<p>Make the trip. My son just visited Carleton this summer and fell in love with the school. He is not yet done with his college visits, but I am pretty sure he will end up at Carleton. We live in Maryland, and he attends a private school in DC. Most of his classmates stay on the east coast for college, chasing the most prestigious “brand.” The more relaxed and less status conscious attitudes at Carleton really appealed to him.</p>