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Advanced Scholars Program

If you live in the Grinnell area, are an academically outstanding student, and you've exhausted your high school’s course offerings in certain subjects, the Advanced Scholars Program (ASP) may be for you. The ASP enables you to study at Grinnell College while completing your secondary education requirements.

Key facts about the program:

  • For each course you complete successfully, Grinnell College will grant you undergraduate credit. These credits will apply toward your Grinnell degree if you are later admitted and attend Grinnell College as a degree candidate.
  • As an ASP student, you will not be charged Grinnell College tuition; however, you may be responsible for additional fees depending on your course enrollment, such as studio art materials or music lesson fees. Please consult with the Office of Student Accounts and/or the Office of Financial Aid if you have questions.
  • This program is consistent with the Iowa Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Act.

Who is Eligible?

  1. Secondary school students of any class standing: grades 9-12.
  2. You must be academically superior and prepared for the intellectual rigors of study at Grinnell College. For example, the average first-year student at the College graduated in the top 10 percent of her/his secondary school class and scored well on the SAT (1350 median) and ACT (30 median).
  3. Normally, you must have taken all secondary school courses directly relevant to the subject area in which you wish to study at Grinnell College.

How to Apply

To apply for the program, please send:

  1. A completed Grinnell College ASP Application for Admission.
  2. A recommendation from a high school counselor: Secondary School Report Form
  3. An official secondary school transcript.
  4. Official SAT, ACT, or PSAT/PLAN scores. Copies of score reports on your official secondary school transcript are acceptable.
  5. The required application fee of $30. Applicants for whom this fee is a financial hardship can receive an application fee waiver.

Please note that acceptance into the ASP program does not constitute, nor does it guarantee, official admission to Grinnell College, nor placement in the Grinnell College courses of your choice.

Application Deadlines

Fall Semester: Aug. 1

Spring Semester: Jan. 1

Check with your high school for internal deadlines. ASP applications may be due earlier at area high schools.

How to Register for Courses

Once you are admitted to the program, please submit a completed Advanced Scholars Program Registration Form to the Office of the Registrar, located on the ground floor of the John Chrystal Center.

You will need approval from the Office of Admission the first time you register for Grinnell College courses as an ASP student.

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