FB: Midwest Conference

[SNCOLDAD]

I cannot comment really. But I heard they require a 31 or 32 minimum. If that applies to ALL students that attend Grinnell, I believe it probably is the toughest standards in the conference. But I have no detail knowledge of any except one.

[DutchFan2004]

I don't know for sure but I was told the mininum ACT is a 30 for all students.  That limits a lot of who will be on the field.  I know that there are some pretty good students and student athletes that don't have a 30 ACT. 

[bballer1280]

I cannot comment really. But I heard they require a 31 or 32 minimum. If that applies to ALL students that attend Grinnell, I believe it probably is the toughest standards in the conference. But I have no detail knowledge of any except one.

I don't expect the Visitor's Stands to remain where there currently located in the long run.  When the construction projects are completed in the fall of 2010, the visitor's stands will return to the east side of the stadium as I understand it.  Construction has forced things to be as they are for now.

With respect to admission requirements at Grinnell College, the average student martriculated into Grinnell's student body has an ACT score of 31 with the middle 50% (which runs from the 25th percentile to the 75th percentile of those attending) ranging from an ACT score of 29-33.  Yes, all athletes who compete for the Pioneers of Grinnell College are extremely bright and intelligent academically.  As a result, it is not easy to recruit athletically at Grinnell College when your football players typically fall within those ranges mentioned above.  Never the less, Coach Hawsey's and the Pioneer football team's success depends on him attracting those student/athletes that fit within that academic profile and his "football" profile, too.

As far as recruiting at Grinnell goes, it is very difficult to obtain basketball point guards and post players with the academic background to martriculate successfully at the college as well and who can play the game well, too.  I have been told specifically by the basketball coaches at the college that those positions are by far the hardest to recruit for (boys and girls equally so).

So, yes, athletic success is not easy to attain at Grinnell College.  However, Coach Hawsey, Coach Arseneault (men's basketball coach), and Coach Gluckman (women's basketball coach) have each been challenged to attain team success or continue to earn team success despite the academic hurdles.  Coach A has done it over time and continues to be successful while Coach Hawsey is showing signs of football improvement.  I believe observers of the MWC will see that Coach Gluckman has put together two very solid recruiting classes for the women's basketball team in the weeks ahead and that the Lady Pioneers will be vastly improved this winter as well.

[SNCOLDAD]

I have met a lot of real good players that 30 is no problem also. And no tuition! Wow

[Redmen09]

I see the MWC getting one undefeated and a one-loss team into the playoffs for sure.  Granted that a team goes undefeated.  It was a very real scenario last year if Ripon wouldve beat UW-O, getting Monmouth and Ripon in (i believe). So the UWO loss this year hurts Ripons chances again if they dont go undefeated in conference play, which wont be an easy task.

Good news for monmouth- if they can handle the red hot buccanneers, Mount Unoin faces Ohio Northern this weekend (two top ten teams), one eventually with a loss

[bballer1280]

I have met a lot of real good players that 30 is no problem also. And no tuition! Wow

There is not a "no tuition" policy.  In fact,  many students do have some financial "skin in the game" when it comes to tuition.  What Grinnell College does from a financial aid perspective is fully provide 100% of the FAFSA defined financial need.  After filing the FAFSA report as all college students must do, Grinnell does meet 100% of the financial need.  However, each student and their parents are still responsible for the student's FAFSA defined "expected contribution."  So, as a result, a "no tuition" policy does not exist in the manner that some on this website are implying.

[Gregory Sager]

I cannot comment really. But I heard they require a 31 or 32 minimum. If that applies to ALL students that attend Grinnell, I believe it probably is the toughest standards in the conference. But I have no detail knowledge of any except one.

With respect to admission requirements at Grinnell College, the average student martriculated into Grinnell's student body has an ACT score of 31 with the middle 50% (which runs from the 25th percentile to the 75th percentile of those attending) ranging from an ACT score of 29-33.  Yes, all athletes who compete for the Pioneers of Grinnell College are extremely bright and intelligent academically.  As a result, it is not easy to recruit athletically at Grinnell College when your football players typically fall within those ranges mentioned above.  Never the less, Coach Hawsey's and the Pioneer football team's success depends on him attracting those student/athletes that fit within that academic profile and his "football" profile, too.

As far as recruiting at Grinnell goes, it is very difficult to obtain basketball point guards and post players with the academic background to martriculate successfully at the college as well and who can play the game well, too.  I have been told specifically by the basketball coaches at the college that those positions are by far the hardest to recruit for (boys and girls equally so).

