Grinnell College

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Hallmarks and Quirks

Things I'm Good At:

Creating an extremely friendly LGBTQ+ community. Come as you are; gender is just a social construct anyway.
Ultimate Frisbee and water polo. Neither of them are varsity-level sports, so everyone is welcome to play.
While all of my departments shine, the biology, English, and political science departments are extra-wonderful.
Playing basketball via "the Grinnell System," which focuses on fast-paced offense with little to no defense. (Full disclosure: this score-happy system is not super-popular among other DIII teams.)
Small classes. I have a 9:1 student to professor ratio, meaning that most classes aren't bigger than twenty people...and few, if any, are taught lecture hall style.
Making rigorous academics in the middle of a cornfield pretty fun for the whole campus.

My Top 5 Must-Haves:

A serious sense of humor. If you're late to class because the train that cuts through campus was running slowly, you've got to be able to laugh about it.
A good winter coat. Winter is rough, but spring and summer are heavenly.
A moderate obsession with libraries. The truth is while I love to have fun, I might love school even more. For every weekend you spend in costumes at a party, you'll spend two more studying.
A love of acronyms; they're everywhere. After completing your MAP, you could head over to the JRC and enjoy a show by RTS (Mentored Advanced Project, Joe Rosenfield Center, and Ritalin Test Squad).
An appreciation for the good things about living in a small town, like fireflies, shooting stars, and wide open spaces.

Why You Might Have Heard of Me:

I'm consistently ranked one of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation. There's a reason I'm called a "Hidden Ivy," and it isn't because of my gardening skills.
While I hate to brag, I have a huge endowment. I'm talking $1.79 billion. It seems pretty disproportionate, given my size, but the guy who invested that single silver dollar back in ye olde days sure knew what he was doing. Because I've got so much cash, 90% of my students receive some kind of financial aid.

On a regular Saturday night, you can find me...

For being such a small campus, you'd be surprised how much is going on.

Some Saturdays, I like to catch an improv or a cappella show in one of the dorm lounges before heading off to a party at Harris with my friends. These Harris parties are themed, and some are more, um, notorious than others; don't miss Halloween Harris or Mary B. James Harris (a cross-dressing party).

Other Saturdays, I might find myself discussing philosophy over fifty-cent beers at Lyle's, the student run pub in the basement of the JRC, or enjoying burgers at Lonnski's in town with my seminar group.

And the Saturday before finals week, you'll find me in the library, clutching coffee and buckling down.

Favorite Hangouts:

The Grille in the JRC is a great alternative to the dining hall and a popular study spot.
The fireplace lounge in the JRC is a great spot to decompress or grab a quick nap.
Lyle's Pub hosts lots of events, including trivia night.
You'll find towers (similar to stacked cubicles) in the library, which are perfect for studying or setting up a fort for watching Netflix.
On a beautiful day, bring a blanket to Mac field and enjoy the sun.

Quirks:

I only have one class requirement: Freshmen Tutorial. Otherwise, you pursue your major and your own interests. It's up to you to choose to challenge yourself.
I'm way into personal responsibility, which is why my student body practices "Self-Governance." Instead of having a list of rules or people like RAs to enforce those rules, each student is expected to govern themselves. This admittedly allows some extra monkey business, but actually works surprisingly well.
There's a train that runs through the middle of my campus. It's pretty odd and the horn will wake you up sometimes. You'll get used to it, though; it only happens a few times a day.
I was founded by Josiah Bushnell Grinnell, an abolitionist minister, after he was directed to "Go West, young man, go West." This spirit of testing unexplored waters—or in my case, prairies—extends to my daily scholarship.
My social scene can sometimes feel overwhelming and claustrophobic, but you'll be surprised how many people you'll keep in touch with after graduation. It really is a close-knit, supportive community not found many places.

Famous Alumni:

Jack Taylor, who scored a spot on ESPN after breaking the record for NCAA and collegiate scoring by making 108 shots (138 points)
Robert Noyce, co-founder of Intel and co-creator of the first microchip
Bernice King, activist and community organizer (and youngest child of Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King, Jr.)
Herbie Hancock, jazz musician and composer who played with Miles Davis
Kumail Nanjiani, actor and comedian best known for the HBO show Silicon Valley and the Nerdist podcast "The Indoor Kids"