QuestBridge

​​​​​Grinnell College does not charge anyone an application fee.

International students and undocumented or DACAmented students are eligible to apply to Grinnell College through QuestBridge for the National Match, Early Decision, or Regular Decision as long as they meet other eligibility criteria set/determined by QuestBridge.

Students applying for first-year admission for fall 2023 are not required to submit ACT and/or SAT test scores. Learn more about test-optional admission policy and for advice on whether or not to submit your score report, please see Requirements and Deadlines.

Your intention regarding submission of test scores must be indicated to us through your response on our “Test Optional Choice Form.” You can find this form in your personal application status page. We cannot review your application until you submit this form. If you decide to submit test scores for review with your application, we require the scores to come from an official source (ie: sent to us by your counseling office, or from the testing agency, or appear on your official transcript). If you have any questions, please contact Patty Amador-Lacson, amadorla@grinnell.edu.

Note: If a student submits several “official” score reports for an exam (i.e.: an “official” score report for each time a student sat for a test) then Grinnell will superscore the results to create a new composite score.

​​​​​Grinnell College will create a brand new score by taking the highest subscores earned by a student in each official score report sent to Grinnell. This will likely create a higher ACT composite score or combined SAT evidence-based reading and writing (ERW) + math score than one that appears on an official score report.

Grinnell College will count as official score reports received from the following sources:

• a score report received directly from the testing agencies (i.e.: ACT or the College Board)
• a test score on an “official” high school transcript —
  • Transcript must be sent to Grinnell College by a high school counselor or registrar (cannot come from the student directly), and
  • Transcript must show the date each test was taken and all subscores for each test sitting.
• a complete score report sent directly to Grinnell by a guidance counselor or registrar.

Official transcripts showing test scores can be sent to us by guidance counselor or registrar using these methods:

• via fax 641-269-4800
• as an attachment to an email to admission@grinnell.edu
• by mail to the Office of Admission — Grinnell College, 1227 Park Street, Grinnell, IA 50112

​​​​​Yes, you may apply Early Decision II (binding). If you did not match and would like to be considered for Early Decision II, please send an email to us letting us know you’d like to apply in that admission round. The ED II application deadline is January 1.

Note: Early Decision Agreement Form required. Because our Early Decision rounds are binding, to complete an Early Decision application you must have QuestBridge forward all your materials and also submit the Early Decision agreement form. You can access this agreement via the Common Application website or you can send a note to us to request a blank PDF.

​​​​​​Yes. If you apply to Grinnell College Early Decision II you are making a promise to the College that you will attend if you are admitted and withdraw all other applications for admission you may have submitted to other institutions.

Yes, you may use your QuestBridge application to apply in the Regular Decision round. Grinnell College will automatically move all applicants who tried to match with Grinnell, but who did not match into our Regular Decision round unless we hear otherwise from the student.

• We would accept your QuestBridge application for Regular Decision even if you did not apply to Grinnell College for the match.

​​​​​Yes, you can use your QuestBridge application to apply to Grinnell College in Early Decision II or Regular Decision even if you were not named a QuestBridge finalist.

​​​Yes, you can use your QuestBridge application to apply to Grinnell College in Early Decision II or Regular Decision even if you were not named a QuestBridge finalist.

​​​​​This is optional. You may submit a Common Application to Grinnell College if you wish, but this is not required to complete the application.

Our primary application source is the Common Application. If you submit both the QuestBridge and Common Application, it is our policy to read the Common Application. Related materials may come from both sources, and we review each file thoroughly and holistically. If you have questions about your application documents, please send your questions to Patty Amador-Lacson.

If you submit both the FAFSA and the CSS Profile at the same time, or shortly after submitting applications for admission to Grinnell College, then we will provide you a tentative financial aid package with an offer of admission. See application deadlines.

Grinnell College meets 100% of all students’ demonstrated need. Please consult our financial aid page for more information.