<p>Even though the OP must be preparing to set off for his/her chosen school, I wanted to add a characteristic that I observed at Carleton that I know doesn’t exist at all schools. (I’ve been away from CC for a while; my Carl graduated in 2011, but his little sister is now in HS and so it begins again . . .).</p>
<p>Carleton students don’t seem to be competitive about grades with each other. They don’t discuss them and seem to “compete” only with themselves as to how well they do. My son noticed the difference between Carleton and UChicago in this respect. And recently I was speaking with someone who’s familiar with both Swarthmore and Haverford. He characterized the former as having a study body that was more competitive about grades and characterized Haverford as being more like Carleton. Obviously, this anecdotal and others may have different experiences, but I do think that different LACs can have very different cultures. </p>
<p>The other thought that’s stayed with me (and that I’ll pass on to my D when the time comes) regarding choosing schools, is that an overnight doesn’t always give you the full story. Based on his overnight stay during accepted students weekend, my son wouldn’t have chosen Carleton. He was put with a student that he had nothing in common with, etc. However, Carleton was a great fit and he loved his time there. Just a thought to keep in mind. ;)</p>