I have a daughter who graduated from Kenyon in 2020. She LOVED it. All that some of you are saying about Carleton match her experience with professors, peers and intellectual life at Kenyon. She had an amazing four years.
As for the rural nature of the location, this to her was a plus. She and her friends made multiple trips to Columbus and Cleveland. In addition she did a few longer trips to visit some interesting historical sites in Indiana. She even traveled to Standing Rock to help with the Dakota Access Pipeline protests with a group from Kenyon. These are things she could not have done had she chosen a school closer to her New England home.
I post this simply to assist others in understanding that although Carleton I’m sure is wonderful and fits all the comments shared by other posters, so does Kenyon. No student should feel they have given up something special by choosing Kenyon over Carleton. Reasons for making this choice can be quite personal. For my daughter a desire to experience a new region of the country eliminated serious consideration of New England schools. I suggested Carleton several times, but she wanted to be in a warmer climate.
For this OP, I’d carefully consider available academic programs. If Arctic studies and environmental studies are of great interest, then perhaps the school that appears strongest in these areas makes the most sense.