Grinnell College Top Questions

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The North and South dichotomy is exaggerated. The stereotype claiming that Grinnellians are nerds is based on the fact that we are all really intelligent and concerned with applicable knowledge, learning and change.

The majority of Grinnellians do, in fact, shower. I suppose we get the stereotype because we still accept the students who do not. Grinnellians are extremely friendly, and constantly looking for interesting conversations. We are pretty liberal-minded, but not entirely - Republicans exist there too.

I guess I really can't speak for everyone, but all the people I've met are extremely nice.

Many people are from the Midwest and can be slightly pretentious in regards to the school. Yet, most students are very down-to-earth, intellectual, and very interesting (in a good way). There are many people who are very eco-conscious, but I would not refer to the student body as being Hippies. There is more diversity than I originally expected, but still predominately white. Many Grinnell students clearly spent most of their time with their nose in their books in high school, as some can be very socially awkward.

No. Perhaps I'm biased, but I'd say the women are as attractive as any other group of college women in the country, but perhaps we wear less makeup/spend less time on our appearance. While most Grinnellians are liberal, there are definitely Republicans on campus, and the liberals aren't all the same degree of liberal. We also have many international students whose political views don't fit neatly into American conceptions of liberal and conservative.

mostly

No.

Grinnell students do study more than students at nearly every other college because the coursework is exceptionally challenging and demanding. But, Grinnell students also know how to have a good time. Parties are frequent, and the students really make an effort to de-stress every weekend. Many Grinnell students are extremely liberal, and conservative students make up a small but vocal minority. The great thing about Grinnell is that it allows everyone to find their voice, and even if your voice doesn't sound like everyone else's, you will still be listened to. I wouldn't call the majority of Grinnell students "hippies." The liberal nature of the college creates a very welcoming atmosphere for lots of times of people. Everyone has their own style and way of life, and many of these different styles are represented/accepted at Grinnell.

no there are plenty of cute girls, classes aren't really that difficult, there are plenty of fun things to do in Grinnell in town and on campus, and there is such a wide variety among the students that you can definitely meet brainiacs as well as normal, average people who like to have fun and do things like students at any other college