Grinnell - what is it really like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very town and gown
Bikes everywhere
Ditchweed
Everyone goes off to grad school so it feels a bit high-schoolish, albeit an alternative high school

I have no connection to Grinnell whatsoever, but that's a weird take. You're suggesting that students who are going on to grad school from college are less mature? Because they know what they want to study and are ready to make a commitment to that?

Not pp but it means they’re delaying entry into the real world & job market.

Meh -- grad school is the real world -- there are deadlines and professors/bosses and coworkers/peers and unless you're in a very long-term PhD program, you're starting to look for a job almost from the get-go. I say this as someone who worked for two years between college and law school. When I went back to school, I found my daily routine to be much the same as it was when I worked. The major difference (besides not having a regular paycheck) was that I worked every weekend in law school, but had a longer winter break.

I meant that attending an LAC in a rural, isolated location is a way to delay entry into the real world & job market as it is a continuation of high school that almost necessitates that one attend grad school.

I get the idea that a SLAC can have a more “prep school” feel than a large university but fundamentally the college education one might receive at a SLAC is no different from what one might receive at a mid-sized or larger university. You could argue that some majors (like business or comp sci) prepare one for immediate entry into the workforce than others (like comparative literature). But that has nothing to do with small vs large school. You can go to UVA and major in the humanities like thousands of kids do and it’s the same deal.

I don't disagree with your assessment. Different environments do affect one's undergraduate experience even though studying the same major.

Continuing: The undergraduate college experience will be quite different for a student studying a humanities major at the University of Virginia versus a student studying the same major at Grinnell College.

A large or mid-sized university will offer a greater variety of courses in one's major as well as expose the student to a wider variety of students and professors.

Different does not necessarily equate to superior or inferior as much depends upon the individual student's preferences and comfort level.

You’re drawing too much of a distinction between a SLAC college experience and a larger school. All colleges are bubbles. SLAC grads are no less well prepared for the real world than Ohio State grads. SLAC students may enter grad school more frequently because they are more scholarly, they come from more affluent backgrounds esp vs public, and they are not normally pursuing business degrees or other directly pre-professional degrees.

^^ To add to this, your comments have a really stupid vibe. You’re basically saying SLACs are like some kind of post high school extension whereas large schools offer some kind of adult educational experience. And this is why SLAC grads may end up at law school, med school, business school, PhD programs more frequently. You are twisting the fact that SLAC grads pursue advanced degrees into some kind of indictment of SLACs. It’s ridiculous. SLAC grads are smart and often come from wealthy backgrounds aka they can afford grad school. This is why they go.

Because they do. Kids at Ohio State live off-campus in Columbus, handle leases, deal with landlords, take public transit, cook their own food, source their own furniture, many are working at establishments in the city to make rent & tuition and are in classes with hundreds of kids.

[Anonymous]

LACs are small schools typically in a remote location. The high school like aspect comes from the small size of the community. Too much familiarity. Not enough diversity can be another factor contributing to the suffocating environment. Junior year abroad programs were designed to break-up the tedium.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LACs are small schools typically in a remote location. The high school like aspect comes from the small size of the community. Too much familiarity. Not enough diversity can be another factor contributing to the suffocating environment. Junior year abroad programs were designed to break-up the tedium.

An important difference between LACs and universities is the lack of social and academic options. Gets old seeing the same faces everyday everywhere. Too much like high school--although the academics can be rigorous. Somewhat akin between a choice of living in a city or suburb versus living in a small town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very town and gown
Bikes everywhere
Ditchweed
Everyone goes off to grad school so it feels a bit high-schoolish, albeit an alternative high school

I have no connection to Grinnell whatsoever, but that's a weird take. You're suggesting that students who are going on to grad school from college are less mature? Because they know what they want to study and are ready to make a commitment to that?

Not pp but it means they’re delaying entry into the real world & job market.

Meh -- grad school is the real world -- there are deadlines and professors/bosses and coworkers/peers and unless you're in a very long-term PhD program, you're starting to look for a job almost from the get-go. I say this as someone who worked for two years between college and law school. When I went back to school, I found my daily routine to be much the same as it was when I worked. The major difference (besides not having a regular paycheck) was that I worked every weekend in law school, but had a longer winter break.

