<p>Hi everyone... I recently applied to Grinnell as a (potential) transfer international student from a very small (less than 500 students) private school. I've read old threads but haven't found a lot of info from accepted students. I just want to know if you think I could do something to improve my chances..Here's my info:</p>
<p>-Current GPA: 4.0, unweighted.
-Credits: 40 at time of transfer (10 semester courses total). I'm a freshman but I'm taking an overload course each semester to improve my chances. I have A+ in each one so far.
-SATs: 1930 composite. I know it's not high enough but I've only taken it once so maybe I should take it again to improve my chances?
-SAT Subject Tests: 790 Italian, 650 Biology E, 650 Literature
-Rec letters: A superb one and a good one.
-My school transcripts have narrative evaluations in addition to grades, and mine have been pretty good so far.
-ECs: Co-founded an NGO on my senior year of HS, and helped run it for over 2 years. We did social work in indigenous communities.
Co-founded a theatre company and ran it for a couple years, toured Europe with it.
Toured a few states with a Biodiesel Bus giving workshops and conferences in Universities.
Worked in an Animal Sanctuary in CA doing advocacy for animal rights
President of the Spanish Club at my current school.
Assistant director, stage manager and actrees in performances at my current school.</p>
<p>Here's the catch: I'm 21 and I'm a freshman. I graduated in 2008 but decided to not go to school because of my involvement with the NGO, the theatre company and various other projects. I'm worried that my lack of academics could be a problem. I also applied for financial aid and I know that it's limited for international students. Also, my school is veeery small and not prestigious, although somewhat known because of its "non-traditional teaching". I didn't have time to interview so I don't know if that will affect me. Any advise? Moral support? Please be honest...</p>
<p>Hey people. I could use some help here… I had an interview at Oberlin today and it got me more confused than I was before coming. I am mostly looking for academic rigour/quality and a student body seriously committed to their schoolwork. I don’t really care about the social scene, city surroundings or weather if those 2 requirements are met.
So far, I am under the impression that the students at Reed are more legitimate than those at Oberlin, who seem to be somewhat more hipster-ish. I don’t want to judge yet though, since my experience here has not been long enough to do so accurately. I’ve been told that students at Grinnell are a lot like the ones at Oberlin due to the stronger emphasis on social causes and activism, which Reed seems to lack. It also seems like Grinnell is a bit more diverse than Reed? I don’t know how true that is though.
I also applied to Kenyon, Sarah Lawrence and Amherst but haven’t visited any of them. Any input? Differences, things I should take into account?</p>
<p>I would be shocked if the students at Oberlin weren’t seriously committed to their schoolwork and the academic experience weren’t top-notch. I don’t know what you mean about Reed being more “legitimate.”</p>
<p>These schools all will have vibrant campus life and social scenes. This doesn’t mean that the students aren’t concerned about their studies nor that they try to downplay or hide their intellectualism.</p>
<p>Just speaking from my S’s personal experience at Grinnell: he doesn’t have a hipster bone in his body! But, he loves the school. He has alot of friends, feels totally at home, intellectually challenged and feels free to discuss whatever topics he wants with his friends. I find that his friends are really supportive, caring and open and interested in each other’s quirky intellectual interests!</p>
<p>And while Grinnell has a justified reputation for an emphasis on social justice, you don’t have to have any interest or be an activist to be happy at the school. There will be plenty to keep you busy and you won’t be judged by whether or not you’re participating in social activism.</p>
<p>I would venture to say the same applies to the other schools, too. Students get involved in what they want to.</p>
<p>I will say that coming in as a 21 year old freshman, you will have a good bit of culture shock and adjustment at any school. i just have to be honest. But, I will say that one plus for Grinnell in that regard is that all the housing is mixed grades. There is no first-year housing. I don’t know the situation at the other schools, but this is something you might want to consider.</p>
<p>Edit: oh wait, I see you are entering as a sophomore. Disregard the above!</p>
<p>@SDonCC thanks for your input. I would be transferring as a sophomore but I still expect it to be no easy transition, since there are more people my age at my school. It gives me some reassurance to hear that your son has found Grinnell to be intellectually stimulating, since this is one of the main reasons why I’m looking to transfer. As I said on a previous post on the Oberlin forum, I don’t so much care about student’s choices in regards to subcultural identities, but about their commitment to be seriously and actively engaged in their academic process. Hence my use of the word “legitimate”, by which I meant something along the lines of “legitimately serious students”. It might also just be the fact that students at Reed seem to be there first and foremost because of their passion for knowledge, while at Oberlin and Grinnell it looks like students are involved in a lot more ECs of various interests. I am hoping to visit Grinnell later this month so that I can make a more informed decision.</p>
<p>I still find it hard to believe that by the time I have to pick a college, I’ll have enough information to do so 100% accurately, since the experience you can have during an overnight visit will always be too limited…</p>
<p>All the schools you have listed will be full of students with a passion for knowledge. My son, who wanted to be surrounded by more unconventional thinkers, chose Grinnell, but he was also interested in Oberlin and Reed from your list. Another great option we visited (but he didn’t apply to) for an older learner is Evergreen State in Olympia, Washington. We also visited Sarah Lawrence. Clearly that is also a great school academically. It seemed to me like a less tightly knit social community than Grinnell or Oberlin.</p>
<p>@bethievt thanks for sharing. I’ve heard about Evergreen but it seems like the academics are not very strong there. I am not really worried about age though. As long as I’m surrounded by people who want to learn and who provide some intellectual stimulation, I’ll be more than set. What do you mean by “unconventional thinkers”? Would you say that applies more to Grinnell than to the other schools mentioned? Because that’s something I’d be attracted to :)</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s true that academics are not strong at Evergreen. I haven’t been a student there, but I know several students and profs and they are all of the absolute highest quality. Conventional thinking, in my opinion, is sitting in rows writing down what might be on the test. Unconventional thinking is loving thoughts and ideas and wanting to talk about them inside and outside of class. That’s why my son chose Grinnell. Dare to be weird!</p>
<p>Yes, I feel that both Evergreen and Grinnell attract more unconventional thinkers. Oberlin and Reed too. Not that that applies to all students there, of course. Lots of Grinnell students do engage in ECs, have active social lives and still seriously study.</p>