Grinnell College

Grinnell College is very difficult to get into. Around 11% of applicants get into Grinnell College each year. Last year, 9,997 students applied to Grinnell College and 1,076 were admitted.

If you are planning on applying to Grinnell College, the deadline for Fall 2024 admissions is 1/15 and there is no application fee, which means it is free to apply.

Students who submit their applications to Grinnell College for fall semester should hear back from Grinnell College by March 31.

Grinnell College Admissions Stats at a Glance

Here's an overiew of some of Grinnell College's admissions stats.

Grinnell College 2023	Admissions Statistics
Mean SAT Score	1460
Admissions Test Policy	Test Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs	28%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs	27%
Waitlist	Yes

Grinnell College Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for Grinnell College.

Application Type	Offered	Application Deadline	Notification Deadline
Early Decision I	Yes	November 15	December 31
Early Decision II	Yes	January 1	January 31
Early Action	No	–	–
Regular Decision	Yes	1 15	March 31

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Want to Apply Early to Grinnell College?

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Grinnell College offers early decision but not early action. Early decision is binding, which means you must attend if you are admitted, while early action allows you to apply early without committing.

🗓️ Early Decision I applications are due by November 15 EDI applicants should receive a decision by December 31.

🗓️ Early Decision II applications are due January 1. ED II Applicants will recieve their decision before January 31.

The early decision acceptance rate at Grinnell College is 53%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 11%. Last year, Grinnell College admitted 292 of the 553 students who applied early decision.

Some students apply to college early because they believe it will boost their chances of getting in. When you apply early, your application is considered before all the regular decision applicants apply. Applying early may increase the chance of admission, since it shows that you are very interested in a school.

➡️ See a list of some competetive colleges that accept significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.

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More on Grinnell College Admissions

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Transferring to Grinnell College

Transfer student admissions is very difficult.

For Students Waitlisted to Grinnell College

Grinnell College has not reported data for waitlisted and admitted students.

What Does Grinnell College Look For in an Applicant?

Colleges consider a range of factors when determining who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college has a different way of determining which factors are given the most weight when choose which applicants to admit, and which to deny. When creating your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and apply to colleges that put the most emphasis on the admissions factors where you shine.

Admissions Factors at Grinnell College

What does Grinnell College consider during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.

Admissions Factor	Level
Class Rank	Very Important
Recommendation(s)	Very Important
Academic GPA	Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record	Very Important
Application Essay	Important
Extracurricular Activities	Important
Standardized Test Scores	Important
Talent/Ability	Important
Alumni/ae Relations	Considered
Character/Personal Qualities	Considered
Geographical Residence	Considered
Interview	Considered
Racial/Ethnic Status	Considered
State Residency	Considered
Volunteer Work	Considered
Work Experience	Considered
Level of Applicant's Interest	Considered
First Generation	Considered

Make sure to check with Grinnell College for more information on admission factors.

Grinnell College 2022-2023 Application Requirements

To apply to Grinnell College, all applicants must submit the following items. Check with Grinnell College's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

Area	Required	Recommended	Required for Some	Details (If Any)
Interview	–	√	–	–
Letter(s) of Recommendation	3	–	–	–
Written Essay or Personal Statement	√	–	–	–
Transcript of High School Record	√	–	–	–

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GPA and Testing

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What GPA Do I Need To Get Into Grinnell College?

Grinnell College has not provided an information about GPAs of accepted students. Any questions regarding applicant expectations should be addressed directly with the school.

Out of all students that were admitted, 32% submitted a class rank. and 8% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At Grinnell College, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA	Percent of Students
4.0 GPA	–
3.75 and 3.99	–
3.50 and 3.74	–
3.25 and 3.49	–
3.00 and 3.24	–
2.50 and 2.9	–
2.00 and 2.49	–

This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.

Note: Some schools choose not release this information. If you have any questions regarding missing numbers, be sure to reach out to Grinnell College directly.

About GPAs

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that highlights your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Standardized Test Scores

Grinnell College has a test optional admissions policy. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2022, 28% of Grinnell College's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 27% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for Grinnell College?

To be competitive with other Grinnell College applicants, you should aim to earn between 1410 and 1520 (or higher!) on the SAT. At Grinnell College 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1520 and 25% of scored lower than 1410, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.The mean composite SAT score for a Grinnell College student is 1460.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Grinnell College students scored 780 or higher and 75% of students scored 680 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Grinnell College students scored 750 or higher, and 75% scored a 680 or higher.

To be most competitive at Grinnell College, you should strive to earn between 31 and 34 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 34 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Grinnell College's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 34, and three out of four students scored lower than 34 on the ACT.

A 31 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for Grinnell College students. Only one out of every four students scored below 31.

More Information on Transferring to Grinnell College

For transfer students, it is very difficult to get admitted to Grinnell College.

For transfer students wishing to start in the fall, the deadline to apply is March 1. Applicants should hear back by May 31.

Transfer students can enroll in Grinnell College during the following terms:

• Fall Term

• Winter Term

• Spring Term

• Winter Term

• Summer Term

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Grinnell College Admissions FAQs

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Can I defer my acceptance to Grinnell College?

✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to Grinnell College.

Does Grinnell College accept transfer credits?

✅ Grinnell College accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.

Does Grinnell College accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?

✅ Grinnell College accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to Grinnell College?

❌ No, Grinnell College is test optional, so you can make the call whether to include your ACT or SAT scores. If you have higher than average scores, you may want to send them. If your scores are average or below average, you it might make sense to leave them out of your application.

What is Grinnell College's acceptance rate?

✅ The acceptance rate for Grinnell College is 11%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at Grinnell College?

✅ Grinnell College's early decision acceptance rate was 53% in 2021.

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