Quotable Grinnell
"The students made the visit for me ... they made me feel welcomed. The initial feeling was 'I'm home.'" Aamir Walton '15 Chicago, IL
Campus Tour - A campus tour will help portray a sense of Grinnell’s atmosphere by exploring the grounds and facilities available to students. Tours will include the library, academic and social buildings, residential, athletic and recreational facilities. Tours are given by current students, giving the opportunity to ask what it’s like to be a student at Grinnell. You are encouraged to walk around on your own to downtown Grinnell and experience the town, which are a few blocks from campus.
Information Session - An information session provides an opportunity for students and families to learn more about Grinnell College. An Admission Counselor discusses important information about the Grinnell experience, the application process and financial aid. There is time for an informal question and answer session for students and families. Sessions are usually Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays during the school year.
Interviews - Interviews are not a required part of the admission process. We invite you to schedule one if you would like to share more about yourself in person and to learn more about the College. The interview is both informative and evaluative. It is meant to be a dialogue between two individuals, not a test. So bring a couple of questions of your own and be ready to talk about yourself (not to recite your resume). Seniors in high school or transfer students are welcome to interview during thier visit to campus. Students who are unable to visit campus may contact the Office of Admission regarding the possibility of an interview with an alumnus/a or traveling counselor in their area.
Class Visits - Prospective students in their senior year of high school, homeschooled students or college transfer applicants are eligible to visit classes. Only 100 and 200 level classes are available. At check-in you will look at a roster to select a class. Availability of that class may vary depending on daily subject matter, syllabus and structure. Be prepared to arrive 10 minutes early to ensure the class is meeting, introduce yourself to the professor and ask to permission to observe. Students are asked to not disrupt the class by leaving early and should refrain from participating unless invited to do so by the instructor.
Tour on Your Own - If you visit campus at a time when the Office of Admission is closed, a map is available outside the John Chrystal Center for a self guided tour of campus. Please feel free to stop by the campus and venture around on your own.
Other Requests - You may want to schedule an appointment to meet with a faculty member, coach, Student Affairs staff member, or other member of the Grinnell College community while you are on campus. The Office of Admission will be glad to arrange any of these meetings for you during your visit. If for some reason a meeting with that person is not possible during your visit, we can provide an email for you so that you could contact them directly. A listing of academic programs with faculty is online. Faculty appointments are not available during the summer.
Overnight Visits - Learn what it’s really like to be a student at Grinnell by staying overnight with a student in a residence hall. Visiting seniors will eat dinner in a dining hall with their student host, spend some time in their room or house, and maybe go to a club meeting, play, or concert, and stay overnight in the residence halls. Gender Neutral housing for prospective students is available but not guaranteed. For more information on gender neutral housing please see the information page. Many high school seniors request overnight visits, Grinnell is not able to host juniors overnight. We welcome juniors for daytime visits and campus tours. Overnight visits are available to high school seniors when Grinnell is in session on specified dates.
Reservations for on-campus overnights must be made at least ten business days in advance. We cannot provide overnight accommodations during breaks, examination periods, Friday and Saturday nights, or for more than one night. Space is limited, so please plan ahead.
Remember to bring a sleeping bag, pillow & toiletries. Let your parents know how to reach you and arrange when and where to meet you the next morning. You must arrive in the Office of Admission by 4:00 p.m. on the day of your overnight. If you have scheduled an overnight stay and find out that you cannot make it to campus, please call the Office of Admission to cancel. The Overnight Policy and Release form must be completed and submitted 3 business days prior to your scheduled visit.
