Carleton or Whitman?

[Nikara]

First of all, sorry about the cross-posting, but this is a time sensitive question, so I'm hoping for as many responses as possible!

My sister is super-stressed about the decision she needs to make in the next 24 hours – Carleton or Whitman. She will be an English major (especially creative writing), loves choral music and musicals, wants to study abroad, and is not a drinker or sorority type. There are aspects about both colleges that she loves and those she fears. Financially, Whitman is advantageous due to a generous merit scholarship. She felt a bit more of a fit at Carleton, especially with the other kids on the minority weekend, many of whom are enrolling. She is worried, however, about the winter weather in Minnesota and being in a different time zone from her family. We live near LA and at this point she thinks she’d ultimately like to stay on the West Coast, though probably not too close to home. Thanks for your input!

[mini]

What's the cost difference, and does it make any difference?

[NewHope33]

Tell your sister to stop worrying about Minnesota winters 'cause she'll probably be frozen solid L-O-N-G before December 22nd. Er, sorry. Whitman, a terrific place at lower cost.

[Nikara]

The cost difference is hard to tell, but about seven thousand dollars a year between the schools. Some of that depends on rising prices and differences in grants each year. While this makes a bit of a difference, it doesn't have to be her deciding factor.

[UCLA Band Mom]

The Carleton academic calendar for next year shows Nov. 25 as the last day of classes first term, followed by six weeks vacation. So the students do miss out on some of the cold weather.

[mini]

Both schools have more than their share of drinking (higher than the national average). Both are in rural or semi-rural locations. Carleton is definitely stronger in the sciences, but I'd imagine that in the humanities, they are a wash. Do either or both actually stage musicals?

Whitman is a great school with a fine reputation for those staying in the Pacific Northwest. (When I tell folks I went to Williams, usually they hear "Whitman", and I try not to disabuse them of the idea.)

[ChiSquare]

I live in Minnesota and have a D who longs to go to Whitman. One big dif I can think of is the rural setting. True, they are both in small towns. However, Carleton is < 1 hour from the Twin Cities, with all the amenities of big city life. Not true of Whitman.

This is not to say that one is better than another, just different. Would she rather spend her precious free time at the largest mall in the U.S. or hiking in the mountains? Either would be a great educational experience.

[dmd77]

Whitman has a great reputation for studying abroad. The former students of mine who went there were very happy about it; so were the Carleton students.

Carleton has a very nice winter break, going from before Thanksgiving to after Christmas, so that students can work the holiday season.

['rentof2]

I know several kids who chose Whitman because they were attracted to the theater and performance programs there. That may be of interest to your sister.

[SeattlePop]

Whitman (Walla Walla) is in the heart of Washington State's wine producing region. Some great reds coming out of there now...for parental visit side trips of course!

[midatlmom]

I am somewhat hesitant to make this post, because it's only based on my knowledge of a few kids. However, I know 3 kids at Carleton, who are sort of quirky, liberal kids interested in theater and english and they all love it--it seems to be a very happy school (it also does not have any greek life). I know two kids who went to Whitman and they are both transferring out. They both thought it had too much emphasis on greek life and the student body was a little too homogenous for their taste.

These impressions may or may not be useful and I will say that Whitman seems to be an excellent academic school that most students really enjoy.

[bethievt]

Wait, mini--

Isn't your alma mater known for excessive drinking? Maybe I'm wrong.

[suzybelle]

Some feedback on Whitman: My D is a sophomore there and loves it. She has no interest in sororities but says that there are no social boundaries between Greeks and non-Greeks; she has a number of friends in sororities and frats. The frats sponsor a lot of parties with alcohol but one can avoid those. My D keeps so busy on campus that she probably wouldn't visit a city much if one were nearby, though she did once drive with friends to Seattle to attend the symphony. To counteract the stuck-in-a-small-town problem Whitman's breaks are long: a week at Thanksgiving, a month in winter, and two weeks in spring.

Winter weather is cold but pretty dry -- maybe two good snowfalls per year, never more than a foot deep. Temperatures get into the teens for maybe a couple of weeks, more usually in the 20's and 30's. Her sister is at school in Indiana (where weather is less severe than in Minnesota) and temperature-wise the two places are similar. But really the weather shouldn't be a huge deciding factor. These are small campuses, buildings are well heated, and you don't normally have to be outside for more than ten minutes at a time as you rush from dorm to class.

Getting to Walla Walla is not a quick trip. We live in California, and my D flies to Portland where she catches a ride to school with friends. It's a four hour drive from Portland, five hours from Seattle. The school runs buses to/from both cities at start and end of each break (my D rode the bus freshman year). You can fly to Walla Walla (via Seattle) but it tends to be expensive. You're in the Pacific time zone but it's not necessarily a shorter trip than from Minneapolis.

I know nothing about the English dept at Whitman but the music and theater depts are VERY active. Anyone can participate to any extent (e.g., my D is not a music major but just gave a public piano recital) and the quality of instruction is very high.

[broetchen]

Great post, suzybelle.
If you felt comfortable sharing, I would be interested in what other schools, if any, your daughter was considering before ultimately choosing Whitman.
Thanks.

[Nikara]

Thank you so much everyone for your information. I'll be sharing it with her tonight!