Grinnell College supplemental essays
Yes, but every one is optional. Grinnell College prints one supplemental essay in 2026-27 and requires none of them. Common App. Personal statement required (250-650 words).
That is one supplement plus the Common App personal statement: two pieces of writing in all. Early Decision closes November 15, 2026, Early Decision II closes January 15, 2027 and Regular Decision closes January 15, 2027. The prompts carry this limit: 200-450 words. Every Grinnell College prompt is printed on this page in full, with its word limit and who has to answer it, checked against the college’s own admissions page.
Deadlines
| Round | Date |
|---|---|
| Early Decision | November 15, 2026 |
| Early Decision II | January 15, 2027 |
| Regular Decision | January 15, 2027 |
Checked against www.grinnell.edu/admission/apply/first-year/requirements. Confirm on the college’s own page before you submit.
The essays, 2026-27
Optional · 200-450 words
Grinnell's core values include supporting a diverse community that is respectful, egalitarian, and committed to the common good. How might your background, respect for the lived experiences of others, and/or eagerness to be exposed to new perspectives equip you to thrive at Grinnell and serve the common good?
Optional but recommended. Grinnell opens this in your applicant portal after you submit the Common Application.
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Your Grinnell College checklist
One supplement, optional. The first deadline, Early Decision, is November 15, 2026.
- Common App personal statementRequired250-650 words
- SupplementOptional200-450 words
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Getting into Grinnell College
Grinnell College admits 14.5% of applicants. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 1410-1540 on the SAT and 31-34 on the ACT.
About 1 in 7 applicants are admitted, at a college of 1,729 undergraduates.
| Enrolled students | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total | 1410 | 1490 | 1540 |
| SAT reading and writing | 700 | 730 | 750 |
| SAT math | 710 | 760 | 790 |
| ACT composite | 31 | 33 | 34 |
What SAT score do you need for Grinnell College?
A 1540 puts you in the top quarter of the students who enrolled, a 1490 at their midpoint, and a 1410 at the bottom quarter, meaning one in four enrolled students scored below it. The same three points on the ACT are 31, 33 and 34. A quarter of an enrolled class scoring under the 25th percentile is not a rounding error, so a score below the range is a reason to strengthen the rest of the application rather than a reason not to apply.
US Department of Education, College Scorecard (2026-09-17). Percentiles describe students who enrolled, not everyone admitted. SAT totals are the reading and math bands added together, which is how every source in this market reports them and is an approximation of about 10 to 20 points, because the two sections are correlated.
- What SAT score do you need for Grinnell College?
- Grinnell College sets no minimum. Among students who enrolled, the middle 50% scored 1410-1540 on the SAT: a 1410 sits at the 25th percentile, 1490 at the median and 1540 at the 75th. A score at or above 1540 is a clear strength in the application; below 1410 it is the part of the file the rest has to make up for. These are the figures Grinnell College reports to the US Department of Education, released in the College Scorecard of 2026-09-17.
- What ACT score do you need for Grinnell College?
- The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 31-34 on the ACT, with a composite of 33 at the median. There is no cutoff: a quarter of the enrolled class scored below 31. Reported by Grinnell College to the US Department of Education, College Scorecard release of 2026-09-17.
- What GPA do you need for Grinnell College?
- The honest answer is that the federal data behind this page does not contain one. Colleges report their admit rate and their enrolled students' test scores to the Department of Education; they do not report a GPA distribution, so any site quoting an exact average GPA for Grinnell College is either reading that college's own Common Data Set or estimating. What the reported data does say is that Grinnell College admits 14.5% of applicants, and the more selective a college is, the closer to the top of the class its admitted students sit and the more the strength of your course load counts alongside the number itself.
- How hard is it to get into Grinnell College?
- Grinnell College admits 14.5% of the people who apply, which is about 1 in 7 applicants. At that rate no set of numbers makes admission likely, a perfect one included, because the college turns away far more qualified applicants than it takes. Strong grades and scores get the application read; the essays, the recommendations and what you have actually done decide it from there.
What Grinnell College costs after grant aid, by family income, from the same federal data.
Sort your whole college list into reaches, targets and likelies, or find colleges that fit your GPA and test scores. Both are free and neither needs an account.
Grinnell College essay questions, answered
- Does Grinnell College have supplemental essays?
- Yes, but every one is optional. Grinnell College prints one supplemental essay in 2026-27 and requires none of them. Every prompt is printed in full on this page. Word limits: 200-450 words.
- How many essays do you write for Grinnell College in 2026-27?
- One supplement, plus the Common App personal statement.
Schools with similar admit rates
Grinnell College admits 14.5% of applicants. The colleges either side of it in our set by admit rate, most selective first, each with its own prompts and deadlines: Washington and Lee University (14.0%), Tulane University (14.0%), Wellesley College (14.1%), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (15.3%), University of Michigan (15.6%), Wesleyan University (16.5%).