<p>Virginiaman, no, I don’t think there’s a preponderance of manic narcissists at Carleton. ;)</p>
<p>I think the “quirky” description comes more from a lack of a Carleton “type,” although I’d say most if not all Carls have a hefty dose of intellectual curiosity in them. Last year, my son sent me a clip made by Carls lampooning the “quirky” label.</p>
<p>I understand the difficulty in visting. My son didn’t do so until accepted student weekend. But maybe you could check out Grinnell and UChicago at the same time, if those interest your son at all. Both schools share applicants with Carleton.</p>
<p>My husband (an academic) and I have been extremely impressed with Carleton. One aspect I love is that intelligence seems to inform about everything they do. And our son loves it; he can’t imagine himself anywhere else.</p>