Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 21:03     Subject: Re:Grinnell vs Kenyon
Anonymous wrote:Carleton's largest merit scholarship is $2000, so if merit aid is important you should take that off the list.

Grinnell can be generous with merit. Kenyon is less generous.

You might want to take a look at St. Olaf.


Carleton is generous with financial aid, though.
Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 20:59     Subject: Grinnell vs Kenyon
I’d also suggest running the net price calculator and considering if ED is possible. Since most of these don’t give merit, you should be able to get a close estimate of the FA you would get. There is a lot of information available up front.
Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 20:49     Subject: Grinnell vs Kenyon
Op, add Kenyon for sure. It’s a bit more attainable. A kid I know in the last cycle didn’t get into Williams, Bowdoin and Midd, but Kenyon was a yes. Anecdotally, smart kids I know rejected at the NE schools have gotten into Carleton RD. Maybe geographic diversity in their case, or maybe it’s s bit easier.

I don’t know anyone who got into Williams or or Bowdoin or Midd or Amherst RD. ED only, and few. (My kid graduated HS in “23). These are more difficult RD. Stacking the list with a lot of schools like that can leave a kid without options. Add some bigger schools perhaps.
Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 20:49     Subject: Re:Grinnell vs Kenyon
Carleton's largest merit scholarship is $2000, so if merit aid is important you should take that off the list.

Grinnell can be generous with merit. Kenyon is less generous.

You might want to take a look at St. Olaf.
Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 20:35     Subject: Grinnell vs Kenyon
^attendance!
Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 20:35     Subject: Grinnell vs Kenyon
My mother went to Grinnell like a thousand years ago and had a great time. Recently went to a milestone reunion and was really impressed with the new buildings, programs, etc as well as the younger classes (also in attemdance). From what I understand the town is cute.
Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 20:31     Subject: Grinnell vs Kenyon
I don’t care if OP’s kid is at the best boarding school on the planet. This is a risky list for a kid not applying anywhere ED, and it’s odd too because so few of the schools on this list are generous with merit aid. It’s not a carefully constructed list at all.
Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 20:27     Subject: Grinnell vs Kenyon
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I suspect the kids is from a top private. I only know boarding schools that limit apps. If GC is letting the reaches go, then I bet superstar. Middlebury, Mac, Kenyon, State U all sure things or targets. If you have a sure thing you're happy with, a reach-y list is okay


Yep. If the Andover GC has signed off on this, I wouldn't worry too much about this kid. I think they grasp things just fine.

I vote Kenyon over Grinnell if straight male


You really, really need to get over your homophobia.
Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 19:53     Subject: Grinnell vs Kenyon
Anonymous wrote:Agree with the PPs. The list is way too reach heavy - unless your kid is truly extraordinary or has massive hooks, they are taking a big risk. Depending on your DC's stats, Kenyon and McGill may be targets, but all of the rest have admissions rates below 20% and many below 10%. That means that 8 or 9 out of every 10 applicants is disappointed. You don't improve your odds by applying to a lot of reaches.

And most of those schools don't give merit aid, so if you're holding off on ED to "look at the money" you're making a huge mistake. A lot of the schools on your list take a large proportion of their class during ED, so the RD pool is a much tougher admit.


if the dream is Yale, ED is out.
Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 19:52     Subject: Re:Grinnell vs Kenyon
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Serious Question: Is the applicant LGBTQ+ ?

I ask because many LACs seem to be moving toward being primarily a safe haven for such individuals & advertising that emphasis. TIA


Not LGBTQ+

Other schools on the list: Yale, Georgetown, Williams, Bowdoin, Middlebury, our State U (which is a lock, not VA)

On the bubble: McGill, Carleton, Macalester, Kenyon, Grinnell, Rice.

No ED, we want to look at the money.


Good list! Most of these schools don't offer merit money though if that's needed.


but good FA. grinnell gives merit too
Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 19:51     Subject: Re:Grinnell vs Kenyon
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Serious Question: Is the applicant LGBTQ+ ?

I ask because many LACs seem to be moving toward being primarily a safe haven for such individuals & advertising that emphasis. TIA


Not LGBTQ+

Other schools on the list: Yale, Georgetown, Williams, Bowdoin, Middlebury, our State U (which is a lock, not VA)

On the bubble: McGill, Carleton, Macalester, Kenyon, Grinnell, Rice.

No ED, we want to look at the money.


Good list! Most of these schools don't offer merit money though if that's needed.
Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 19:51     Subject: Grinnell vs Kenyon
Agree with the PPs. The list is way too reach heavy - unless your kid is truly extraordinary or has massive hooks, they are taking a big risk. Depending on your DC's stats, Kenyon and McGill may be targets, but all of the rest have admissions rates below 20% and many below 10%. That means that 8 or 9 out of every 10 applicants is disappointed. You don't improve your odds by applying to a lot of reaches.

And most of those schools don't give merit aid, so if you're holding off on ED to "look at the money" you're making a huge mistake. A lot of the schools on your list take a large proportion of their class during ED, so the RD pool is a much tougher admit.
Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 19:49     Subject: Grinnell vs Kenyon
Anonymous wrote:I suspect the kids is from a top private. I only know boarding schools that limit apps. If GC is letting the reaches go, then I bet superstar. Middlebury, Mac, Kenyon, State U all sure things or targets. If you have a sure thing you're happy with, a reach-y list is okay


Yep. If the Andover GC has signed off on this, I wouldn't worry too much about this kid. I think they grasp things just fine.

I vote Kenyon over Grinnell if straight male
Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 19:47     Subject: Grinnell vs Kenyon
I suspect the kids is from a top private. I only know boarding schools that limit apps. If GC is letting the reaches go, then I bet superstar. Middlebury, Mac, Kenyon, State U all sure things or targets. If you have a sure thing you're happy with, a reach-y list is okay
Anonymous
Post 08/23/2023 19:47     Subject: Re:Grinnell vs Kenyon
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Serious Question: Is the applicant LGBTQ+ ?

I ask because many LACs seem to be moving toward being primarily a safe haven for such individuals & advertising that emphasis. TIA


Not LGBTQ+

Other schools on the list: Yale, Georgetown, Williams, Bowdoin, Middlebury, our State U (which is a lock, not VA)

On the bubble: McGill, Carleton, Macalester, Kenyon, Grinnell, Rice.

No ED, we want to look at the money.


Grinnell is amazing but it is very different from gtown, Williams Bowdoin middlebury

It’s more like swat

A lot more high fashion and polish at those schools than grinnell and also more Wall Street/preprofessionalnkids

Grinnell, swat, oberlin, reed, haverford have mor in common with each other

Your bubble list has more in common with grinnell than the first list



I'd take it all as one list. Kid is limited the number of apps, so we have to narrow down the bubble. We'd apply to all if we could. We visited Oberlin last year and .. eh, but we had a really specific kinda guide. Swat seems like a reach, and they have enough reaches. They loved Williams and Bowdoin both if that gives you any guidance


You don’t appear to grasp the fact that virtually every school on both of your lists are reaches if you’re not applying ED. None qualifies as a target.