So, yes, athletic success is not easy to attain at Grinnell College.  However, Coach Hawsey, Coach Arseneault (men's basketball coach), and Coach Gluckman (women's basketball coach) have each been challenged to attain team success or continue to earn team success despite the academic hurdles.  Coach A has done it over time and continues to be successful while Coach Hawsey is showing signs of football improvement.  I believe observers of the MWC will see that Coach Gluckman has put together two very solid recruiting classes for the women's basketball team in the weeks ahead and that the Lady Pioneers will be vastly improved this winter as well.

I don't disagree with your assertion that recruiting for Grinnell sports has its hurdles. But Grinnell's high entrance requirements hardly fall to the level of an excuse. Just take a look at the success of schools from the UAA and NESCAC, all of whom have similar entrance requirements to Grinnell's, in a wide variety of D3 sports. I doubt that the basketball programs at Williams and Wash U draw a lot of sympathy from anyone for their difficulties in getting good players into the program, since both of them have won national championships in this decade. And Williams, Carnegie Mellon, and Case Western Reserve have certainly not faltered on the gridiron due to an inability to corral good football players.

Most of the people from UAA and NESCAC schools, in fact, will freely admit that the high entrance standards of their schools are in many ways advantageous to athletics rather than a burden. High school student-athletes who are smart enough to get high ACT or SAT scores will also be smart enough to realize that a degree from a school that has a high level of academic cachet outweighs most other considerations, if not all of them.

[Purple Heys]

Just asked for clarification.

I don't see Grinnell lowering the academic standards should they implement a novel tuition plan...in fact, I think the attraction of such a program would draw even more higher academic scoring students and push the scale higher.

In relative terms their is no reason that high academic achievement can't co-exist with athletic success...it's just harder to bring athletic success up when a program is down...regardless of academics...no one likes to lose.

I admire the kids that find their way to Grinnell, that buy into Hawsey's program, and say, "I want to be one of the guys that got things back on track"; even if they achieve relatively little success of their own in laying that foundation.

I'm living through bit of that at Cornell with my son.  The program is improving, but it is taking longer than we hoped.  At the end of it all they will have a wonderful education instilled in them which will last a lifetime.

[Redmen09]

Average Number of Losses per season since 1999 (Championships in () )

1. St. Norbert 0.5 (8)
2. Monmouth 2.5 (2)
    Ripon 2.5 (1)
4. Lake Forest 3.9 (1)
5. Carroll 5.0
6. Illinois College 5.2
7. Grinnell 5.7
    Beloit 5.7
9. Knox 6.6
10. Lawrence 6.9
Does knox/beloit/lawrence have academic recruiting hurdles?  Most likely not?, so its just showing the recent trend in the MWC, and wont limit Grinnell to see success they saw in the early 90's.  Just my thoughts.  Interesting when you look at the top 4 as the only to win a championship

[Redmen09]

SNC is supposed to be an 8, but  8) works just as well in that place if you have 8 rings since then

[SNCOLDAD]

OK. I read all the responses. And I have a question.

Your son in high school has scored a 31+ on the college entrance exams. Your son also is a pretty good football player. In fact he has visions of D2 but no one is biting at that hope. All sorts of D3 schools are calling to have him visit. But all of a sudden Grinnell calls and says " We would love to have him visit and look at out football program, and, by the way we have a no tuition policy at Grinnell for all students." As a parent, what do you do, and as a student what do you do???

This is a tough reality check and a real possibility.

[MWCfan787]

sncoldad:   the situation you just described is not a very prominent one, atleast not enough to make much of a difference

redmen:  I agree, I think ripon had a very good chance a getting in last year if they had beaten oshkosh....9-1 with a win over a wiac team and your only loss to an undefeated conf. champ

question to think about:  If nobert loses to monmouth, goes 9-1, and wartburg finishes in the top 2 of the iiac does norbert get in?.........................and if monmouth loses to norbert, goes 9-1, and loras finishes in the top 2 of the iiac does monmouth get in?

[MWCfan787]

also the MWC press release for this week has Monmouth's conference game winning streak at 10 when its at 13

not a big deal, but it bothered me

[Redmen09]

I think that either scenario would for sure put two MWC teams in the postseason, based on how the iiac teams do of course. the only other thing that would hurt their chances is if the snc/mc game was a blowout either way, it would have to be a close game. if snc wins out it would be more likely that the mwc gets two bids based on mc's top 25 attention already. regardless of that scenario im still pulling for a red hawk sweep   

[PC]

Final Score, MC 56 LU 3.

Had a phone call that made me miss the entire second half.  Cheers, all.

Lay off the 1-900 numbers on Saturday man, where are your priorities?