1. Scholastic record and class standing that show an ability to do high-level college work. The Admission Board feels that good, consistent performance in a college-preparatory program best indicates a student's preparation for college.
  2. Graduation from an accredited secondary school with recommended credit as follows: four years of English, four years of mathematics with minimum completion of pre-calculus or the equivalent, three-four years of laboratory science, three-four years of a foreign language, and three-four years of social studies or history. Home-school students should submit their home-school curriculum, by year, including subject areas studied, texts used, and time spent on each discipline.
  3. Recommendation of the secondary-school counselor.
  4. Recommendations from two academic instructors.
  5. Satisfactory results on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT I) or the American College Test (ACT). For some students the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) may also be required. Grinnell strongly recommends that home-school students sit for the SAT II, particularly in literature, mathematics, and a third subject area of their own choosing.