<p>Just got back from the airport after flight was cancelled. Son was supposed to visit and interview at Grinnell this weekend. We were going to fly out tomorrow, but changed the flights to get ahead of the storm on the East Coast. Made it all the way to the airport to be told we could fly to Detroit, but small planes could not take off, so flight to Iowa was cancelled. No chance to get any other flights. Could have gotten into Chicago, rented a car and driven to Grinnell but decided against it.</p>
<p>Which leads me to my question. I know the school is in rural Iowa, but how often do students have trouble getting home to the East Coast, esp. during the winter. Junior son really wants to keep Grinnell on his list and we have heard great things, just want to know how much of an issue travel will be. Does the school have shuttles to major cities during break time? What are the odds of getting stuck at a random Mid-west airport not being able to get a transfer?</p>
<p>So far, so good for us. My S has always flown in and out of Des Moines, and I’ve always tried to get him on a direct flight (one airline has one a day for us). The college offers shuttles to Des Moines and Chicago for breaks; there is a local cab service; and friends sometimes provide rides as well. Ease of travel to and from Grinnell is not the strongest selling point of this school, to be sure, but my son – who hates hates hates flying and originally was not even going to look into schools he had to fly to! – has endured…I"m sorry you didn’t get to visit – but we never saw the campus until Admitted Students Weekend; if it’s a school of interest, I’d suggest still sending an application to keep your options open. </p>
<p>We live on the East Coast and have had no problems traveling back and forth to GC. In the winter it can be a challenge traveling ANYWHERE in the US. DSM is only 45 minutes from campus. The school does run buses for any of the breaks. My S had to arrive back at campus early for one of the breaks and he easily was able to get a ride from one of the local students.</p>