for undergrad and I went there for summer language schools. You can’t go wrong academically with either one–I would go more by where you feel the most comfortable. I was fine there, but always felt like a casual midwesterner (and still feel that way at reunions). I went to Grinnell and was more comfortable with the welcoming smiles and slight Bohemian and experimental feel of it. At Grinnell, there is no outward sign if someone’s family has money or not; it is in bad taste to talk about it. Grinnell is a very accepting place. I’m already worried about what to wear to the Middlebury reunion this summer. . .on the other hand, everyone is kind and sparkling with energy, so I think maybe it’s a midwest/east coast culture thing.

My sons went to Midd-public school, not rich. spent the summers and vacations working, not jet-setting. People didn’t talk about money either, and they had friends from a variety of social classes. There certainly were some super-rich kids there, but the overall vibe is friendly people who love the mountains and outdoor activities.
We were just there at accepted students day-most kids in jeans, bean boots, and sweatshirts/raincoats/ski jackets.My DD met a lot of great kids and what they all had in common was intellectual curiosity and a commitment to learning. Environmentalism is huge there, too.