<p>bethievt: Please don't misconstrue what I had said about not trying hard enough in high school as not trying at all. I did try hard. Like I said, I was in the top 10 or 15%, and when the average GPA at such a competitive school like mine (only diplomat kids attend) is only a 3.0, I managed to get a 3.7, I think its pretty good (major upward trend from a 3.3 freshman year). Also, the classes in which I got Cs in, they are the first AP classes the teachers are teaching, so as the APs are approaching, they are piling on mock exams, homework, lab work like you wouldn't believe. My grades are not the only ones in the class suffering. And by the way, I did manage to ace every single end-quarter exams (all 96%+).</p>
<p>Andrea: From what I understand, you didn't get into Grinnell. I really am sorry, but apparently admissions for our year is extremely weird. If it makes you feel any better, our valedictorian (4.3 GPA, 2400SAT, class government president, leader of every club imaginable) got rejected from many schools which were a sure fit for him like Colby, Amherst, and Middlebury. I'm sure you have an outstanding high school record, and I hope you got into a great school. Good luck!</p>
<p>Oh, ok, booboo. I didn't mean to be harsh, but it's an honor to be admitted to a school like Grinnell, especially in a year like this and there are kids reading this thread who were waitlisted or denied. And possibly their parents who are also feeling hurt. And who knows--Grinnell admissions people could be reading too. My son had senioritis too, in the last couple months, but he fought it off enough to keep all A's. It was painful to watch it, but I was really proud of him.</p>
<p>bethievt: I guess it was inconsiderate of me to, I'll admit, brag about getting into college, and at the same time talk about slacking off during 2nd semester. At the time I posted, I didn't think about the people who aren't so fortunate as I in college admissions. I really hope that the first couple of posts I made here on CC don't give people a bad first impression of me. I swear I'm nicer in person!
I appreciate you pointing it out for me in a nice way.</p>
<p>Props to your son for getting through senioritis! Where is he attending, and when will he be graduating, if you don't mind me asking?</p>
<p>booboo777,
I would certainly be careful on what you post. Adcoms DO read the posts and, if you grades were to drop, you would not have much of a case for having Grinnell retain you. I attended a parent meeting at D's HS with the admissions director of UNC. He specifically mentioned CC and the posts the ADCOM staff at UNC had been reading. You have done a good job owning your mistake on the board. Perhaps you can edit some of what you put in the initial post so that it is not so offensive.</p>
<p>This year, in particular is extremely competitive and outstanding schools like Grinnell have plenty of candidates on the waitlist that will keep their grades up. None of us are so special we could not be replaced with another just as capable individual. You are bright-protect your admission by bringing those C's up to B's.</p>
<p>He's a first year at Grinnell, booboo. Just ramp up your efforts, is my advice. Grinnell is cold in the winter and pretty pleasant in the fall and spring. Summer, you probably won't be there, danielcarp.</p>
<p>bethievt, what kind of courses has your son taken? I'm trying to get a feel for whether or not CS151 and 152 (basically the introductory courses for people with a little less experience) are weed-out courses or not, and the one person I talked to who said they were last took them six years ago. I'm hoping for an opinion more recent.</p>
<p>Mostly history, religion and French. The open curriculum seems to be great for him. I think he will have a major just by following his interests. He tested into 300 level French courses. The rest he has done starting with 101-type courses.</p>
<p>thanks bethievt, but I was hoping for more specific temperatures. I am almost sure I will attend, so I'm starting to think about what cloth I'll need.</p>
<p>danielcarp, you could try going to weather.com and then search for "grinnell, IA" and look for the average temperatures per month. i know i have done that before but i didn't really memorize them, sorry.</p>
<p>When it's cold, it can be very cold, sometimes below zero F. And the wind can be strong too. Insulating layers are good, like long underwear and a really good jacket that keeps the wind out. My son has North Face, 2 layers of jackets. You need warm gloves and a warm hat or something to cover your ears. If you're not used to snow, it's an adjustment, but winter can be fun too. There are stores to buy all this stuff there and you won't need the warm stuff right away, so it's ok to wait on this. There are also second hand shops right in the town where you can get perfectly good clothes for a lot less money. My son hardly ever buys new stuff.</p>
<p>I grew up and live in Swarthmore, graduated from Oberlin, and now have a son at Carleton. All three are great places, but if I had the chance to do it all over again, I'd go to Grinnell. Why? It's hard to identify anything specific. Just a matter of individual taste, I suppose. I spent 2 days there last year and was extremely impressed with the faculty, students, and administrators. The place has its act together, and it's not trying to be all things for all people. </p>
<p>My son loves Carleton, but I'm sure he also would have been very happy at Grinnell or Oberlin (which were right at the top of his list). The cold weather in the midwest is not so bad. Anyway, students at Grinnell, Carleton, Oberlin, etc. are too darn busy to worry too much about outdoor temperature. </p>
<p>I feel the same way you do about all 3 schools--and throw in Mac too!</p>
<p>daniel</p>
<p>Good choice. You will probably get quite used to winter. Our bodies do adapt. Long underwear is a thin warm layer that is worn under your clothes to keep you warm. I'm quite sure you will love Grinnell. My son just told me they are about to have their annual Disco party where they dress up in clothes from the 1970's (found in second-hand stores) and dance. They have lots of really fun-sounding parties.</p>
<p>
[quote]
For someone who has never seen snow, zero F sounds extremely cold!
[/quote]
Haha, I'm in the same boat you are. I've spent time in the Northeast, probably been to the tristate area on various trips 20-25 times over the course of my life, spent half a year in Chicago and yet I've always managed to miss seeing any snow.</p>
<p>I'm used to 82-86 degree weather all day every day, and I suspect the change will be... dramatic, at first.</p>
<p>I'm not going the long underwear route, though. A good pair of boots, leather gloves, and a couple of top layers will have to do it. My legs are going to need to "man up."</p>