Application Instructions for International Students

Flags representing the home nation's of Grinnell's student body.

International flags — representing the citizenship of Grinnell's student body — hang above the Spencer Grill in the Joe Rosenfield '25 Campus Center (JRC).

Application Deadlines

Early Decision I: Nov. 15
Early Decision II: Jan. 1
Regular Decision: Jan. 15
International Transfer: April 1

Grinnell only accepts new international students to begin in the fall (August) term.

Application Review

There are several areas that we consider when evaluating applicants to Grinnell College. First, we are looking for a student who has excelled academically in a challenging program. Your secondary school grades, test scores, and teachers’ letters of recommendation give us insight into your academic talents. We also review extra-curricular activities and consider what you have done in addition to being a good student. We want to see how you occupy your time and whether you have developed leadership experience, athletic talents, musical skills, etc. We do our best to learn about each applicant as a whole person.

Application Requirements

If you do not hold U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residency, you must apply to Grinnell College as an international student. If you hold U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residency (green card) you must apply as a domestic student, regardless of where you physically reside.

A complete international admission application for Grinnell College requires the following:

Grinnell College uses The Common Application exclusively. The required forms are available for electronic submission or downloading. The application fee is waived if you apply electronically. While we prefer electronic submission, it is also acceptable for you to print the forms and send them by mail.
2012 Grinnell College Common App Supplement: This form is also available at the Common Application website. (After choosing Grinnell College as one of your colleges, you will be able to click on the Supplement tab to complete and submit your supplement form.)
Secondary School Transcript: An official copy of your transcript with an original stamp, signature, or seal is required. The transcript should be in the language of instruction, with a certified English translation if appropriate.
School Counselor/Headmaster Recommendation Letter: Grinnell requires one letter of general recommendation from your secondary school counselor, headmaster, or principal. This letter should accompany the Secondary School Transcript.
Two Teacher Recommendation Letters: Grinnell requires two letters of recommendation from teachers of your choice in core academic subjects. The Common Application Teacher Recommendation forms are preferred.
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) Score Report For test scheduling see: www.collegeboard.com *Grinnell’s institution code for requesting SAT score reports is 6252. For the ACT it is 1318.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): Because of the high academic demands placed on our students in terms of reading and writing, Grinnell only admit applicants who can demonstrate a very strong command of the English language. TOEFL is required for all international applicants (with the potential to waive this requirement in limited cases). For test scheduling see: www.ets.org. *Grinnell’s institution code for requesting TOEFL score reports is 6252.
International Student Financial Aid: In order to be considered for financial aid from Grinnell, you must complete either 1) 2012-2013 International Student Application for Financial Aid and Scholarships or 2) College Board's 2012-2013 International Student Financial Aid Application. If you do not wish to apply for financial aid, you must still complete the shorter form: College Board's 2012-2013 International Student Certification of Finances. An application to Grinnell is NOT complete unless one of these three forms has been received by the application deadline.