Wesleyan vs. Grinnell

Colleges and Universities A-Z Grinnell College
1

Hi,

I was admitted to both schools. I didn’t apply for financial aid at either school, though Grinnell gave me a $20k per year merit scholarship. Finances aren’t really a factor. I am interested in the humanities and social sciences, including sociology, history, English, and political science. I am also potentially interested in film.
My main questions are:
Which school will have better connections, grad school placement, etc? Which school is stronger for the subjects I’m interested in? What are you opinions/experiences of these schools?
The money that Grinnell gave me is enticing, but it’s not really a huge factor. I am interested in doing research with professors. Overall, I like Wesleyan better for its culture, location, and academics. I will visit both of them in the upcoming weeks. I come from a competitive high school, so I am not looking for a cut-throat environment.

Wesleyan pros: I like the culture from what I’ve seen (eclectic, creative, independent), great programs, especially film and CSS, good grad school placement, good outcomes from what I’ve seen so far
Wesleyan cons: low endowment which might affect me since I’ll be full pay (not getting my money’s worth?)
Grinnell pros: lots of money which means money for funding, good grad school placement (at least for PhD productivity), smaller class sizes than Wesleyan (idk)
Grinnell cons: located in middle of nowhere, low yield rate (no one seems to want to go there), half the size of Wesleyan, doesn’t have that wow factor or culture

Thanks!

2

I believe you will find a better fit at Wesleyan. Grinnell is a dream school, but it has to call to you, and you would know it if it did. Go with your heart.

3

Grinnell is not “in the middle of nowhere.” It is located in a small town near the prairie. The students come from all over and chose the location for varying reasons. The location provides a unique perspective that most college students do not get- it is a chance to bridge the divide between rural, Midwestern towns and the big cities. Living in a small town in the Midwest is a completely different lifestyle. Many Grinnell students express that they came to Grinnell because they wanted to try a completely new location with a new feel. When else are you going to explore Iowa?

I also love Grinnell culture. You haven’t visited yet so you can’t really know about our culture. It’s hard to get the character of a school from admissions materials. Check out the Grinnell Underground Magazine’s videos (or the whole magazine, really) if you want to get a better feel before you visit. Some of these might need context so feel free to ask. Here is the link: http://gumag.net/category/movies/

Also, I don’t really see why the yield rate should be a factor in your decision. Grinnell students do not decide to attend because of other people’s desire to go to Grinnell. That’s the point. We’re self-selected. If you still feel that way about Grinnell after visiting and learning more about the culture, go to Wesleyan.