<p>If your parents are paying and you won’t be getting need-based aid, keep in mind that Grinnell offers significant merit aid and Carleton offers none. Grinnell’s cost is also several thousand dollars lower to start with. </p>
<p>I don’t know that Carleton’s admission process is more “holistic”–it gets more applicants than Grinnell, which allows it to waitlist or reject more qualified applicants. I have been told that Carleton pays a lot of attention to the candidate’s perceived “interest” in the school. This, of course, is supposed to allow it to keep its yield up, which improves its rankings. </p>
<p>Either school would be a great choice. Good luck choosing!</p>