Grinnell College Top Questions

?I?m not going to Iowa.? I don?t know how many times I said those words to my mom. She wanted me to apply to small, liberal arts colleges. I wanted Yale, I had wanted it since seventh grade, and if I couldn?t have it? not after early action, not after wait listing? then, I didn?t want anything. In the end it was my mom, who bought a last minute ticket to Des Moines, and an admissions coordinator, who took off his whole afternoon, that tipped the scale. As soon as I set foot on the Grinnell campus I felt something click. The facilities were state of the art and the dorms classic, beautiful and facing into a massive green quad. For a short afternoon I shadowed a girl named Kristen. We visited her friends, who were busily making bread in their dorm room and debating recent campus politics. They were smart, fun and, most of all, engaged. My advice to you, students and parents, is to keep an open mind, to look for colleges who put their students first, and to brave the corn fields? if that?s what it takes to find your home.

Before considering any schools, each prospective student should sit down and dream. What would your perfect school look like? How do you want to spend your friday nights? What subjects are you most interested in learning about? Write these dreams down and then talk with a college counselor or read a review book and look for the school that is closest to your dreams. When you are in college never forget that you are priviledged. You get to be surrounded by thousands of people of your same age, you get to spend every day in class learning about subjects that interest you and you have numerous social and extracurricular activities on your doorstep. Don't ever become complacent. Because before you know it, college will be over and life will be filled with more (and less fun!) responsibilities. Remember--you are priviledged. So take advantage of everything and anything! Find something you are passionate about and devote yourself to it. In college your job is to work hard, have fun and be passionate.

In searching for a college, choose the college that complements your goals and aspirations as an individual. As always this is easier said than done. First, write out qualities that you want in a college such as the social atmosphere or ideal classes. Secondly, research the colleges that meets your goals the most. Don't be afraid to be flexible, no college is perfect. Lastly, keep consistent contact with the college of your choice to demonstrate a strong interest. Keep in mind that this is a mutual process between you and the college of your choice just like searching for a job. One of the most important aspects of going to a college is to discover or strengthen a better sense of who you are as a person. This process can be initiated through interactions with a culturally diverse body of students, experiential learning, or clubs and organization on and off campus. Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. At first college may seem overwhelming but every bit of this process will make this experience worthwhile. What you put into this process is almost exactly what you will get out of it. Good luck!

Choosing the right college for you isn't just about reading college review magazines or the college brochures that have undoubtedly been flooding your mailbox since your junior year of high school. A lot of people don't understand that college isn't just about your classes. In 20 years, you won't remember what you learned in your history class first year or the fundamental theorom of calculus. You'll remember the experiences that you had and the friends that you made. These experiences and friends are really what makes a college right for you, and the only way to know whether or not a certain college's atmosphere will be right for you is to talk to actual students and visit the school yourself. It's not about what some guy in an office has to say about the top 20 colleges; it's about what the women and men living in the dorms and going to classes have to say. Visit. Talk to the students. Try on your college just like you'd try on a pair of pants at a store - if they don't fit right, they aren't worth the money.

Have an open mind. Visit as many schools as possible. Spend the night. Stay with students. Explore the campus. Don't worry too much about money. Work with finantial aid if needed. Enjoy! Have fun!

You HAVE to visit the school; that's paramount. Beyond that, you have to keep an open mind about the people you will potentially meet in college. The people you met and dealt with (or avoided) in high school are BY NO MEANS necessarily the same people you'll meet in college. I though that a liberal arts school with a notoriously liberal reputation would not be the best option, but I'm glad I chose my school over my first three choices. Otherwise, you'll find yourself alienating yourself from those you'd easily get along with and partnering yourself with thosewith whom you THOUGHT you'd work well. You have to reach out to be social; not everyone will be able to take you under your wing. Oh, and PLAY A SPORT! Intramural, club, collegiate...just be active. It's a HUGE relaxant.

work hard, play hard

Fill it to the brim. Find the college or university that FEELS right, and once there, don't hold back; try everything. You can always cut back on committments or learn to adapt your time-management skills if you need to, but at first, don't hesitate to soak it all in. Don't be a sponge, though -- be a seeker. Your college years are an amazing time because they're bursting with endless opportunity -- your cup shall spilleth over if you make the effort. The more (hopefully positive) risks you take in college the more you'll be able to handle outside of college. Go ahead; try to balance that doozy of a course while campaigning for Student Government or leading service trips; make a sport fit with 20 credits and multiple club responsibilities. Even if you end up feeling like you're drowning, you'll discover what matters most to you and you can cut out all the rest. Don't let these years pass you by -- take on too much, don't forget to have a ball, meet all challenges with optimism, and make every moment worth your while. Put simply: Fill it to the brim, baby.

My older sister was applying to colleges just as I entered my sophomore year of high school, and her unease certainly rubbed off. I spent hours perusing the Princeton Review website and marking pages in the "Big Book of Colleges," when what I should have been doing was reading Hamlet or learning how to do functions. My idea of the perfect college changed over the years, from Oberlin to Davidson to University of Michigan, back to Oberlin and then to Williams, ultimately leading me to Grinnell. A little over a year after completing the college process, I can hardly remember anything about it. I don't remember my SAT scores, those arbitrary numbers we all constantly fretted over. I don't know what I wrote my "Common App." essay about. I blew the process totally out of proportion; I realize now that, though Grinnell is definitely a great place for me, I would have made a home anywhere. There is rarely the solitary ideal college for a student; wherever you end up will be suitable, and if it's not for you, there are options to consider, like transferring or taking time off. Nothing is the end of the world.

Visit the schools. There were so many schools that I thought I wanted to attend, but the second I stepped on campus I knew I would never be happy at that school. I fell in love with Grinnell when I visited. I was actually forced to visit by my mom (sometimes they are right) since I thought "I will never go to a school in the middle of corn fields." However, the second I saw Grinnell, I knew it was it. So, the best advice I can give is to do your research on paper, but even more important is visiting the schools and listening to your gut, usually it is right.