<p>Sadly, most Americans are amazingly ignorant about top undergraduate institutions. Williams is confused with William and Mary, Swarthmore with Skidmore, etc. Simply put, LAC’s are given short shrift by the masses. That said, top graduate and professional schools, recruitors in many sectors do know that they are at least on a par with the top ivies. Johns Hopkins is, frankly, a safety school for people who have a serious shot at admission to SWAP. Back to the subject at hand, however, Carleton is even less widely known than other top LACs but is a fantastic place and, I believe, a very happy place according to the students.</p>