World-class higher education. Amazing in every way. I'm sure the $1.8 billion endowment in 2015 doesn't hurt in assisting the institution to hire incredible professors, coax a number of celebrities to speak on campus, construct beautiful and iconic buildings, and maintain a marvelously well-connected alumni network.
Events: Grinnell is somewhat renowned for bringing in speakers and events that one would never expect to come to a small liberal-arts college 50 miles from the nearest city. In my time here, I've seen famous people (Cornel West, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Bill McKibben, Jonathan Kozol, Gallant), presidential candidates, retired presidents and vice presidents (Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders x2, Martin O'Malley x2), and division conferences for sporting events. The Faulconer [art] Gallery had $25 million in art pieces from private collections on display in Fall 2015. We've hosted a TEDx talk and have a number of musicians and artists visit campus to hold workshops and give presentations to students.
Education: I don't really need to comment on this much. The education is incredible. Class sizes are small (often under 15), professors teach all classes and have numerous office hours to chat.
Lifestyle: Grinnell is a small campus, spanning approximately 2 city blocks. This means that getting around is super easy and unless it's raining or snowing, there will be little hesitation in heading across campus to attend a Harris party or a Gardner concert. Alternatively, you can just as easily head to Burling and get some studying in, or hang out in the Spencer Grill(e) in the JRC with friends. The Dhall is central to campus life, being the only full-service dining hall, so there are always opportunities to see people while you're there.
Facilities: Grinnell has pretty amazing facilities. The Bear athletic building is incredible, which is probably why Grinnell hosts many of the conference's swim meets, indoor track meets, and indoor tennis matches. Noyce has some of the best laboratories I've seen, and Bucksbaum is amazing for fine arts. Students also have a wide variety of options for on-campus housing, with project houses for home-style living, East campus for modern dorms, and North and South campus for a more retro feel. Gates Tower and the loggias that connect each of the dorms are iconic to Grinnell.
Alumni: Hillary Mason '00, Peter Coyote '64, Robert Noyce '49, Kumail Nanjiani '01, to name a few notable alumni. You can reach out to our Alumni Relations office or Career office and ask for help in locating a Grinnellian in your career interest, field of study, or whatever else. There's almost always someone! In addition, the Grinnell community has been spread far and wide. I ran into more Grinnellians in San Francisco over the course of a few months than my Michigan State or Ohio State friends combined. Each time I saw someone we spoke for a while and made plans to meet up later, and at one point I saw 20 other recent graduates (under 5 years) at a cookout one of the alumni put on. It's great because I feel no anxiety about reaching out to graduates asking for career advice, references, or suggestions about Grinnell or life in general.
Student Jobs: The work-study and student job positions at Grinnell have been pretty good. You can work on campus regardless of if you're in a work study program. This is a fantastic policy because most student jobs are highly social and skill-building, and I think they are a must-do while attending Grinnell. Working as a Technology Consultant, I've been able to grow my problem-solving and technical knowledge, and in my time working I've been promoted to be student manager which has allowed me to gain further skills. The scheduling for shifts is extremely flexible and the TC Corps was a tight-knit community. I also worked in the Theatre department assisting to construct set pieces for shows, hang lights, and maintain the performance spaces. This was great because (as a CS/Math major) I haven't gotten the opportunity to involve myself in the theatre as much as I would like, but the weekly shifts allow me to still maintain a connection with the department. I also love photography, so being able to work at the student newspaper has been a fantastic way to develop my skills. In addition, I've been able to work for the Communications Office with professionals in photography, graphic design, and media relations.
Drawbacks: As with anything, there are always a few things that are not perfect. I know that a number of students are sensitive about the occasional lack of communication between the administration and the students when implementing new policies, hiring new staff, or making changes in any of a number of realms of college life. The dining hall is also fairly restrictive, forcing students to leave coats and backpacks in a pile outside its doors and restricting students from taking food out without spending one of your meals on a box to store food. read more