About Me

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Intro

Hi, I'm Grinnell (not Cornell, and yes...I get that question a lot), a small liberal arts college in literally the middle of nowhere. But for all that corn outside the windows, there's a whole lot going on inside. 

With weekly all-campus parties, a cross country team that has been known to run naked, a train running directly through campus, and quite a bit of time spent in the libraries, there's always something to look forward to.

I take both the work and play aspects of life seriously. Did you know that Robert Noyce, the inventor of the microchip and co-founder of Intel, went here? Did you also know that he almost got expelled for stealing a pig from a farmer to have a luau?

I honor his scholarly work each year by hosting an all-campus luau, complete with a non-stolen pig. That's me in a nutshell: quirky, smart, fun-loving, and—to be honest—a touch weird. But in a good way.

You may have noticed that I've mentioned all-campus parties. That's because I have no Greek life, just geek life. I'm a bit of a brainiac, and I love a good mental workout, especially if it comes with a little musing on the human race. My top majors are the tricky ones: psychology, economics, political science, biochemistry, anthropology…I could go on, but you get it. 

I love studying people almost as much as I love studying, period...and my progressive attitude towards social justice reflects that. Expect to hear words like heteronormative, affect theory, and social construct tossed around on the regs.

Name

The Pioneers

Hometown

Grinnell College is in beautiful Grinnell, IA. As one of our t-shirts says, "Miles away from ordinary, and everything else."

Birthdate

1846, but I don't look a day past twenty-five.

Body Type

I have about 1,600 students, so I keep it tight. Classes usually have less than twenty students, so be warned: the professors will notice if you cut class. Not that I'm into that kind of thing. I'm seriously serious about my studies. How serious? Well, last I heard, my football team had the highest GPA in our division. That's about all I can say about that.

I also have an international flair. More than half of my students study abroad and 16% of the student body is international. I know—you wouldn't expect it from a tiny school that only occupies 160 acres. What can I say? I'm full of surprises.

Current Living Situation

Many students live all four years on campus, but some will live on Broad Street or High Street (real street names, not a joke) as juniors or seniors. Expect to have a roommate the first two years; after that, you should be able to snag a single if you're the type who likes their peace and quiet.

My dorms are split into three sections: South, East, and North. South is for those who may lean more towards the party side of the work-hard-play-hard spectrum. East are the newest dorms with AC (while winter is freezing, summer is no joke) and for those who tend to work a little harder than they play. 

North dorms are right in the center of the party spectrum and have apartments for upperclassmen. These apartments are hard to get, but so worth the effort—they're much nicer than many of the off-campus houses.

I'm the progressive type, so I've got gender-neutral housing and gender-neutral bathrooms all over campus. I've also got special interest houses and language houses in case you want to move in with your French-speaking squad and live la vie en rose.

The really good news, though, is no matter where you live, you're close to everything. The benefit of a small campus.

Relationship Status

Because I'm pretty isolated, I don't have a rival exactly...but if I hear Beloit talking about how he's so much better at being quirky than I am, I'll flip a table. Beloit is cute and all, but obviously so jealous of my smarts and offbeat charm. 

Carleton is also a faint-hearted imitation of my wild liberal intelligence, but we still play them in Ultimate. (Go Grinnellephants and Sticky-Tongue Frogs!)

I'm also considered one of the thirty "Hidden Ivies," so a little part of me resents the un-hidden Ivies for hogging all the glory. But then, if I were a well-known school, I wouldn't be able to deliver that humble, small-campus experience. Maybe it's better to stay secret for now.

Religion

While I was founded by Congregational ministers, I don't have any religious affiliations and most of my students aren't rigorously religious. There is a chapel on campus, but honestly, I use it more for concerts than services. If church is your jam, though, there are plenty of them in town.

Politics

I'm a die-hard liberal, forever and always. I won't say no to a thoughtful Republican, but I'm no fan of extreme right-wing views, especially ones concerning social justice. Social justice is at the heart of my political stance, so brush up on your terms: you'll need to be able to use phrases like "patriarchal heteronormativity" correctly in a sentence.

You should apply to me if...

you want to talk Schrödinger cat over keg stands.

Website

http://www.grinnell.edu