Carleton vs Macalester

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC is really happy at Carleton. It’s a rigorous school, as rigorous as U Chicago, not “U Chicago light” as a previous poster wrote, where students don’t take themselves too seriously and are more collaborative than cutthroat. The teaching is phenomenal—Carleton has been recognized as having the best undergraduate teaching for 14 years straight. Carleton is similar to Swarthmore whereas Macalester is similar to Bates or Hamilton if that makes sense.

Really not seeing the connection between macalester and bates or Hamilton. Seems more like an occidental.

[Anonymous]

My kid loved them both. Mac was more his style but he also really appreciated Carleton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC is really happy at Carleton. It’s a rigorous school, as rigorous as U Chicago, not “U Chicago light” as a previous poster wrote, where students don’t take themselves too seriously and are more collaborative than cutthroat. The teaching is phenomenal—Carleton has been recognized as having the best undergraduate teaching for 14 years straight. Carleton is similar to Swarthmore whereas Macalester is similar to Bates or Hamilton if that makes sense.

How do you have an expertise in so many schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Carleton is located in Northfield about 45min to an hour outside of MSP. Macalester is located in the city. In terms of FA, Carleton is need based only (at least it was in 2016 when we toured) so that put it out of the running for us. Hard to describe, but I found Mac to be 'nicer' the faculty and staff we interacted with were very nice and warm. My son found some of the Carleton stuff off-putting (introduce yourself as your spirit animal for example).

spirit animal lol!!

look, that aside -- they are both great schools -- it's a wonderful situation to be in

Okay, totally weird.

Completely weird and oddly juvenile. These people are looking for a college, right? Not a kindergarten class?

Given this was posted in 2020, they are actually looking for grad school or a job now, probably.

[Anonymous]

Carleton is more like Grinnell- more remote (but not terribly so!), kids headed for grad school, pretty woke/academic-minded, beautiful setting.

Macalester is … friendly! Kids do go on to grad school, of course, and are academically minded. But they also get jobs and internships and profs seemed open to kids who weren’t just headed to grad school, and who need/want to make money right anway after their SLAC experience.

If you’re in Minnesota, look at St. Olaf, too!

Proud Midwest girl here who had her kids look at all 3 schools and who was disappointed they both chose to stay on the East coast.

They are all great schools, for real. Go visit and one will immediately feel like a better fit! (And only visit Carleton if you don’t need $$).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:(And only visit Carleton if you don’t need $$).

Run the net price calculator for Carleton or any school where you worry the cost might be too high. While Carleton doesn't offer merit aid, we found their financial aid to be very generous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:(And only visit Carleton if you don’t need $$).

Run the net price calculator for Carleton or any school where you worry the cost might be too high. While Carleton doesn't offer merit aid, we found their financial aid to be very generous.

We also found Carleton's financial aid to be really good. And I don't know if I entered the numbers incorrectly into the net price calculator, but the final COA Carleton offered us would have been significantly less than what the NPC told us it would be.

We also were really impressed by St. Olaf. People are absolutely sleeping on it, and I think it's one of the greatest "academic arbitrage" opportunities out there. Neither of our kids ended up at either school, but we thought both schools were great.

[Anonymous]

I should have said don’t visit Carleton if you need $$. I was just speaking from my own experience- definitely run your own numbers, do the NPC, apply!, who knows?! Good luck to all the kiddos.

[Anonymous]

*shouldn’t have said