Academics
Founded in 1846, Grinnell College is a small private liberal arts college in Iowa where innovative intellectual discourse is central to learning. Guided by a commitment to academic rigor and a "commitment to social justice," the school stresses self-governance ("Self-Gov is Love") and the "very supportive" student body has the power to make change on campus. "Grinnell operates on self-governance which means the students are held accountable for their actions by their fellow students rather than being cited by RAs or school officials," says a student.
Learning at Grinnell "can be characterized as entering into a dialogue with professors and classmates." The curriculum stresses the methodology as well as the content of a given discipline; professors "expect students to be able to evaluate scholarship critically and come to their own conclusions." Faculty here are "incredibly diverse" and "eager to teach in a small liberal arts college," and "they all are willing to meet outside of class and leave their schedule open to help you."
Grinnell is one of the few schools without required general education courses, and students here "are truly free to explore their passions without feeling obligated to study things they don't enjoy." The school encourages students "to try a bit of everything" whether or not it's related to their major, and is "wonderful about bringing in important speakers to help you learn outside of the classroom." However, the school's size means there aren't as many classes offered as larger universities, and "some classes are only offered in either the spring or fall semester." Still, the school dedicates tons of resources for students, and "individual needs, especially academics related ones, are always met." The college also heavily subsidizes "spring break volunteer trips, conference travel costs, student groups, unpaid internships, trips to job-shadow alumni, and so much more."
Student Body
Grinnell is a school filled with an "odd bunch" of students who are "genuinely interested in developing relationships with each other and a connection with the greater world." All "have a quality about them that is a little bit awkward and silly and most people feel comfortable expressing this." "You can always find someone who really understands your brand of crazy," says a junior. This group of "socially conscious scholars" is traditionally "liberal, very intelligent," and "willing to critically think about every issue or belief mostly in constructive ways." There is no set formula for fitting in; "almost everyone finds people that they are comfortable with here." Grinnell is also home to a large international student population, hailing from more than eighty countries.
Campus Life
Fun predominates in the academic community and support systems as well as in nonacademic ways. After being hard workers during the week, "almost everyone likes to go out on weekends and let loose a little bit," whether "in a traditional party environment with beer and drinking games on weekends, or something as goofy as a weekly Nerf gun battle in our science facility on Friday nights (yes, there's a club for that)." There are in fact many different organizations run by students, and "there's always some sort of performance going on." Popular movies are shown for free on campus, and concerts and themed dance parties are held. "Even though we are located in a small town in Iowa, most students don't feel the urge to hit a bus or car to Des Moines, Chicago or the Twin Cities every weekend," assures a student. "We make our own amusements; surprisingly little property destruction results of this boredom compared to other college towns I know." Grinnellians are "very passionate about wellness, respect and being politically correct," and this translates into a lot of talks, dialogues and activities to promote all three of these aspects. "If you have an opinion be prepared to defend it," says a student. There are of course some social divisions (notably athletes and non-athletes), but "not in a harmful way." "People love to dance here. People love to deconstruct social constructions here." It's "an amazing mix of silly times and very smart people."