Grinnell College - Admission

Admission

Grinnell College is a highly selective liberal arts college. Historically, it has offered admission to less than half of applicants, and approximately one-third of accepted students typically enroll in the fall. In the spring of 2009, 29.1% of applicants were accepted for a class size of 380.

Two-thirds of admitted students were in the top 10% of their high school class. One in five students is a National Merit Finalist, National Merit Scholar, or National Merit Commended Student. 15% are Advanced Placement Scholars.

Due to the high SAT and ACT scores achieved by its students and their class rankings, U.S. News and World Reports considers Grinnell College to be one of the "most selective" schools. For the class of 2013, the mid-50% SAT combined score range is 1300-1480, and the mid-50% ACT composite score is 29-33.

Grinnell College's admissions selectivity rating, according to The Princeton Review is a 95 out of 99. This rating is determined by several institutionally reported factors, including: the class rank, average standardized test scores, and average high school GPA of entering freshmen; the percentage of students who hail from out-of-state; and the percentage of applicants accepted.

The primary factor in evaluating applicants is the quality of the education they have received, as shown by their transcript. Additional factors include standardized test scores, student writing skills, recommendations, and extracurricular activities.

Early decision opportunities are offered to students in the fall; most students apply in January of their final year in high school. Admissions letters are usually received by April 1 of each year. All students begin classes in August.

For American students, the students' expectation of needing financial assistance does not affect the admission process. International students whose needs can be met with the limited financial aid available to them are given an edge in the admissions process.

A few students are admitted before they graduate from high school; these students have typically taken all of the academic classes offered at their school.