<p>31% of Macalester/32% of Carleton is minority/int’l, indistinguishable. Student attitudes are about as tolerant-liberal as you’ll see anywhere, ANYWHERE (both schools). </p>
<p>The biggest differences in my mind lie in, much as I argued with Williams, geography and the dominant personality of the student body. </p>
<p>Mac sits in a quiet residential area within easy reach of downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis. Carleton sits in historic Northfield about 40 miles away, surrounded by woodland and farms, easily accessible to the twin cities but we’re talking planned excursions, not strolls a la Mac. </p>
<p>The campuses are physically night and day different. Mac sits on a very small pretty and manicured piece of property, all of 53 acres, and I can see how youdon’tsay and ds2 could look at this and perceive very different images. 2000 kids on 53 acres - dynamic to one person, claustrophobic to another. I know kids that have done the “I’m not getting out of the car” thing looking at Mac because of this. I also know kids that wouldn’t consider making the trip to Northfield knowing the nearest Chipotle is 19 miles away.</p>
<p>With the understanding that there are a lot of overlaps, I think Mac as a whole tends to support a student population that is, true to its rep, more politically active and left leaning liberal. Carleton is not exactly a conservative bastion, but the population has a surprising number of pretty traditional types in the mix making for some interesting interactions. Carls are, also as billed, probably as a group more cerebral, quirky and alternative fun-loving. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have plenty of jocks and, yes, even “preps” that would seem more at home in New England than Northfield. </p>
<p>At either school, a frisbee is de rigueur, an instant “Ultimate” entree to acceptance :)</p>