Possible transfer to Grinnell

I am considering transferring to Grinnell (I would be starting as a sophomore in the fall) and would love to hear about the experiences of current students, particularly those who transferred there or know transfer students.

My main worries are that the social scene is cliquish and hard to penetrate for an outsider (e.g. someone who didn’t start as a freshman). Is that something I should be worried about, or will it be relatively easy to find a group of friends by joining clubs/activities and just meeting people in the dorms?

Also, is Grinnell pretty integrated with regards to students of color & international students? It seems like there is a high percentage of international students, but I’m curious if they form friendships readily with the domestic student body.

Besides this worries, I’m very excited about everything related to Grinnell (strong academics, resources, facilities, cohesive community, social justice atmosphere, etc.). Thanks for your time!

You might want to call Grinnell and ask about specific transfer orientation programs that address your concerns.

I think it’s a reasonable concern but Grinnell is a very friendly community. The fact that you’re willing to look to clubs and activities means that you recognize that you have to put yourself out there in a way that maybe first year students wouldn’t.

Clubs and activities have constant turnover with people graduating, studying abroad, or just trying new things…so there will always be a big group of fresh faces in these places. Also, new study groups form every semester in individual classes.

When I’ve visited my son at Grinnell and met his friends, they were as diverse as his friends at home (in the very diverse San Francisco Bay area). He’s mentioned friends from overseas too.