Carleton vs Grinnell

[Anonymous]

DC admitted to both. DC is a bit academic oriented, a little extrovert & introvert both. Not interested in any party/frat/sorr etc.

Location for sure is not the concern

Please suggest what to consider from academic, future growth perspective?

[Anonymous]

My kid was accepted to both last year. During his visits he found Grinnell to be much more academic, so he chose Grinnell. This was based on sitting in on classes at each school. The other reason he went with Grinnell is that he was able to choose which classes to sit in on in Grinnell whereas Carleton chose for him and wouldn't budge. Grinnell sells itself as a school with flexibility, so Carleton's inflexibility on that day was a big contrast.

Are these assessments accurate? I don't know. Kids who are trying to decide are presented with a one day impression. His impression of Carleton that day did not match what he was looking for.

[Anonymous]

My kid chose Grinnell bc it has an open curriculum and he preferred semesters over quarters. He loves Grinnell.

[Anonymous]

Both schools can be over the top woke, but Carlton seems like it has more room for a mainstream kid to fit in.

[Anonymous]

Chocolate

[Anonymous]

Vanilla

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both schools can be over the top woke, but Carlton seems like it has more room for a mainstream kid to fit in.

You're right, the Fresh Prince's cousin was pretty mainstream.

[Anonymous]

You say location doesn’t matter but Carleton does have another college in town (st. Olaf) and is 45 min to Minneapolis vs Grinnell is 45 min to Des Moines. I think Carleton could provide more opportunities for internships and academic collaboration.
Any cost difference?

[Anonymous]

They are fairly similar. Agree that Grinnell seems like it is more flexible and more focussed on meeting student needs. Also, Grinnell’s endowment is much higher than Carleton’s, so they may have more resources available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both schools can be over the top woke, but Carlton seems like it has more room for a mainstream kid to fit in.

Huh, my impression was the opposite.

[Anonymous]

Is there merit aid from Grinnell on the table?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both schools can be over the top woke, but Carlton seems like it has more room for a mainstream kid to fit in.

Kindness isn’t mainstream?

[Anonymous]

I have a very academically-inclined student at Carleton who has been extremely happy there. The administration is excellent and responsive. Yes, students were assigned a class to visit on the admitted students day we attended, I assume to balance out the needs of the day's schedule and so as not to overwhelm any particular class.

The arboretum (the Arb) is a wonderful resource to have on campus for walking, running, and cross-country skiing. Some professors also have students doing research there.

With the trimester system, the terms do move quickly, but a benefit is that students focus on three courses at once. The winter break (Thanksgiving to New Year's) works very well for those who like to be home for Thanksgiving.

So far we've found advising and the career center to be great.

Northfield is a charming town, and I think that having two colleges there both keeps it vibrant and well-balanced. From DC airports, it's easy to get direct flights to MSP and then take the Northfield Lines bus (or taxi options) to campus.

Have you been able to visit one or both places? Though the schools are probably very similar, it's possible that students might feel more at home at one place or the other.

[Anonymous]

My DS liked and got into both and ultimately chose Carleton mostly just from a gut instinct of where he felt more at home. He also preferred the trimester system because he thought it would be easier to manage 3 classes at a time, but it is an intense ten weeks. He's having a wonderful experience and just loves it.

There are a lot of similarities between the two schools. Congratulations to your DC on having these two great choices!

[Anonymous]

Congratulations to your DC! They are both wonderful schools and true liberal arts colleges with excellent academics. In terms of the quality of undergraduate education, it would be hard to improve on either. Honestly, you could flip a coin and not make a bad choice. My DC got into both and, after going back and forth, eventually chose Grinnell, partly because she felt the students seemed happier and more creative. She also likes the open curriculum, which works very well for her as she can follow her passions. She absolutely loves Grinnell. While I think Grinnell is an almost perfect fit for her, I think she would also have been very happy at Carleton, and some kids would prefer Carleton to Grinnell. Grinnell has a bigger endowment and is spending some of it on upgrading the dorms, which are becoming much more attractive, comfortable, and livable. They will all have A/C in the near future. In my opinion, that daily level of comfort and quality of life is important. Grinnell also has nicer labs and sports facilities. I slightly prefer the trimester system at Carleton to the regular semesters at Grinnell, and Northfield is very pretty. However, you really can't go wrong with either one. Your DC is faced with the best of dilemmas.