Damianos Mitsis is an international student from Thessaloniki, Greece. During the fall of 2024, he submitted his application to Grinnell College, where he was not only accepted but also awarded a full-ride scholarship!

My Background

Hi! I’m Damianos, a freshman at Grinnell College.

Long before I applied to the College I used to attend a Greek public high school, where opportunities were limited to nonexistent. This only changed at the end of 10th grade, when I decided to apply to the Anatolia IB school of Thessaloniki. And after –thankfully- getting accepted under a scholarship, I was enrolled in the IB program for my last two years of high school. In contrast to my previous school’s educational system, the IB program allowed me to grab more opportunities and be open towards different ways of thinking and perceiving. This factor was what originally pushed me towards U.S. universities. Only through the IB school did studying abroad become a reality, a goal for me – and not just an unreachable dream.

Why Grinnell?

My journey towards Grinnell began at the end of 11th grade. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to attend a liberal arts college, since I was still undecided on my major. However, most of the colleges on my list, even though liberal, were out of reach for me, mainly due to financial reasons. So, at the end of 11th grade, my university advisor informed me of an opportunity at Grinnell College that would be less risky than my other options: every year, one student from my school was awarded a full-ride scholarship to attend Grinnell (due to the two schools’ connection). At the time, this opportunity appeared to be the most reachable and, therefore, I decided to apply for it.

I still remember the exact date when I submitted my ED application to Grinnell – 16th of October 2024. Yet, regardless of having high chances of acceptance, I began preparing my essays for other institutions, in case I was not accepted. Nonetheless, these essays remained half-finished once I received my acceptance letter from Grinnell in December! And, gratefully, along with it I also received the full-ride scholarship!

Application Process and Stats

Grinnell’s application process consists of the well-known components: test scores, GPA (in my case, IB scores), extracurricular list, the personal statement, and Grinnell’s “Why us” supplemental essay.

When it comes to test scores, I applied “test-optional” and never took the SAT. I submitted my IELTS score (8.0) and my IB score (35/45).

Prior to the IB school, I had almost no extracurricular activities that could add value to my application. As a result, I got involved with all of my activities during the last two years of high school. From Debate Club and MUNs to Student Council and delivering 4 speeches representing my school, I tried to steadily build a strong profile. Adding to it, I also attended two summer programs: the ACT (American College of Thessaloniki) Summer High School program in Greece, and the NMH Summer in Massachusetts. At the same time, I was a volunteer for various causes, including beach-cleaning and assisting at the National Exhibition of Thessaloniki. Lastly, we participated with some of my classmates in Wharton’s High-School Data Science Competition.

In general, I tried to focus mostly on extracurriculars and stats that could help me secure the scholarship at Grinnell, rather than on random activities that would simply fill my CV. And, thankfully, this proved to be the best thing to do!

Personal Statement

I began writing my personal statement in August, before my senior year. At first, I wanted to write my essay on the phrase “Seek discomfort”, which is, in fact, one of my favourite phrases. However, after disagreements with my advisors and after many attempts, I finally put together my final draft, which surprisingly ended up being written on a completely different theme. My final essay was on my experience at the NMH Summer Program, and, especially, my social life there. My core theme was an analogy between people and Matryoshka dolls. I wrote about how getting to really understand and know a friend of mine from NMH was a similar experience to opening up the stacks of a Matryoshka doll. As time passed, I got to know more and more about this friend of mine until I finally reached the deepest and most genuine layer of his personality, which was represented by the last and smallest stack of a Matryoshka doll.

I ended up submitting that final draft of my personal statement, since it showcased not only my previous experiences and personality, but also the fact that I was ready to return to the U.S. and mingle with people from different backgrounds, which is what had already happened at NMH.

Resources

The main resource I utilized was my school’s offerings. Programs, clubs, contests, and guidance were mostly provided to the students by professors and the advisor.

Financial Aid

Due to my household’s need for financial aid and Grinnell’s offer to one accepted student from my school, I managed to receive a full scholarship to attend the College. In order to sustain my scholarship for all four years of studies, I simply have to maintain a decent GPA.

University Life

Having lived in Grinnell for only half a year, I haven’t shaped a holistic view of it yet. However, I do realize that it is an academically strong college with a personalized approach to teaching. And for me, such an approach -when combined with the school’s small classes- is quite helpful and advantageous when it comes to actually absorbing all the offered knowledge. I also realized that choosing a liberal arts college was as good a choice as I had originally expected. During my first semester, I had decided to study Computer Science (the Introduction), which was the major I had originally applied for. However, in the second semester, I also plan to take up different courses, including psychology, thanks to the independence the college offers to its students.

Regarding my social life in Grinnell, I noticed that there is a strong sense of community amongst the students. And, although the college is not located in a bustling urban city, I am grateful for its close community – even though at times it can be difficult to socialize in and out of it.

To be honest, as an international student experiencing university life for the first time, I often feel homesick for both my country and my people there. Arriving in the U.S. for college was different from any prior visit to the country, and I’m still processing and adapting to the new way of living and thinking. But still, no matter the challenges, I am extremely grateful and excited for this opportunity!

My Advice

The advice I would give to future college applicants in general (not just for Grinnell) is “Do NOT compare yourselves with others!” Everybody carves their own path not only in the admissions process, but also in life. When you compare yourself to other applicants, other people, you never actually know their backgrounds, their advantages, or their disadvantages. And it’s so important to realize this, because at the end, no matter how far others have reached, they could have never achieved what you have achieved – and obviously this goes both ways. It’s more efficient and less hurtful to focus only on what you have done and intend to do instead of feeling stuck or scared because other applicants seem to have some extraordinary achievements or seem to have it all figured out. And remember that, often, your greatest advantage is what you originally thought would be a disadvantage!

I wish you the best of luck in the admissions process!