Hi everyone! Currently deciding between Middlebury and Grinnell. I’m undecided, but leaning towards econ for a major, with a possible future in non-profit management. Grinnell offered me a merit scholarship for roughly half tuition, while Middlebury will be near sticker-price, although if it’s genuinely worth it and seems like a better fit, my parents are fine with paying for Midd.
Admittedly, I made some mistakes when creating my college list, and now, looking at my acceptances, I’m not really sure if either of them is a great fit. For starters, I don’t anticipate drinking a lot, partying hard every weekend, or ever really hooking up. I know both schools will have at least some people similar to that, but from what I’ve read, both seem to be hard party/drinking/hookup schools. I read about someone who decided to transfer from Grinnell as a result of there being nothing to do on campus during weekend besides drink and party.
Something else I realized too late was that I would really like an intellectual spirit on campus. Like, students that love to learn for the sake of learning, have philosophical conversations outside of class for fun, that kind of thing (I realize neither of these options are ideal for that, but which one would be better?).
And finally, something else I’ve been concerned about is stifling liberalism on campus. I definitely lean left but I think there’s a lot of value in listening to and respecting those with opposing views, and I feel like I’d be drained if I were constantly surrounded by uber-liberal views. Honestly, I would rather have a politically apathetic campus than an extreme-left one.
I’d appreciate if only people with direct experience with either school would participate - I know college confidential can get convoluted with responses based on stereotypes and random figures seen online. Thanks!
While Grinnell (like many LACS), has alcohol and weed, it has a very strong intellectual, learning for learning sake vibe. We visited 6 times, with 2 kids who each did overnights and class visits, with 1 kid going through athletic recruiting so he spent a lot of time on campus with the team. What struck him at Grinnell, especially as compared to other LACs where he was going through recruiting, was that the team did not act like a “silo” socially. Grinnell was the only team experience where, during the meal with him, it was not just teammates but non-athletes at the table, and the conversation was not about the team or athletics but about classes etc. On my other kid’s overnight/class visit, he found the class discussion engaging and the professor spent 30+ minutes talking with him alone after class. I can’t speak to Midd, but I really don’t see Grinnell as a problematic choice for someone looking for an intellectually engaged and vibrant community.
Save your money for grad school!
Go to Grinnell and take advantage of the merit scholarship. Use the extra $ for grad school, for travel, or for living expenses when you graduate and are looking for a job.
middlebury has a pretty big jock/party culture. go with grinnell, especially if it’s cheaper.
Hah you sound a lot like me, and I’m likely heading to Midd. I don’t think it’s impossible to find your niche, even if people are generally less philosophical. I have a friend who had Midd as her top but is now going to Grinnell because of a better aid package (perks of a giant endowment)
Hey @friedpotatoes ! Grinnell current third-year here! As someone who comes from a centrist/leans conservative community, I found Grinnell’s very liberal student body to be a lot at first. At the same time, I’ve learned to enjoy it as I am VERY good at defending my political ideals in a clear intellectual way. I did get more liberal at college, but I think the mark of a good political decision maker is a willingness to continue learning and admitting that you don’t know everything, so your positions can change. All that said, Grinnell can sometimes be politically hostile if you are not clear about your intention for discussion.
As for drugs and alcohol, I don’t participate in drugs and I go to 1 to 2 parties per semester and don’t feel pressured to do more or less than I am comfortable with. I live in sub free housing and love it. Do not live on South Campus.
Grinnellians are ALWAYS having philosophical discussions. For example, if you choose to attend one of the weekday food house meals, you should be ready for the night’s cooks to ask you an intellectual question. The last time I went we talked about the ethics of the Girl Scout Corp and what growing empowered women truly looks like. That discussion brought together two CS majors, a theater major, an independent major, and a philosophy major all of whom brought their own intellectual past to the discussion which allowed for varying lenses to be applied.
Want to know more about Grinnell? See this post: http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/22753100#Comment_22753100
I don’t know about Midd enough to speak to their lives.
Hi Fried Potatoes! Where did you end up committing?
@chocokat098 so sorry for the late response - if you end up seeing this, my family unfortunately had to change priorities because of the pandemic and I ended up committing to my state flagship. That being said, between the two, I was going to go with Grinnell.