I meant that attending an LAC in a rural, isolated location is a way to delay entry into the real world & job market as it is a continuation of high school that almost necessitates that one attend grad school.

So, it's okay to "avoid" the real world by going to a public university, just not an LAC? I'm not sure how going to a university is more "real world". If you think students should go right from high school to the real world, shouldn't they just get a job and skip college all together?

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm not a parent of a Grinnell student, but my kid visited and attended an admitted students day a few years ago there. She loved it! But, she ultimately ended up picking another LAC that she felt was a better fit for her. It's definitely far from a city, but that's what helps contribute to the active campus life at these LACs. If your kid applies and is admitted, usually you can join the parent Facebook groups, which gives you an idea of some of the issues at the school -- and also what students love about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm not a parent of a Grinnell student, but my kid visited and attended an admitted students day a few years ago there. She loved it! But, she ultimately ended up picking another LAC that she felt was a better fit for her. It's definitely far from a city, but that's what helps contribute to the active campus life at these LACs. If your kid applies and is admitted, usually you can join the parent Facebook groups, which gives you an idea of some of the issues at the school -- and also what students love about it.

Which LAC did she choose, may I ask, just to get a better sense of Grinnell and it's cross-admit peers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very town and gown
Bikes everywhere
Ditchweed
Everyone goes off to grad school so it feels a bit high-schoolish, albeit an alternative high school

I have no connection to Grinnell whatsoever, but that's a weird take. You're suggesting that students who are going on to grad school from college are less mature? Because they know what they want to study and are ready to make a commitment to that?

Not pp but it means they’re delaying entry into the real world & job market.

Meh -- grad school is the real world -- there are deadlines and professors/bosses and coworkers/peers and unless you're in a very long-term PhD program, you're starting to look for a job almost from the get-go. I say this as someone who worked for two years between college and law school. When I went back to school, I found my daily routine to be much the same as it was when I worked. The major difference (besides not having a regular paycheck) was that I worked every weekend in law school, but had a longer winter break.

I meant that attending an LAC in a rural, isolated location is a way to delay entry into the real world & job market as it is a continuation of high school that almost necessitates that one attend grad school.

I get the idea that a SLAC can have a more “prep school” feel than a large university but fundamentally the college education one might receive at a SLAC is no different from what one might receive at a mid-sized or larger university. You could argue that some majors (like business or comp sci) prepare one for immediate entry into the workforce than others (like comparative literature). But that has nothing to do with small vs large school. You can go to UVA and major in the humanities like thousands of kids do and it’s the same deal.

I don't disagree with your assessment. Different environments do affect one's undergraduate experience even though studying the same major.

Continuing: The undergraduate college experience will be quite different for a student studying a humanities major at the University of Virginia versus a student studying the same major at Grinnell College.

A large or mid-sized university will offer a greater variety of courses in one's major as well as expose the student to a wider variety of students and professors.

Different does not necessarily equate to superior or inferior as much depends upon the individual student's preferences and comfort level.

You’re drawing too much of a distinction between a SLAC college experience and a larger school. All colleges are bubbles. SLAC grads are no less well prepared for the real world than Ohio State grads. SLAC students may enter grad school more frequently because they are more scholarly, they come from more affluent backgrounds esp vs public, and they are not normally pursuing business degrees or other directly pre-professional degrees.

^^ To add to this, your comments have a really stupid vibe. You’re basically saying SLACs are like some kind of post high school extension whereas large schools offer some kind of adult educational experience. And this is why SLAC grads may end up at law school, med school, business school, PhD programs more frequently. You are twisting the fact that SLAC grads pursue advanced degrees into some kind of indictment of SLACs. It’s ridiculous. SLAC grads are smart and often come from wealthy backgrounds aka they can afford grad school. This is why they go.

Because they do. Kids at Ohio State live off-campus in Columbus, handle leases, deal with landlords, take public transit, cook their own food, source their own furniture, many are working at establishments in the city to make rent & tuition and are in classes with hundreds of kids.

Ridiculous. You send your kid to college to study great ideas and interact with brilliant motivated professors and students - not to haggle with dirtbag landlords and evade mentally ill people on public transit. By your logic, a kid should work at a 7/11 instead of enrolling at Amherst. I went to an Ivy League school and had virtually zero “real world” things to contend with and it was just fine. It could not have been more of a bubble. Plenty of time for kids to deal with real world drudgery the rest of their lives.

