<p>I'm having an extremely hard time to pick one of these. I'm an int'l student without need of aid, and I'm highly interested in having great (biological) research experience in college and getting into top-rated biological or biomedical PhD program. (Specifically, Harvard, Stanford, UCSF, MIT, and JHU) </p>
<p>Although these schools are called quite similar to each other, I felt Reed's courses are a lot harder than Grinnell's. So, I thought Reed is valued more highly by grad schools than Grinnell for its rigorousness. But some people say the difference is negligible. Which opinion do you agree with? Which school sends higher percentage of students to the above programs? Does the grade "deflation" or "zero-inflation" in Reed affect my chances for biomed PhD program? </p>
<p>Reed is known for sending lots of kids to higher education. Of all American Institutions, Reed is the 2nd most productive in biological sciences in terms of the number of its students that go on to earn PhDs.</p>
<p>However, Grinnell offers very similar resources to Reed. There are several aspects different about them. Grinnell is in the middle of no where, Reed is close to Portland. Iowa’s kind of running farm fields for a lot of it. Both have no greek life, both are liberal artsy…</p>
<p>Reed and Grinnell are both well-known names to graduate school admissions and are well-respected. If you gain the research experience and maintain a good GPA, you can go into a PhD program from either school.</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision. My favorite two LACs are actually these two.</p>
<p>I think you’re overstating the differences in fame between the two colleges and understating their actual differences. A student I know well just decided to go to JHU for a fully funded bio phD after choosing between some internationally famous universities. She earned excellent grades, took challenging courses beyond the standard bio curriculum, obtained rave professor recommendations, and participated in substantial research (eg, going beyond a beaker monkey position) starting as a freshman. Either school has the resources for you to go on to an excellent phD program. The question is will you take advantage of these, and which institution would you prefer? The academic philosophies at Grinnell and Reed are somewhat different as are their surrounding environs. </p>
<p>I agree that there will be a minimal difference when it comes to grad school admissions.</p>
<p>Have you considered the curricular differences between the two schools? Grinnell as an institution allows for much more academic freedom (no distribution requirements or mandatory classes, like Brown and Amherst). Reed, on the other hand, has distribution requirements across a wide variety of subjects, and also has a humanities sequence that everybody takes. </p>
<p>Reed also has a reputation for academic intensity that’s pretty much unmatched by anyone save Swat and U chicago. Grinnell’s nothing to sneeze at, but you probably won’t be facing the same non-stop pressure as you would at Reed, which can either be a + or a - for you. </p>
<p>I know that your original question concerns academics. But if you are having difficulty deciding between the two schools, you may want to consider other factors as well. Reed is in a major metropolitan area. Grinnell is isolated in a rural area. The differing settings of the two schools are a stark contrast. </p>
<p>Thanks for a lot of helpful opinions! I decided to go to Grinnell College, since I felt Grinnell’s flexibility in coursework and other pros are simply more attractive than Reed’s attractive math&physics courses and their other pros. </p>