<p>What is there to do both on and off campus?</p>
<p>As long as you want, there is always something to keep you busy. You can join clubs (there are more than 100 clubs, but make sure to avoid the crap ones.) You can watch free movies, or simply hang around with friends in the Forum.</p>
<p>I'd say about a third of the campus parties hard, another third hangs out with friends in lounges or at movies or speeches, and another third studies/travels/sleeps/whatever. There are literally dozens of things going on every weekend. You can find concerts, movies, volunteer work, parties, academic guests, the library, stuff out in town, you name it.</p>
<p>There are 1500 people your age within a square mile of you. There's always something to do.</p>
<p>well. </p>
<p>people study themselves to death during the week</p>
<p>before drinking themselves to death on the weekends</p>
<p>as much as there is to do, most people drink, or hang out with people who are drinking. everything is free here, so nobody has anything tos pend their money on except food and liquor.</p>
<p>you won't have nothing to do if you don't drink, but...yeah.</p>
<p>Tagran,
Do I detect some disillusionment, or just frustration? What are your more general feelings about Grinnell? Are you happy with your choice? I'm asking because my son is going to apply to Grinnell. Thanks</p>
<p>I would be interested in knowing more about Grinnell, too. From what I've heard, academically it is "intense" and it is one of the more liberal campuses. But I always get confused when colleges are described as "liberal" or "quirky." </p>
<p>My S has Grinnell on his list, but if it is too "intense" or way out there, I don't know if it will be a good fit. We are thinking about applying, and if accepted, would visit during Spring break. Any thoughts, reflections etc. would be most helpful at this point.</p>
<p>Thanks,
FresnoMom</p>
<p>S is a junior and D applied but chose Kenyon, though Grinnell was the runner up, she is a first year this year. Make sure your son does an overnight visit. Both kids were only able to decide if if was the right school for them after the visit. D actually did decide it was right for her until she visited Kenyon for the accepted students weekend when she decided it was more right. Both are intellectually curious and academically motivated students but I wouldn't describe them as intense.</p>
<p>SRMom3--for your daughter, what was it that was made Kenyon more attractive than Grinnell? I have always thought of Kenyon as more preppy/conservative than Oberlin, Grinnell or other MIdwest LACs. My D is definitely not preppy and won't even consider going Greek, but she is 'quirky,' liberal, very bright and artsy. She loved Grinnell but I worry it might be too stressful for her. We have yet to visit Beloit, Lawrence, Earlham, Wooster, Oberlin and Case. If Kenyon is more in this mold, perhaps I should add it to the Ohio list.</p>
<p>My D cna handle preppy to an extent. I think she just felt more of a connection with the other first years that she met. We visited Oberlin as well and she definitely wasn't attracted to them. We both got the feeling that students there worked hard at being quirky and challenging authority. Oberlin emphasized that they didn't have a greek system but we both elt their themed houses seemed to contain some of the worst elements of the greek system, a sense of us and them, without having administrative scrutiny that fraternities and sororities are subject to. I think Kenyon falls somewhere in the middle of your mix. It is certainly at a higher level academically than Beloit, Lawrence, Wooster, Earlham and Case and in the neighborhood of Grinnell and Oberlin.</p>
<p>SRMom3--Thanks for the feedback. It sounds as if we'd better add Kenyon to the visit list.</p>
<p>Checked with S re: intnesity. He said weeknights are for studying but didn't seem to feel it was overly intense. But he is an extreme;y ladi back person.</p>
<p>Whether you think Grinnell is quirky, liberal or intense really depends where you come from. My daughter is a junior. We live in a college town - so Grinnell doesn't seem liberal at all to us. There are liberal, activist students, and there are less liberal, apathetic students. What you don't find are many conservative students. But it all seems "average" to us. </p>
<p>Grinnell's reputation for uber-liberal, quirky students is exaggerated. My daughter's friends are self-confident, bright, interesting, beautiful. I wouldn't call any of them quirky misfits. </p>
<p>In terms of academic intensity, I believe Grinnell does rank among the top schools in the country for hours of work outside of class. There's a survey out there somewhere. My daughter came from an academically rigorous high school, so she's managing OK - grades are fine, working a couple of jobs, playing two sports. It's demanding, sut it's also nurturing. The faculty want the students to succeed - and they provide resources to help students. If you think your child will go on to grad school, they'll find Grinnell to be good preparation.</p>