[Anonymous]

Better than Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw and on a par with Slytherin.

[Anonymous]

Jesus will you two annoying posters stop your back-and-forth about LACs versus bigger schools? That has nothing specifically to do with Grinnell and you guys are long winded annoying bags.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jesus will you two annoying posters stop your back-and-forth about LACs versus bigger schools? That has nothing specifically to do with Grinnell and you guys are long winded annoying bags.

Well, this woman keeps implying that Grinnell is some kind of high school extension program/summer camp while Iowa State turns boys into statesmen. Look, Grinnell is an academically very high quality school and as well resourced thanks to its bulging endowment as any LAC in the country. It seems to lean rather academic, lefty, crunchy, maybe woke- it’s not known for being a Wall St feeder but Econ majors prob do just fine. Among top ranked LACS it stands out for its merit aid generosity, and I think that’s why a lot of kids choose to go there, because it can be a great deal. Iowa is both a feature and a bug so it’s up to the kid to decide how he or she feels about that.

[Anonymous]

One of my kids is a Grinnell grad, although it’s been a few years. Absolutely loved the school and made lifelong friends there. Got a great education. There are plenty of Grinnell grads in the DMV (my kid and many of their friends among them) and they’re all doing well. They attended Grinnell from all over the country (and world) and are very interesting and very smart people.

The idea that you have to be “rural” or midwestern to feel comfortable at Grinnell is just ridiculous. Many of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges are located in rural or isolated locations. Grinnell isn’t unique in that respect. Sure, logistics in getting to and from the college are more complicated than most colleges and most of its peer colleges, but in the scheme of things it’s a pretty minor factor. It amazes me how so many posters get all worked up about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very town and gown
Bikes everywhere
Ditchweed
Everyone goes off to grad school so it feels a bit high-schoolish, albeit an alternative high school

I have no connection to Grinnell whatsoever, but that's a weird take. You're suggesting that students who are going on to grad school from college are less mature? Because they know what they want to study and are ready to make a commitment to that?

Not pp but it means they’re delaying entry into the real world & job market.

Meh -- grad school is the real world -- there are deadlines and professors/bosses and coworkers/peers and unless you're in a very long-term PhD program, you're starting to look for a job almost from the get-go. I say this as someone who worked for two years between college and law school. When I went back to school, I found my daily routine to be much the same as it was when I worked. The major difference (besides not having a regular paycheck) was that I worked every weekend in law school, but had a longer winter break.

I meant that attending an LAC in a rural, isolated location is a way to delay entry into the real world & job market as it is a continuation of high school that almost necessitates that one attend grad school.

I get the idea that a SLAC can have a more “prep school” feel than a large university but fundamentally the college education one might receive at a SLAC is no different from what one might receive at a mid-sized or larger university. You could argue that some majors (like business or comp sci) prepare one for immediate entry into the workforce than others (like comparative literature). But that has nothing to do with small vs large school. You can go to UVA and major in the humanities like thousands of kids do and it’s the same deal.

I don't disagree with your assessment. Different environments do affect one's undergraduate experience even though studying the same major.

Continuing: The undergraduate college experience will be quite different for a student studying a humanities major at the University of Virginia versus a student studying the same major at Grinnell College.

A large or mid-sized university will offer a greater variety of courses in one's major as well as expose the student to a wider variety of students and professors.

Different does not necessarily equate to superior or inferior as much depends upon the individual student's preferences and comfort level.

You’re drawing too much of a distinction between a SLAC college experience and a larger school. All colleges are bubbles. SLAC grads are no less well prepared for the real world than Ohio State grads. SLAC students may enter grad school more frequently because they are more scholarly, they come from more affluent backgrounds esp vs public, and they are not normally pursuing business degrees or other directly pre-professional degrees.

^^ To add to this, your comments have a really stupid vibe. You’re basically saying SLACs are like some kind of post high school extension whereas large schools offer some kind of adult educational experience. And this is why SLAC grads may end up at law school, med school, business school, PhD programs more frequently. You are twisting the fact that SLAC grads pursue advanced degrees into some kind of indictment of SLACs. It’s ridiculous. SLAC grads are smart and often come from wealthy backgrounds aka they can afford grad school. This is why they go.

