2017 Profile, Aid, and Market Position Joe Bagnoli Vice President for Enrollment Dean of Admission and Financial Aid

2017 Class Profile and History

One-Year Highlights On target (450 new and transfer students) Highest underrepresented students of color in four years Fewer than 30% of international students from China Highest test score average Highest net revenue per student

Five-Year Highlights Maintained racial diversity Improved academic profile 27% in net tuition revenue per student

Share of Students with Grants

Size of Grants

Graduate Indebtedness

Average Debt Trend

Type of Aid Awarded

Grant Sources

Need-Based vs. Merit Based Grants

Compared to our need-blind peers… Grinnell’s endowment spending is not replaced at the rate of our peers. They bring in millions more in gifts annually. Our need-blind peers generate much more in net tuition revenue. They have a far higher percentage of full-pay students. They can more easily afford a higher spending rate from their endowment.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2013 Trinity Emory Boston Wake Forest Georgetown Middlebury Brown Columbia Holy Cross Dartmouth Claremont McKenna Northwestern Chicago Brandeis Cornell Bowdoin Johns Hopkin’s Hamilton Swarthmore U. Penn. Duke Richmond Haverford Notre Dame Williams Davidson Cal Tech M.I.T. Vassar Stanford Rochester Amherst Yale Pomona Wellesley Smith Princeton Vanderbilt Rice Harvard Grinnell Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 2013

Generating More Student Revenue In a stable enrollment environment, this requires awarding less financial aid. We want to continue meeting 100% of need without increasing loan levels in financial aid packages. Either we can enroll students who need less financial aid or we can award less in merit-based financial aid to those without financial need. Our merit aid program is critical in yielding students with no financial need and helps us generate student revenue. By increasing market demand for Grinnell, we hope to reduce the level of investment we make in merit aid without substantially affecting the composition of students.

Perceptions of Grinnell To determine recruitment and promotional strategies, we study market perceptions among students throughout the admission process. Non-applicant Inquirers think Grinnell is a great college, but they often don’t apply for admission. Regular Decision Admits most often choose us for the strength of our academic programs, followed by the quality of their campus visit and their financial aid package. Non-enrolling Admits are most often looking for a different location.

Non-Applicant Inquirers [*] Which schools do you associate most with each of the following attributes? (Select all that apply for each)

Non-Applicant Inquirers [*] And, what do you believe Grinnell College’s biggest challenges are today? (Select all that apply)

Regular Decision Admits

Non-enrolling Admits

Market position and demand Why will students choose Grinnell when they can get a great education in a location they much prefer? Grinnell has fewer majors available than our peers and few popular, non-redundant majors. How can we make traditional majors and new programs look more enticing than they appear at respectable colleges in more desirable locations? The market position challenge is significant and the stakes are high (we’re depending upon substantial increases in net student revenue to fund financial aid long-term). Our pitch has to work really hard to answer the $63,114 question. We must present a relevant, distinguishing, compelling version of Grinnell to lift eyes over corn tassels.