Grinnell College's wording, checked October 26, 2026“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?”
How to approach it
- 1Pick the strand you can prove with a story.
- 2Show it in one experience.
- 3Connect it to both thriving at Grinnell and serving the common good.
A structure that works
One way to shape this answer. It describes moves, not sentences: the words have to be yours.
- 1The experience that shows your background, respect or openness.
- 2What it taught you about living with difference.
- 3How it would help you thrive at Grinnell.
- 4How you would serve the common good there.
Where the 450 words go
| Part | Words |
|---|---|
| The moment or example | about 180 |
| What it shows or changed | about 160 |
| Why it matters, or what you bring | about 110 |
Mistakes to avoid
- Restating Grinnell's values back to it.
- Serving the common good in the abstract.
The checklist our grader uses for this question
When you check your Grinnell answers, this answer is read against these 5 areas. Each comes back Met, Partly or Missing with a quote from your draft as evidence, and together with the 200-450 words limit they set its readiness verdict.
| Area | What a reader looks for |
|---|---|
| Answers the question | The opening sentences answer what was asked, plainly, before background or a hook; every part of a multi-part question is answered. |
| One lived experience | It focuses on one specific aspect of the applicant's life or background, shown through a moment or detail, not a list of labels. |
| How it shaped you | It shows how that experience changed what the applicant thinks, does or notices, with evidence rather than a claim. |
| What classmates will gain | It makes clear what the applicant would bring to conversations, classes or campus life because of it. |
| Grinnell's ask | Connects the applicant's background, respect for others' experiences or openness to new perspectives to thriving at Grinnell and serving the common good. |
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Questions
More on Grinnell and this kind of question
- Harvard: Life experiences you will contribute · 150 words
- Yale: Essay: your personal experience · 400 words
- Princeton: Your voice: lived experience · 400-500 words
- Columbia: Your lived experience · 150 words
- Brown: An aspect of your growing up · 150-250 words
- Dartmouth: Let your life speak · 250 words