Anonymous
Post 09/22/2018 11:34     Subject: Re:Macalester
Well, I would say that Grinnell has been a "tier" below Carleton for the last 40 years even if it has a much smaller endowment.

On comparative ranking, I present this enlightening article:
https://thefourthcrown-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/thefourthcrown.com/2014/07/26/st-olaf-college-recognized-as-second-best-college-in-northfield-mn/amp/?amp_js_v=a2&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQECAFYAQ%3D%3D#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fthefourthcrown.com%2F2014%2F07%2F26%2Fst-olaf-college-recognized-as-second-best-college-in-northfield-mn%2F
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2018 11:33     Subject: Macalester
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Carleton is ranked 5th among SLACs, Grinnell 11th, and Macalester 27th. The school has less than half of Grinnell’s endowment and double the acceptance rate. It’s a tier below Carleton and Grinnell for sure.

OP here - so my kid already has 2 reach schools on the list which fit the original description. Carleton would be another reach. Macalester seems like it would be closer to a match which is why it seemed to fit the bill. Grinnell would be too remote.

Other east coast SLACs with greed life are F&M, Union, Lehigh.


*greek life - sheesh!
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2018 11:32     Subject: Macalester
Anonymous wrote:Carleton is ranked 5th among SLACs, Grinnell 11th, and Macalester 27th. The school has less than half of Grinnell’s endowment and double the acceptance rate. It’s a tier below Carleton and Grinnell for sure.

OP here - so my kid already has 2 reach schools on the list which fit the original description. Carleton would be another reach. Macalester seems like it would be closer to a match which is why it seemed to fit the bill. Grinnell would be too remote.

Other east coast SLACs with greed life are F&M, Union, Lehigh.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2018 11:29     Subject: Macalester
Anonymous wrote:Carleton is ranked 5th among SLACs, Grinnell 11th, and Macalester 27th. The school has less than half of Grinnell’s endowment and double the acceptance rate. It’s a tier below Carleton and Grinnell for sure.


Maybe in your mind. But most people would not be able to discern the difference between these 3 schools. Sorry, but true story.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2018 11:28     Subject: Macalester
Anonymous wrote:Carleton is ranked 5th among SLACs, Grinnell 11th, and Macalester 27th. The school has less than half of Grinnell’s endowment and double the acceptance rate. It’s a tier below Carleton and Grinnell for sure.


So what? I went to Carleton when it wasn’t ranked 5th. It was barely known. I don’t think it offered less then than it does now. A couple of new dorms and a new dining hall and a new rec center are nice but kids still live in the same dorms I lived in and eat in the same places so the facilities don’t make that much of a difference. Some of the professors are the same. And kids were getting into great grad schools then as now. So the rankings don’t define the experience.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2018 11:16     Subject: Macalester
Carleton is ranked 5th among SLACs, Grinnell 11th, and Macalester 27th. The school has less than half of Grinnell’s endowment and double the acceptance rate. It’s a tier below Carleton and Grinnell for sure.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2018 11:05     Subject: Re:Macalester
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Very few SLACs have big Greek life. Macalester is not special in that regard.


East coast and southern SLACs have a much bigger Greek influence than most midwestern ones. THe cultures are quite different.


Which East Coast SLACS have big greek scenes? Some do but I don't think most do. And there are greeks at midwestern SLACs. Kenyon comes to mind. Denison and Ohio Wesleyan also have frats.



W&L has a big Greek scene. I’m not sure if it’s still the case today but back when I went to Bates in the 80’s they were known for being one of the only NESCAC schools without Greek life.


W&L is considered Southern, not Eastern.

Eastern LACs without Greeks includes Bates, Bowdoin, Haverford, Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Middlebury, the seven sisters.... so there’s quite a few.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2018 10:11     Subject: Re:Macalester
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid had the stats for Carleton, Grinnell, and Macalester. I told her if she got into all three I wouldn't pay for Macalester because it made no sense to pay the same money for a school that's clearly not as good as the other two. So she didn't even apply. In the end she got into the other two, and chose Grinnell both because she liked the vibe better than Carleton and because she gave her significant merit money. A very smart decision.


Puhlease... Fit should be more important than relatively small differences in quality measured in some dimension. I say that as someone who graduated from Carleton. With your snobbish attitude I would worry that your kid (if such attitude were passed to your kid) might not fit the vibe for either Carleton or Grinnell.


“Fit” itself is a snobbish and indulgent concept. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to mindlessly pay more for less. Check your privilege, please.


Check your privilege?? Come on. All three are good schools and Macalaester is not offering “less” than the other 2 other than somewhat lower public rankings. It sounds like all you care about is rankings? All three schools are a luxury for most families.

