wolrab

I would love to hear from Carleton students who said "no thanks" to Ivy and Ivy-like schools. My son is blessed to have many great choices, including Williams and Dartmouth; but something about Carleton is pulling on him, I can tell. Thanks.

sockman427

I'm not a Carleton student (yet) but I think your son will get a great education whether he goes to Carleton or Dartmouth, or any other ivy. For me it is the relaxed, accepting atmosphere of Carleton that sets it apart from other top schools.

lfsc

Hmm. Can you tell us more about your son and why you think he is attracted to Carleton?

dietcokewithlime

I got into some name-brand type schools in addition to Carleton and chose Carleton. I'm not sure what you want to know, but I assure you that I'm not kicking myself on a regular basis for turning down those places.

1190

What’s “pulling him” is probably something akin to sockman427’s “relaxed, accepting atmosphere.” For most, the profile of a “bright, intellectual, fun-loving student body that refuses to take itself too seriously” is the cliché that really does parallel life here. This is a pretty unique place fiercely supportive of individual expression. It explains why visits here turn so many prospective Carls into Carls and ultimately into such devoted alumni.

The last two to matriculate from our high school turned down Chicago, Columbia, Pomona, and Northwestern (among others). They came to Carleton because it just felt incredibly right when they visited and the reality proved even better than expectations. With close friends they’ve since visited at the likes of HYPS, Chicago, and Swarthmore, neither would dream of changing places with any.

Overlaps in apps to places like Chicago and Pomona, in fact, tend to be pretty high. In your son’s case, the overlap with Williams is much more common than Dartmouth. He obviously has three wonderful options in hand and each can serve him well. But these school’s cultures are pretty different. Four years is a long time especially when factoring in the decades of memories to follow and friendships that endure. Hopefully he’ll find the fit that serves him best. Good luck.

wolrab

1190, you're correct. What's pulling on him is the combination of academic rigor and capacity for fun. Perhaps also the fact that it's in the midwest, not too far from where he's grown up (I think he may be worried about not fitting in socially or socioeconomically out in New England -- though according to the books, there's actually less diversity at C than at D or W), as well as the fact that it's an easy drive from home. And it's neat the way C goes out of its way to eliminate the impact of socioeconomic differences (e.g., no cars allowed on campus). He visited C last fall (unfortunately on a Monday in October when there were no classes) and he's coming again this week.

FWIW, C hasn't given him as nice a financial aid package as the other two have, however. Anyone here experienced in that sort of negotiation with C? Are they able to be responsive?

involved mom

Our son had the credentials to apply anywhere and chose to apply ED to Carleton - Williams was his second choice. When we asked him why he felt so strongly about Carleton, he always mentions the people - the students, teachers, everyone he met while visiting. He also has a great sense of humor and is looking forward to attending a college where, hopefully, people don't take themselves too seriously. Good luck with the decision, Wolrab!

dh5123

I personally visited all 3. They are all very similar in their rural location but all have a few differences(outside of academics) that could help distinguish.

Do you prefer midwest of east coast? People in the midwest to me are a little more laid back, and there is nothing wrong with a little "minnesota nice."

Proximity to major cities: Dartmouth is a good distance from any major city, where Carleton has the Twin Cities, which are great in my opinion, within prolly 30 minutes. Williams is a long way from Boston but about 45 miles from Albany, which I would rank below the Twin Cities. My edge here would be Carleton.

Outdoors: All very rural, but if you like to hike Williams would probably be great. If you enjoy kayaking or canoeing then I remember Dartmouth having a nice river close by.

The Town: Northfield is a pretty charming town. It seemed to me like there was a little more going on there than Williamstown or Hanover. Also Carleton is right up the hill from main street in northfield, and a few miles from St. Olaf, another really nice college.

Overall, if I had chosen between these schools (I ended up going in a different direction, mainly for athletic reasons), I would have chosen Carleton, but I am also from Minnesota so I am fairly biased. To me it didn't seem quite as rural as the other two, where you felt like you were in a small town that had more than one street. Those are just some insights I had, and feel free to ask anything else you were wondering. You really can't go wrong.

jat

Our daughter had that problem 2 years ago. She loved Carleton and would have attended had she not been accepted to Brown. It came down to being able to pick from a wider variety of courses and concentrations. Had she not been accepted to Brown she would have been very happy to attend Carleton. It really depends on whether Carleton has everything that your son is looking for. And that's something that can easily change once you are there so it's good to make sure that it has plenty of things that he's looking for.

dietcokewithlime

"Carleton has the Twin Cities, which are great in my opinion, within prolly 30 minutes."

30 minutes won't get you up there--more like 45 minutes to an hour, depending on where in the cities you are headed.

As far as the outdoors go, don't forget about Carleton's arboretum. If you're in to jogging or cross-country skiing, it's wonderful. I like to talk walks there on nice days.

CarlosCarlos

Hey,
I chose Carleton over UChicago. I hope your son makes it there too. Seriously, this is going to be an adventure worth embracing.

unalove

I don't know if this is helpful to the OP, but I would choose Carleton over any of the Ivies. (I'm in a tizzy about the Carleton/UChicago thing, and I ended up with Chicago because I think the university framework works better for me than the liberal arts college one).

My impression is that a lot of students who crave an Ivy League school are the kinds of people who want the name on their resume, and they want some validation for four years of hard work in high school. A Carleton kid (or at least the ones I know well) don't need external validation for working hard-- they're more than happy to go to a tiny school that nobody has ever heard of because that's where they are going to feel at home, that's where they are going to be working hard, and that's where they are going to be happiest.

Intellectually, Carleton is at the top of its game, as it sends many, many, many graduates on to PhD programs in various disciplines. Based on this factor alone, I think it's fair to say that Carleton kids are more interested in academics than some of the kids at other top schools.

icy9ff8

wolrab: Since your son does not care about athletics (according to one of your earlier posts) and since he is well matched with Reed College, it is my opinion that Dartmouth & Williams Colleges are not the best choices for your son. Go to Carleton College or ask Reed College for a match offer financially.