Visit Activities in Grinnell

Prepare for your Visit

Take a moment to consider the options that are listed below that are available to prospective student visitors. Once you have an idea of what you would like to do while on campus, please carefully review the campus visit calendar to be sure we are offering the options that you would like to include in your visit.  Visit requests can be made online or by contacting the Office of Admission at 800-247-0113.

In order to best optimize your time here on campus please please make your reservations at least 24-48 hours in advance of the day your thinking of visiting.  Overnight requests will need to be made with least 10 buisiness days in advance of your arrival date. 

Academic Year Visits

In order to fully experience Grinnell’s academic and social life, we recommend that you visit while classes are in session. You’ll have the opportunity to see what it is like to be a Grinnell student by living and learning alongside current Grinnell students. We offer the following visit options to prospective students and their families during the academic year:

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 is 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. Please consult the Campus Visit Calendars to confirm availability. 

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 - Sitting in on a class enables you to experience the challenging and intellectual environment here at Grinnell College.  Prospective students who are seniors in high school or transfer students are welcome to visit undergraduate classes in the 100 and 200 level courses during their campus visit.  We are unable to offer class visits to freshman, sophomores and juniors in high school.  The widest variety of classes is available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but you are welcome to attend classes Tuesdays all day and Thursday afternoons as well.  Have a few subject areas in mind before your visit day.  Please remember that not all classes are available during your visit.  Class visits are not available during the summer.  When you arrive for your visit you choose your class from a schedule located at the front desk.  When visiting a class, students should arrive at least five minutes early to introduce themselves to the professor and ask permission to observe.  Prospective students are required to stay for the duration of the class. We also ask that visitors 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 on the website or at Campus Security located at the corner of East Street & 10^th Avenue.  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.

Group Visits - If you are planning a group visit to Grinnell (10 people or more—prospective undergraduate students and group managers only) please email admission@grinnell.edu to set up an information session and a tour for your group. Please include the following in your email:

• A brief description of the group 

• The exact number of people in the group

• The date and time you expect to arrive on campus

 We will contact you with an itinerary for your visit to Grinnell.

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 (See visit calendars).  Reservations for on-campus overnights must be made at least ten business days in advance. We cannot provide overnight accommodations during breaks, examination periods, 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 returned to our office 3 business days prior to your scheduled visit.  Completed forms can be emailed to admission@grinnell.edu, faxed to 641-269-4800 or mailed to our office, 1103 Park Street, Grinnell, IA 50112.

Transportation - Airport transportation is available to prospective students who have arranged an overnight visit to campus and are traveling alone.  Transportation must be arranged 10 business days prior to the intended visit.  Flights must arrive and depart between the hours of 10:00am and 9:00pm.

 

♦ SCHEDULE AN INDIVIDUAL VISIT ♦

 

 

Quotable Grinnell

"What really makes Grinnell special is that rather than ‘receiving’ some college experience, you MAKE yours." Holden Bale '12 Lauderhill, FL