I went to Carleton and will fully acknowledge that it’s not for everyone. So fit is important.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2018 09:04     Subject: Re:Macalester
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid had the stats for Carleton, Grinnell, and Macalester. I told her if she got into all three I wouldn't pay for Macalester because it made no sense to pay the same money for a school that's clearly not as good as the other two. So she didn't even apply. In the end she got into the other two, and chose Grinnell both because she liked the vibe better than Carleton and because she gave her significant merit money. A very smart decision.


Puhlease... Fit should be more important than relatively small differences in quality measured in some dimension. I say that as someone who graduated from Carleton. With your snobbish attitude I would worry that your kid (if such attitude were passed to your kid) might not fit the vibe for either Carleton or Grinnell.


“Fit” itself is a snobbish and indulgent concept. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to mindlessly pay more for less. Check your privilege, please.


^^people like PP are not at Mac
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2018 09:02     Subject: Macalester
Anonymous wrote:Visited Macalester with my DC.

He was not that taken with it, although I loved the area and the campus. He felt that it had mroe of a pre-professional vibe than he was hoping for -- much emphasis on putting your liberal arts education to work on real life problems / internships at least in the info session / tour.

That part really appealed to me, but my kid was drawn more to places like Grinnell / Kenyon / Carleton. I would have been happy if he'd wanted to apply to Macalester.



Granted I have not been there for years, but I'd say it's more service-oriented than "pre-professional", in that the goal is to "make a difference" not "get a job and make money." I can believe that it seemed less purely intellectual than other SLACs.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2018 08:59     Subject: Re:Macalester
Questions like does the kid want urban vs. rural, big vs. small, Greek or no, particular vibe, or strength in a particular major rather than overall reputation are some that determine fit. Just because you wouldn't buy something doesn't mean that you should claim that someone buying something else is paying mindlessly more for less. As for this "check your privilege" crap, spend less time on DCUM and get a life.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2018 08:55     Subject: Re:Macalester
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid had the stats for Carleton, Grinnell, and Macalester. I told her if she got into all three I wouldn't pay for Macalester because it made no sense to pay the same money for a school that's clearly not as good as the other two. So she didn't even apply. In the end she got into the other two, and chose Grinnell both because she liked the vibe better than Carleton and because she gave her significant merit money. A very smart decision.


Puhlease... Fit should be more important than relatively small differences in quality measured in some dimension. I say that as someone who graduated from Carleton. With your snobbish attitude I would worry that your kid (if such attitude were passed to your kid) might not fit the vibe for either Carleton or Grinnell.


“Fit” itself is a snobbish and indulgent concept. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to mindlessly pay more for less. Check your privilege, please.


Of course, money is important, but Macalaster is pretty darn good, and the only one of the three in an area with internships available in the area. For some kids, that is super important. I'm glad It worked out for the poster's kid. I am also glad I was more hands-off with mine.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2018 08:21     Subject: Re:Macalester
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid had the stats for Carleton, Grinnell, and Macalester. I told her if she got into all three I wouldn't pay for Macalester because it made no sense to pay the same money for a school that's clearly not as good as the other two. So she didn't even apply. In the end she got into the other two, and chose Grinnell both because she liked the vibe better than Carleton and because she gave her significant merit money. A very smart decision.


Puhlease... Fit should be more important than relatively small differences in quality measured in some dimension. I say that as someone who graduated from Carleton. With your snobbish attitude I would worry that your kid (if such attitude were passed to your kid) might not fit the vibe for either Carleton or Grinnell.


“Fit” itself is a snobbish and indulgent concept. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to mindlessly pay more for less. Check your privilege, please.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2018 08:15     Subject: Re:Macalester
Anonymous wrote:
Carleton and Grinnell are in the middle of nowhere. All things equal, Macalester is the best of both worlds. SLAC in an urban environment. If only there were more colleges like this, my D would be more open to SLACs! I love Minneapolis/St. Paul area.


Carleton is only about 40 miles from downtown Minneapolis. Sure, it's not urban or suburban, but hardly in the middle of nowhere.

And to think that folks on the East Coast call Midwesterners provincial...
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2018 08:04     Subject: Re:Macalester
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Very few SLACs have big Greek life. Macalester is not special in that regard.


East coast and southern SLACs have a much bigger Greek influence than most midwestern ones. THe cultures are quite different.


Which East Coast SLACS have big greek scenes? Some do but I don't think most do. And there are greeks at midwestern SLACs. Kenyon comes to mind. Denison and Ohio Wesleyan also have frats.



W&L has a big Greek scene. I’m not sure if it’s still the case today but back when I went to Bates in the 80’s they were known for being one of the only NESCAC schools without Greek life.