Carleton [30K] vs Macalester [35K] vs AU [50K] for Poli Sci & Math

siena2
Mon, 24 Mar 2025 12:41:57 +0000

hi! i’ve been lucky to be admitted to carleton (30k), macalester (35k), and au (50k) to study polisci and math and need help deciding between the three. obv the money is a pretty significant difference with au and i’m planning on trying to negotiate to get more financial aid

i’ve visited all three and liked all of them when i visited. carleton stood out for community, macalester stood out for seeming most aligned with my vibe/type of people, and au stood out for having by far the strongest polisci program of the three

some of my biggest preferences are that i want a job out of college rather than grad school, i want a strong program in polisci and math with good professors, i want a school where i feel like i fit in, and i want at least a little bit of nightlife/things to do for fun

any insights/opinions will be greatly appreciated:)