<p>Hey everyone,</p>
<p>I am having a really hard time choosing between the two schools. Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of both? I feel like I know some but I might be biased and want to know what other people think. Thanks!</p>
<p>I want to study Environmental Studies.</p>
<p>Have you visited both? They are very different.</p>
<p>Carleton smaller, more intellectual, the Midwest is so friendly, Northfield is small but not so far to the fabulous twin cities.
Colgate hard to get to anywhere from, more “jock” and NYC student body, and on Princeton Review “hard liquor is popular”</p>
<p>I know a lot of Colgate people will get mad, but I’d pick Carleton-I think you would get a more personal education there. Unless you don’t like the warm-hearted folks of the Midwest.</p>
<p>Have you seen this? </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/carleton-college/691523-index-carleton-vs-____-threads.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/carleton-college/691523-index-carleton-vs-____-threads.html</a></p>
<p>There are several Carleton vs Colgate posts linked there that may be helpful to you :)</p>
<p>Depends on what kind of crowd you’re okay with, and the setting. Though both are essentially placed in rural setting, Colgate is more mainstream 
</p>
<p>Colgate is more of a hipster school, while Carleton is more intellectual, I think.</p>
<p>I can’t say I’ve ever heard Colgate described as “a hipster school,” lol.</p>
<p>I second OldbatesieDoc–have you visited?</p>
<p>My impression is that Carleton has a pretty strong environmental studies program. They have two ecologists in the biology department, plus the Arb as a resource for research. While I have never visited Colgate, from reading my understanding is that the atmosphere and social environment is quite different than Carleton. Visit both if possible.</p>
<p>agree with oldbatsiedoc as well as mflevity.</p>
<p>Carleton will be more intellectual, more whimsical, less pre-professional.</p>
<p>Colgate is if anything “relatively” conservative, preppy, privileged. Hipster? No way.</p>
<p>Colgate is definitely a “bro” school. “Bro’s” and “hipster’s” being the two competing groups.</p>
<p>Agreed. Coming from the Northeast, I’d say that Colgate is preppier and more conservative, and generally more of a “jock” school. They have a Greek system, and I think there would be more of a partying atmosphere. It’s not too much bigger than Carleton, though, and I think you’d still get a great education. It is, however, significantly more isolated than Carleton. While Northfield can feel tiny, it is a really nice town and the Twin Cities are fairly accessible for a weekend trip. Colgate, however, is in a small town and it’s difficult to get to any major cities from there. Some people aren’t bothered by this - some people are.</p>
<p>OP, where are you from? If you are from the Northeast like me, you may be more familiar with the “East Coast feel” of a school like Colgate. I would definitely say that the Midwest is a lot more relaxed, unassuming, and unpretentious.</p>
<p>Thank you for all in input everyone! I am from the west coast.</p>
<p>Here is a contrasting, or should I say complementary, view about Colgate- as followup to Oldbatesie’s opinion:</p>
<p>Colgate is hardly inaccessible given that Syracuse airport is less than an hour drive away with nonstop flights to Newark, Chicago, Ft Laud, Toronto, Boston, Cleveland and other places. Utica, 45 minutes away, offers Amtrak service to Manhattan in 4.5 hours. Boston and NYC are 5 and 4.5 hours drive away.</p>
<p>About the hard liquor comment, well, lots of colleges have alcohol. As I did not see mention of the Princeton Review’s findings with Colgate ranked in the nation’s top 10 for most beautiful campus, happiest students, top library, most accessible professors, and lots of beer, and its top 20 spot for most popular study abroad and best classroom experience, I thought I should chime in. </p>
<p>I don’t want to nit pick, but I am not sure about the NYC student body point. Colgate is diverse with students from 48 states (California is number 5 and ahead of Penn), 36 other countries making up 8.5% of the student body. See colgate.edu for the facts. </p>
<p>Good luck with your research!</p>