Grinnell or Iowa
- Thread starter RoundRock620
- Start date
Going to Grinnell didn't stop his sisters from socializing in Iowa City. Plus, I believe Grinnell grads typically graduate with some of the lowest student loan debt in the country.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why do you feel the need to follow your kids around?Social life is not an issue. Once you are on a swim team, you immediately have about 40 friends, boys and girls, and they are taken care of.
He is double major in Iowa: computer science and astronomy, and astronomy is pretty strong in Iowa, although not bad at Grinnell at all. Grinnell does have a very strong mentoring, alumni network, career placement, etc. A lot of pros and cons on both sides. His bedroom is a shrine to Hawkeyes too.His twin sister is also accepted at Iowa but she cannot get into Grinnell. So we might end up with him at Grinnell and her at Iowa, and two of us moving to Washington, Iowa, maybe
To me it is more about daily social existence rather than equating socializing and partying. Some people are ocean people and some are pond people and I don't mean that pejoratively. I like the wide open waters but I can wee how some people would not.
I would also say that if a professional school is in the future which professional college you go to matters MUCH more than your undergrad.
He will succeed anywhere, and no need to worry. She might need a support system for a year or two, not to live with us but to know we are near to help if needed. I would love to keep her around Austin for a year at least, but she wants to be near her twin brother. We still don't know what to do.
>I would also say that if a professional school is in the future which professional college you go to matters MUCH more than your undergrad.
Yeah, I know - what matters is what you do with your degree after graduation and in life. But tell that to a 18 yo. If I was him, I would go to a Division 2 school with solid academics and get 100% free ride based on merit and swimming, and take our money to buy car and put down money for an apartment, for example. But if I suggest that, I am a cheap Dad.
Yeah, I know - what matters is what you do with your degree after graduation and in life. But tell that to a 18 yo. If I was him, I would go to a Division 2 school with solid academics and get 100% free ride based on merit and swimming, and take our money to buy car and put down money for an apartment, for example. But if I suggest that, I am a cheap Dad.
So here is my serious response coming from someone who went to a small college (less than 4000 ppl).
I went to a small school over going to a bigger school and have absolutely zero regrets. I chose to go there to play baseball. I knew baseball was not going to continue for me after college so was up in the air on whether to play or to just go to a bigger school and party. I said I would stop playing and transfer if I wanted. After 2 years the workload of practice and mechanical engineering was too much so I quit the baseball team, but I stayed there and got my degree. We still drank every weekend and had a blast. I enjoyed classes being 20-30 people and getting the attention I needed from the professors. I joined a fraternity because it was about the only way to have a social life (I AM FAR FROM A "FRAT BOY"). I am a huge football fan but only went to 2 games in 4 years. I couldnt get that into watching DIII football, usually just stayed back at the house and watched other games on tv.
School cost probably double what it would have to go to Iowa or somewhere equivalent, but I would go back to my DIII school in a heartbeat. If you find the right group of friends it can be just a great of a time as going to somewhere huge. I honestly think if I went to a larger campus I would have partied my life away and took 5+ years to graduate.
I went to a small school over going to a bigger school and have absolutely zero regrets. I chose to go there to play baseball. I knew baseball was not going to continue for me after college so was up in the air on whether to play or to just go to a bigger school and party. I said I would stop playing and transfer if I wanted. After 2 years the workload of practice and mechanical engineering was too much so I quit the baseball team, but I stayed there and got my degree. We still drank every weekend and had a blast. I enjoyed classes being 20-30 people and getting the attention I needed from the professors. I joined a fraternity because it was about the only way to have a social life (I AM FAR FROM A "FRAT BOY"). I am a huge football fan but only went to 2 games in 4 years. I couldnt get that into watching DIII football, usually just stayed back at the house and watched other games on tv.
School cost probably double what it would have to go to Iowa or somewhere equivalent, but I would go back to my DIII school in a heartbeat. If you find the right group of friends it can be just a great of a time as going to somewhere huge. I honestly think if I went to a larger campus I would have partied my life away and took 5+ years to graduate.
That's cool, I was just offering you real insight to the sitution you were commenting on. I'll let @JMNSHO be the final say, but strictly as a friend and acquaintance of his sisters and knowing where they've lived and worked, neither could be described as anything other than worldly personalities.
You'll have to search his post history. I believe there's one or two he's been brace enough to post.
Hey, the OP asked about academics and social life. My post was a really basic general overview. Grinnell is a smaller rural school with a better reputation for academics. Iowa is much larger urban state school. There's going to be a wider range of students at U of I and more to do in the social life department.
