Reply to Why apply to an Oberlin/Kenyon/Grinnell

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Grinnell’s recently adopted strategic plan inexplicably recommends placing more — not less — emphasis on sports. Looks like they did not get the post-affirmative action memo, the fact that SLACs are justifiably being criticized for sports preferences in admissions, and the fact that the majority of Grinnell’s student body is, well, non-jock. Grinnell is trending backwards, trying to be more like NESCAC:

https://thesandb.com/44652/news/three-years-of-president-harris-culminate-in-grinnell-colleges-knowledge-into-action-2030-plan/

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It talks about increasing spectatorship - it doesn’t mention recruitment. [/quote]
Then look at the strategic plan itself. Page 7, objective 1-3: “… institutional vision for athletic excellence to [b]attract[/b] qualified students who are competitive athletes” (emphasis added).

Incomprehensible to me that this could seriously be a part of a school like Grinnell’s newly adopted strategic plan in this day and age, but whatever…

https://www.grinnell.edu/sites/default/files/docs/2023-11/%2824-0126%29%20Knowledge%20Into%20Action-v18%20-Final_Accessible-v2.pdf

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DC was an athlete at Grinnell and is now in a Ph.D. program. She mentioned without judgment that athletes tend to do well, both in college and thereafter, and she thinks they learn to work hard, develop self-discipline, and manage their time well and that they gain leadership skills. She felt they generally have better mental health and more drive. Perhaps there is something to the "mens sana in corpore sano." Grinnell has outstanding athletic facilities (an Olympic-size swimming pool, for example), so it's a good place for athletes. It's also nice to come onto campus, not knowing a soul, and immediately have a friend group in your teammates. From what I could tell, athletes at Grinnell weren't stereotypical "dumb jocks" but were smart, thoughtful, and considerate. They were very much part of the "life of the mind" aspect of the school.

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I would hazard a guess that athletes have higher average test scores versus non-athletes at LACs because they are more likely to be rich/white and therefore benefit less from DEI related preferences even if some of the best athletes get preferential admissions treatment. [/quote]

That is probably true, especially in sports like golf and tennis, where years of expensive private lessons and access to country clubs make a big difference. I would not like Grinnell to get too preppy. It's always been an unpretentious oasis for very smart kids who are not from super-wealthy families. [/quote]

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