University of Pittsburgh vs Grinnell College
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
Just another perspective here, but I also think there is an established bias on this board against SLACs with the possible exceptions of the WASP schools and to a lesser extent the “good” NESCACs (ymmv). Schools like Grinnell, Carleton, or Macalester, for example, just don’t get the love on this board they deserve. Grinnell is a great, great option, but it is remote. It just is. The town is cute but it closes early. Des Moines is a sleeper gem but an hour plus away; not a regular amenity for students. Given the initial prompt, Pitt just seems like the much more reasonable choice for where the kid will be happy. And as has likely been a little over debated here, there are plenty of opportunities afforded by both options. |
Anonymous
|
Grinnell is a super rich small private that will shepherd you along with anything you want to do. Want a summer internship in public health? Grinnell will find you one and pay for it: they will pay your DC directly. Don’t even need a paid internship.
Big mistake not to pick Grinnell. Try it; he might like it. If not, Pitt is an automatic transfer or Grinnell will create transfer opportunities to schools of far greater prestige than Pitt. Start with Pitt, end with Pitt. Grinnell at the same cost of a state flagship? This is just crazy talk. |
Anonymous
|
I went to Grinnell from a major metro area (different from the PP alum above, though perhaps we knew one another) and I loved it. Being in that small, sleepy town was exactly the thing I didn’t know I needed — somehow removing myself from all of the things I thought “mattered” helped me discover what did, in fact, matter to me. There’s a fairly well-trod path into public health, with many alums doing interesting work across the country and world.
That said, I think there are many ways to achieve one’s goals, and the most important thing is that the student bring forth their best self. If Pitt is the place they’re most excited about, and the place where they’ll bring their fullest self, that’s great. They can do very well there, and chances are they won’t look back at the road not taken. |
Anonymous
If he does not like the location, Grinnell is not for him. Pitt is very, very good, and he should go there. |
Anonymous
Asking again. I’m confused as to how these are the choices when they seemingly couldn’t be. |
Anonymous
My DS went to Grinnell from DC area and felt the same way. His perspective was that he would likely never have another opportunity to live in a small prairie town. He double majored in poli sci and history and got a job right out of school doing data analytics. Grinnell's poli sci program is data focused so he was able to translate that into a well-paying job. I would highlight what the PP mentioned above - Grinnell has amazing opportunities including professors being very supportive of student's next steps. Students and professors are on a first name basis and faculty really support each student's post-graduate goals. |
Anonymous
OP didn’t actually say there was an offer of admissions from both. If Grinnell hasn’t released (or doesn’t offer - I don’t know) EA results, maybe this is all an academic exercise in preparation for anticipated success? No idea. It would be great if OP clarified. |
Anonymous
I assume the kid is in at Pitt, and considering applying ED2 to Grinnell. ED2 apps are due today. That means now is the time to decide which you prefer, because if the kid gets into Grinnell ED2, Pitt will be off the table. |
Anonymous
Also: students accepted ED to Grinnell are guaranteed $20k of merit. There’s no guaranteed merit in RD. Which explains why OP wants to decide this now. |
Anonymous
| Just surprised the issue is between two schools so not alike. I’d understand Upitt versus Macalester or Oxy, but Grinnell sells itself on that rural, small campus vibe |
Anonymous
Except OP said the costs were comparable. $20K off Grinnell is still way above Pitt OOS. And if OP qualifies for need-based aid, they could ED2 to any of the ED2 schools or RD wherever. For my kid, I would choose Grinnell without any hesitation. Wonderful school with so many resources and a fabulous, thoughtful community. But you have to be all in for that community. If you’re not, I don’t think it’s the right choice for you or that very small community of people who really want to be there and who view it as a feature not a bug. |
Anonymous
I should add that I think there are people who could be happy in both the Grinnell and Pitt communities. |
Anonymous
At a guess, parents value all the things a LAC can offer, but are limited financially to merit-granting LACs. Pitt was on the list as an early rolling safety, parents never took it that seriously. But the kid, having been accepted to Pitt and rejected at their ED1, is balking at applying ED2 to Grinnell for the reasons they gave their parents: compared to the prospect of four years in Pittsburgh, which they’ve had some time to get used to, Grinnell seems very small and very isolated. |
Anonymous
PP. I have an MBA background. Brand Awareness here is a bit of shorthand. It encompasses concepts like: Awareness - I know this school's name Familiarity - I feel like I know something about this school beyond it's name Opinion - I have an opinion about the quality of this school Consideration - I have a positive impression and this school would be right for me, suitable for my kid, great to have an employee trained by, etc. (Purchase Decision/Product Selection) - I choose this school to attend/I'm sending my kid/I would hire a grad from this school over all others I think we all know that people tend to have impressions of schools. That's why people come to DCUM - to trade impressions. For elite jobs, school does matter for some kinds of early jobs. It confers some unmeasurable amount of advantage. Kind of maddening because people's experiences as individuals/results vary a lot. Some people gain nothing, others benefit highly. So...why does brand awareness matter? Because when you look for a job, you are marketing your work as a product. You need product features that make the customer interested. College is one proof point in this exercise. Let's also admit there's an element of middle class and parenting status competition here. School brand and alumni ties are part of many people's self-presentation. State flagships with their high volume of grads create high brand awareness. It's even possible that the brand might not be elite enough or someone has a negative opinion of it. But at least they will have heard of it. This is an advantage but it has unknown worth. When PP says small SLACs don't get enough love on this board, that's exactly the phenomenon I was trying to explain. These schools have highest awareness and positive sentiment where their grads live and work in large numbers. In a lot of arenas, people haven't heard of or don't know any grads. That doesn't say anything at all about the quality of the education. It's simply a brand awareness issue. You can't have a positive opinion of something you don't even know about. That's why advertising is an industry. I have a belief that many educated people might want to be nationally mobile in case of upward mobility in their profession. And also that people who leave their home region to go to college might want the option of returning. These are situations in which brand awareness and favorable opinion help. If one is in a specialized discipline, a small school can indeed be nationally famous within its industry. It sounds like people believe this is true of Grinnell and public health. That is far more relevant than generic PhD attainment rates or USNWR institutional rankings at the all institution level. Or acceptance rates. People are also letting Pitt's strengths for pre-med bleed into this discussion. Which I think is okay but maybe less relevant to OP's kid. Strength of the alumni network might also be a difficult to measure comparison point. A small but very helpful (tight) school alumni network can be a big asset. But first understand whether it really exists. |
andrew70912
Member Offline
Member Offline
OP here. DC is an athlete and has visited Grinnell, where the coach has strong interest in him. His pre-read has been approved by the admission office, meaning he is essentially guaranteed admission if he submits his ED2 application by the deadline. but DC remains hesitant at this point. Yes, he has already got an offer from Pitt, not as a recruited athlete though.
|