Because they do. Kids at Ohio State live off-campus in Columbus, handle leases, deal with landlords, take public transit, cook their own food, source their own furniture, many are working at establishments in the city to make rent & tuition and are in classes with hundreds of kids.

Ridiculous. You send your kid to college to study great ideas and interact with brilliant motivated professors and students - not to haggle with dirtbag landlords and evade mentally ill people on public transit. By your logic, a kid should work at a 7/11 instead of enrolling at Amherst. I went to an Ivy League school and had virtually zero “real world” things to contend with and it was just fine. It could not have been more of a bubble. Plenty of time for kids to deal with real world drudgery the rest of their lives.

Your viewpoint is telling.

[Anonymous]

Thank you! What were the things your child loved about the school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you! What were the things your child loved about the school?

Pretty much everything, but especially the academics/classroom experience and the friendships and sense of community. It’s a very accepting and special place. Also, contrary to what many may think, it has a lot of athletes. It’s not just a bunch of oddballs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very town and gown
Bikes everywhere
Ditchweed
Everyone goes off to grad school so it feels a bit high-schoolish, albeit an alternative high school

I have no connection to Grinnell whatsoever, but that's a weird take. You're suggesting that students who are going on to grad school from college are less mature? Because they know what they want to study and are ready to make a commitment to that?

Not pp but it means they’re delaying entry into the real world & job market.

Meh -- grad school is the real world -- there are deadlines and professors/bosses and coworkers/peers and unless you're in a very long-term PhD program, you're starting to look for a job almost from the get-go. I say this as someone who worked for two years between college and law school. When I went back to school, I found my daily routine to be much the same as it was when I worked. The major difference (besides not having a regular paycheck) was that I worked every weekend in law school, but had a longer winter break.

I meant that attending an LAC in a rural, isolated location is a way to delay entry into the real world & job market as it is a continuation of high school that almost necessitates that one attend grad school.

I get the idea that a SLAC can have a more “prep school” feel than a large university but fundamentally the college education one might receive at a SLAC is no different from what one might receive at a mid-sized or larger university. You could argue that some majors (like business or comp sci) prepare one for immediate entry into the workforce than others (like comparative literature). But that has nothing to do with small vs large school. You can go to UVA and major in the humanities like thousands of kids do and it’s the same deal.

I don't disagree with your assessment. Different environments do affect one's undergraduate experience even though studying the same major.

Continuing: The undergraduate college experience will be quite different for a student studying a humanities major at the University of Virginia versus a student studying the same major at Grinnell College.

A large or mid-sized university will offer a greater variety of courses in one's major as well as expose the student to a wider variety of students and professors.

Different does not necessarily equate to superior or inferior as much depends upon the individual student's preferences and comfort level.

You’re drawing too much of a distinction between a SLAC college experience and a larger school. All colleges are bubbles. SLAC grads are no less well prepared for the real world than Ohio State grads. SLAC students may enter grad school more frequently because they are more scholarly, they come from more affluent backgrounds esp vs public, and they are not normally pursuing business degrees or other directly pre-professional degrees.

^^ To add to this, your comments have a really stupid vibe. You’re basically saying SLACs are like some kind of post high school extension whereas large schools offer some kind of adult educational experience. And this is why SLAC grads may end up at law school, med school, business school, PhD programs more frequently. You are twisting the fact that SLAC grads pursue advanced degrees into some kind of indictment of SLACs. It’s ridiculous. SLAC grads are smart and often come from wealthy backgrounds aka they can afford grad school. This is why they go.

Because they do. Kids at Ohio State live off-campus in Columbus, handle leases, deal with landlords, take public transit, cook their own food, source their own furniture, many are working at establishments in the city to make rent & tuition and are in classes with hundreds of kids.

Ridiculous. You send your kid to college to study great ideas and interact with brilliant motivated professors and students - not to haggle with dirtbag landlords and evade mentally ill people on public transit. By your logic, a kid should work at a 7/11 instead of enrolling at Amherst. I went to an Ivy League school and had virtually zero “real world” things to contend with and it was just fine. It could not have been more of a bubble. Plenty of time for kids to deal with real world drudgery the rest of their lives.

Your viewpoint is telling.

And what does it tell? That I don’t think mundane living tasks (that 99 percent of the population can handle except for those with severe mental handicaps) are the most important aspect of a college education?