Grinnell College

Grinnell is test-optional, meaning students are not required to submit ACT or SAT scores. If a student chooses to submit official test scores, they will be considered. This could be to a student's benefit or detriment, so I only recommend submitting a test score if it strengthens your application.

Grinnell College values the voices of students, so students sit on every committee on campus. Recently, President Anne Harris supported the Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers to cover all hourly student workers. On a more symbolic level, the name of Steve Biko, an anti-apartheid activist who founded an important student activism group, is inscribed in our new Humanities and Social Sciences Center to emphasize the importance of student-led activism.

Grinnell is committed to meeting 100% of each student's demonstrated need without any loans. 86% of our students receive some kind of financial aid from Grinnell (whether need-based or merit-based). To get a sense of what your family might pay, you can use the net price calculator on our website: https://www.grinnell.edu/admission/financial-aid/affording-grinnell/cost

Both domestic and international students who are doing research, an internship, or 30 hours a week of work at the College can live on campus over the summer. While certain spaces, like the Dining Hall, close down, many others like the library remain open. Students may also live off-campus in the town of Grinnell over the summer. As an international student, be sure to work with the Office of International Student Affairs to ensure you're meeting your visa requirements regarding summer work.

The Center for Careers, Life, and Service can help students identify various community-based activities that align with a students skills, availability, and values. Through the Service Leadership Work Study Program, for instance, students can earn their work study through supporting local non-profit organizations. Or, through AltBreak, students can spend their Spring Break on a service trip.

No. All students are required to submit a secondary school report, which may look a little different for homeschooled students, but otherwise the requirements are the same. If you have more questions about applying to Grinnell as a homeschooled student, you can contact your admission counselor, Emma O'Polka Armah at opolkae2@grinnell.edu.