Grinnell College Top Questions

Describe the students at Grinnell College.

Mona

Grinnell is a liberal place, and that's great for me, however, it is just as easy to be close minded as a liberal as it is to a conservative, and that is something we have to keep in check here. Groups that have religious/race/LGBT/etc affiliation are always open and welcoming to not only students who fit the category of the group but also those who do not. Students don't dress up, per se for class, but also don't wear sweatpants to class every day. Most students are from Chicago, bay area, Pacific NW, or Eastern seaboard, esp. Boston and NY. People don't really discuss how much they'll make one day. They talk more about the difference they want to make in the world.

Nik

I am a vocal member of the queer community on campus. I found that Transgender voice and representation was lacking throughout the Grinnell community and decided to start a student group to support these individuals. This happens throughout all aspects of the Grinnell community, where on club or organization is lacking another is created or rekindled to fill the gaps. Many organizations are working on communication cross cultural, orientation, and racial gaps. The Multicultural Leadership council (which I am also a part of) was created in response to this communication. All sorts of groups come together monthly to support each other and be reminded how to support their own groups.

Briel

I love my friends at school, but I pretty much love everyone. Even though there are definite friend groups, none of them are obsessively exclusive or rude. Students do not judge other students. I think there is a feeling that if they chose Grinnell, they are automatically a decent person. This may sound corny, but there is no one on campus that I know who I actually dislike. I am not friends with everyone (I am always meeting new people, despite the fact that we are such a small school) but of the people I know, acquaintances from class or gym buddies, no one has a bad bone in their body.

Caitlin

My classmates at Grinnell are brilliant, hardworking, unique individuals who bring together their different strengths to form a network of support and love that inspires me to make a positive inpact in this world both through my own work and by becomming an integral part of this network between current students and alumni.

Kramer

Grinnellians are open-minded, highly intelligent, motivated free-thinkers who don't like dogma or preconceived notions and question everything. They also like to drink and smoke pot, and some are too interested in seeming like a hip intellectual to develop an actual personality.

Winnon

My classmates are very intelligent and engaging in class. They love to think outside the box and to contribute in class discussions. It is also very easy to get a study group going for a test.

Eleanor

Hard working students that also know how to have fun.

Amy

My classmates were inquisitive, hard-working, hard-partying, extremely social, intelligent, adventurous, collaborative, and welcoming.

Marissa

They're caring, engaging, liberal, incredibly socially-active and enthusiastic about learning.

Chris

The school is very diverse, its difficult to pigeonhole the student body. The majority of the school is very academic, liberal, and social. The students tend to believe they should "study hard, change the world, party".