<p>One question is what type of interaction would you want to have with faculty if you seek research opportunities (a good idea as a pre-med). UChicago will have lots of labs which may (or may not) encourage participation by undergraduates. The faculty will have a flock of grad students and post-docs, and an undergrad will probably work as an assistant to one of those folks, at least to start. At Carleton, the whole teaching and scholarship picture for faculty are the undergraduates, and you would be first in line. (I’m not sure where WashU falls on the research continuum, though I believe the graduate science program is smaller than UChicago.) </p>
<p>Another thing to consider is that Carleton’s setting in Northfield is in a small town, with Mpls & St. Paul ~ 45 min away. It’s not a huge barrier, but you do have to plan. UChicago is, well, obviously in Chicago with all the pros & cons of that, and without too much effort you can explore the city.</p>