Hey everyone, I’m looking mainly at these three schools to possibly ED to. I am wondering which one has the strongest economics program and if you could tell me about your experience on their campuses (Unfortunate my family and I are unable to travel and see the campuses). Thank you and I really appreciate it.
Based on faculty scholarship, Colby might house the strongest economics department from your group: https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.uslacecon.html.
OP, these schools have different cultures:
- Colby is thought to be relatively preppy/sporty and has a big party scene.
- Grinnell is relatively crunchy/liberal
- Carleton is in-between -- a nerdier, more intellectual vibe.
All three offer cold winters, with Grinnell probably a bit milder than the other two – but there is still snow and cold.
I don’t think Grinnell is much milder. A lot of snow seems to pass south of MN through Iowa these days. I wouldn’t pick between them based on weather.
Average January Low (Fahrenheit)
Grinnell: 8°
Waterville: 5°
Northfield: 1°
(Intellicast.)
I agree with @prezbucky 's description of dominant culture at each and I can’t imagine that most kids would like all 3 equally. Colby’s economics department is strong, and it’s a popular major. If you look at the course catalog, you’ll see that there are a couple of ways to do the major depending on your interest/objectives. They have some good research opportunities as well as networking events for internships and post grad job placement and they also make it easy to do study abroad.
They are all great schools in the middle of nowhere, so I would advise you to think about social fit. They are also schools that are best known in their region, so if you prefer to be in Boston or New York post grad, Colby is a good bet whereas Grinnell or Carleton might be better if Chicago or Minneapolis is your goal. Not to say that any will limit you, but the closest connections are strongest.
Once it is that cold. I’m not sure it matters much.
Perspective of a mom, not of a former student: One of my daughters went to Carleton, where she earned a double major in economics and math. Summer after junior year, she worked in Boston. After graduation, she worked in New York City for two years. She’s now in an economics Ph.D. program in California. She also applied to and was accepted by Colby and Grinnell. She preferred the feel of Carleton.
@intparent , I am with you! That cold is too cold!
Fwiw, if there is any way you can visit your top choice before you ED, do it. I think many students have an immediate connection (or not) with this type of school just as @rosered55 described. And maybe it’s a reaction to all that cold, but I keep running into Colby kids in CA (lest you think they all stay in the frigid northeast.)
Yes, I missed that. You should not ED to a school you haven’t visited, period.
In any of these places, you’re likely to experience “snot-freezing” cold. Somewhere around 10F or 5F, you begin to feel the hairs inside your nostrils freeze up. Dripping snot starts to freeze. So does the water vapor accumulating around facial hair. Somewhere below about 5F, you might even start to get breath freezing up around your eyelashes. Also at around 5F or below, you may need to plug your car into an engine block heater overnight. So 5 or 7 degrees colder can affect whether your car starts in the morning (or whether you need to wear a balaclava outdoors.)
The coldest overnight temp I’ve experienced in the mid-Atlantic was -15F. A around that temperature, the plumbing lines located on outside-facing walls started freezing up. The remedy was to keep kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors open to allow for warm air circulation. You might hear stories of spilled liquids freezing before they hit the ground at more extreme temps (-40F or so).
I mean… yes. I lived in MN for 30 years. But these aren’t huge campuses. And people do wear winter clothes. I don’t see it as a reason to turn one of them down.
Well I grew up in northern Wisconsin (a bit colder than Northfield) and now live in Davenport, and the winters are a fair bit milder here in Iowa. They feel that way, anyway.
Parent perspective - One big difference at Carleton is that they are on 10 week trimesters, not semesters like most other colleges. The pace can sometimes be pretty intensive. Students can do “externships” for a week during the long holiday break. There are Economics externships in Chicago, Boston, etc. As was commented earlier, Carls have internships, jobs, and attend grad school across the US and the world. While many end up in Chicago and the Twin Cities, that seems more due to students’ choices than any limitation of the location of the college.
Carleton’s Economics Department sponsors off-campus study programs at Cambridge and in Bangladesh for Microeconomic Development.
If time of travel is a concern, Carleton is easier to get to than Grinnell, or Colby, as many US and international cities have direct flights to MSP airport. It is a 45 minute shuttle ride from MSP to Carleton and there are several shuttles a day.
If you have any questions, you can contact the Carleton Economics Department (or a specific professor) directly. The professors seem pretty responsive to emails from students.
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@intparent I understand that sentiment, but the majority of the schools on my college list are based on financial considerations. In a perfect world, I would love to visit the schools that I want to ED to, but I believe that any one of them will give me a good package and a quality education. Going to college in general has been a big dream of mine, so its possible I am not as picky about going to the school with the “right fit”.
@RogerDodger1 , your outlook is admirable and I agree that you will get a great education in the classroom at any of these schools. All 3 are truly excellent.
One of the reasons so many of us focus on fit is that the LAC experience is about so much more than what happens in the classroom. There is an expectation that you’ll make yourself a meaningful part of the community outside the classroom, and while that could mean in a formal role, such as varsity athlete or tenor in the chorale, it could also be as a great friend to people on your hall, or explainer of difficult concepts to classmates, or the person who fills up the team rosters for IM sports, or the guy who has the funniest costume for every theme party. It’s about new experiences and making connections as well as learning in the classroom and all of them are so much easier and more fruitful when you feel like you can be yourself and be appreciated for that. It’s also the case that all 3 are isolated so the school community really has to be your community. You don’t need to be friends with everyone, but you’re going to see z lot of the same faces day in and day out. Much better if they are faces that make you smile!
Some people kinda of fit everywhere and some in only a few specific places. Most of us are somewhere in the middle. So think about where you think you can be the best version of you – where you’ll be happiest. These schools have reputations for certain kinds of students. In reality, very few students fit the stereotype to a tee, but you may feel more of an affinity for one type over another. It really is about best fit rather than best school.
I agree with other posters that you should not apply ED without visiting. Only take the ED path if you are very familiar with a school and confident it is the best fit for you.
That said, these three schools are each excellent. We visited all three recently with my son. He chose Grinnell and is very happy there. Grinnell and Carleton have similar vibes. Liberal, academically intense, down to earth, rural, some quirky students. Colby struck me as preppier and more image conscious. The towns of Northfield and Waterville are perhaps more scenic but the town of Grinnell has its charms as well. All three campuses are beautiful. Semesters (Grinnell and Colby) vs. Trimesters (Carleton) are an important difference. Semesters make study abroad easier.
Grinnell’s endowment is over twice as large as either Carleton’s or Colby’s and the excellent facilities reflect that. Grinnell also is the only one of the three that offers merit aid and the only one of the three that is need blind with admissions.
Carleton is only need aware for a small % of their applicant pool. If you aren’t on the cusp academically, then they probably are need blind for you.