Congrats on a great choice! My daughter also debated between Grinnell and Carleton for ED and ultimately chose (and was accepted to) Carleton. She agonized over this decision for months! A few things to consider: Carleton has trimesters, so students take 9 classes a year rather than 8. Grinnell only has one gen ed requirement which is a freshman writing class, leaving you complete freedom in your future classes. Many students at Grinnell double major because of this. Carleton does have requirements but it sounds like they are easy to meet. The travel to and from each school was a definite consideration. Getting to Minneapolis is a direct flight for us from the west coast and getting to Des Moines is 2 flights. Each school then requires a 45 min shuttle. My daughter liked both campuses although Grinnell is much more remote. I hope you can visit so you can see how it feels for you. It’s a 4-5 hour drive from Grinnell to Carleton if you are up for seeing both schools in one weekend! It can be done!
Let us know what you ultimately decide! If you end up at Carleton, you will be classmates with my daughter and I wish you the best of luck in your decision 