I went to college for undergrad at a small college in Iowa and I was bored by the monotony of having limited options. Same people at the same bar gold a little old by year 4
But Grinnell is a highly respected school. A friend dated a girl from their while we were in college. When we would visit some of the Grinnell students looked at us like we were a different species. They were intrigued and amused, but were not quit sure what to think of a bunch of drunken lunatics
But Grinnell is a highly respected school. A friend dated a girl from their while we were in college. When we would visit some of the Grinnell students looked at us like we were a different species. They were intrigued and amused, but were not quit sure what to think of a bunch of drunken lunatics
If he's good at what he does it really doesn't matter. Especially with CS. You know you your shit or you don't.
If you want to milk the connections you get from a place like Grinnell, so be it, but I certainly wouldn't go way into debt there to get a CS degree.
If you want to milk the connections you get from a place like Grinnell, so be it, but I certainly wouldn't go way into debt there to get a CS degree.
Grinnell is a good school and a nice little town but it has always felt a little cultish to me. My wife is from the area and there is a scholarship available to anyone from her hometown to attend grinnell and the kids rarely take advantage of it.
Basically- I believe it covers everything if you some school aid as well. Some wealthy alum endowed it.
I'm a Computer Science graduate from Iowa and work professionally in the field, so I'm a bit biased. I would encourage him to visit both schools and talk in depth with an academic adviser on the curriculum. Iowa is a large school with a lot of faculty and the computer science program is growing. If he's an engaged student, he can make some great relationships with the faculty and get opportunities for research even potentially as an undergrad if that's something he'd be interested in.
Iowa has a new program called Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) which follows the engineering curriculum. The CSE is exactly what I wanted to take but it didn't exist when I was there, so I took mine through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). Nothing wrong with Computer Science through CLAS, but CLAS adds more non-technical gen eds compared to the CSE program. The CSE is a strong technical program which will give him exposure to electrical engineering concepts as well. Students from the program often opt for careers in full stack Software Engineering, embedded controller programming, or potentially robotics. There are also some great graduate program options which I'd encourage him to pursue.
https://ece.engineering.uiowa.edu/undergraduate/computer-science-and-engineering-overview
I work for a school in Grinnell’s consortium and we refer to Grinnell as an anomaly due to its prestige and endowment. My colleague just met with a successful Silicon Valley dude and they discussed small liberal arts vs. university with a larger computer science program. In this gentleman’s opinion, what small liberal arts lack is a strong computer science program. He’s putting his money to bettering ours but it’s an uphill battle.
Depending on who you ask, some of their Board of Trustees members, Grinnell got out too soon. They could have an Ivy League-like endowment if they would’ve kept some stock longer.
I went to a small private college similar to Grinnell... I visited Iowa but thought the small school felt like a better fit and went there for the academics. I absolutely hated it... Transferring to Iowa as soon as possible was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Those schools are filled with a mix of book nerds and C level athletes who want to re-live high school. As others have said, it's best for him to just visit both... but even then he won't truly know until experiencing it first hand. The best advice I can give is to not be afraid of transferring if he finds himself unhappy. I battled with the idea of "sticking it out" and am extremely glad I didn't.
Those schools are filled with a mix of book nerds and C level athletes who want to re-live high school. As others have said, it's best for him to just visit both... but even then he won't truly know until experiencing it first hand. The best advice I can give is to not be afraid of transferring if he finds himself unhappy. I battled with the idea of "sticking it out" and am extremely glad I didn't.
Added thought: if your son is able to swim at either school, he has a better chance at starting at Iowa and transferring to Grinnell than the opposite. Grinnell is an incredible school that has incredible clout in the professional world. He has damn good options.
Grinnell or UIowa?
Seriously?
If the kid is seriously intellectually based, I would think there isn’t much of a debate.
Grinnell is for really smart folks.
Seriously?
If the kid is seriously intellectually based, I would think there isn’t much of a debate.
Grinnell is for really smart folks.
Grinnell has a student population that is around 50% students from NYC. Very liberal environment. Marijuana smoking is not enforced. Very, very sexually liberated environment. Not what you would expect from a small college in the middle of nowhere Iowa. If your son will fit well into this environment, then I say go for it.
My favorite “Grinnell College” story was told to me by the old FB coach there from years ago.
Grinnell won 3 FB games one season and the students marched on the President’s house and demanded the school stop emphasizing football over academics! ( tongue in cheek....but Ed Bowers could tell some stories!)
Grinnell won 3 FB games one season and the students marched on the President’s house and demanded the school stop emphasizing football over academics! ( tongue in cheek....but Ed Bowers could tell some stories!)
I knew a guy who got his undergraduate degree at Grinnell, then went to Iowa for Med School. Based upon his habits in Med School, he wouldn't have made it through undergrad at Iowa. So, he definitely made the right choice.
If you currently live in Austin he should have a feeling whether he prefers urban amenities or rural existence.
