My oldest daughter just graduated from Carleton and we can’t say enough good things about the school. Trimesters are great, 10 weeks each and you get the time between Thanksgiving and New Years off. It’s rigorous and the students work hard, but the atmosphere is more supportive than competitive. I agree with whoever said you should choose the school you feel is the best fit for you socially/emotionally (assuming the financial aid is the same). Both are wonderful schools. I’d say that student (and parent) satisfaction with Carleton is higher on the whole.