<p>Congrats on being accepted at two great schools! There’s a thread at the top of this forum that compiles several “Carleton v ____” threads, including several on Grinnell. You should read these if you haven’t already. My son is considering both schools, so I’ll share my observations, which you can take for what they may (or may not) be worth.</p>
<p>Overall, Carleton and Grinnell are very similar and attract many cross applicants and cross admits (such as yourself and my son). Grinnell’s students struck me as being a bit edgier and more politicized, but the student bodies at both schools are rightly characterized, I think, as being smart, open, and accepting. Grinnell has somewhat more ethnic/racial diversity, with minorities making up about 26% of its last incoming class, as opposed to about 22% at Carleton. Both schools have about the same percent (around 73%) of kids coming from public schools.</p>
<p>Both colleges are in small towns, though Carleton has the distinct advantage (IMO) of being about 45 minutes from the Twin Cities. Grinnell is about the same distance from Des Moines and Iowa City (the latter being a great place for college kids to hang out). Both campuses are very nice; personally, I prefer Carleton’s because of the Arb. </p>
<p>Both are among the strongest LACs is sciences, and Grinnell is particularly strong in biology. Grinnell has a much larger endowment per student, and it shows in terms of several newer/nicer facilities on campus. Grinnell’s science facility is particularly impressive, and, IMO surpasses what I saw of the science facilities at Carleton, though this is not to say that the science facilities at Carleton are bad.</p>
<p>You should try to visit both if at all possible. If you can’t, take comfort in knowing that they are both great schools and you can’t make a wrong decision. Good luck!</p>