<p>Hello all! I'm just another student trying to make the grueling decision between three wonderful colleges, Carleton, Rice and American. I like aspects of all three colleges, but I don't feel like there's just one screaming my name above all others. I really like the location of American, the people at Carleton, and the residential college system and weather at Rice. I know their all great schools, how do I make this hard decision?!</p>
<p>Also, I have recently been leaning towards Rice, but am worried that the school might be too conservative for me and very sciencey. I am a classic California liberal kid born in Berkeley and I want to study political science...but also possibly biology. Sorry I'm a little all over the place. </p>
<p>ANY advice/thoughts/comments are greatly appreciated! Only two weeks to make such a great decision!</p>
<p>For Political Science, definitely Carleton over Rice. Carleton is very big on political science and tends to be liberal. I would NOT do Rice for Political Science. I don’t know anything about American.</p>
<p>Carleton is small enough that it does not need a residential college system. People there tend to be close, supportive of each other, friends. I know some people who went there as well as Rice. Both colleges are on my list, but I am a science major. No way would Rice stay on the list for a non-science or math major.</p>
<p>I don’t think you’ll be happy studying, assuming you major in, political science, and not choose American. You’ll think about it - every day. But that’s the reason to choose American, I think the strongest reason to choose American, over the others. But it sounds like you have multiple interests and may not be a die-hard political junkie. Maybe you aren’t. Maybe you could see yourself going to law school, which is a shade different from being a political junkie. Or you want to leave your future open to diverse possibilities. Then you aren’t a political junkie. You could then have a happy/successful experience elsewhere. Rice and Carlton are wonderful choices to have.</p>
<p>My son has a similar problem with 3 fairly different options, all stronger in some way than the others. </p>
<p>We are doing 2 things to help with the decision process: playing the “glass bead game.” Each school has a small mason jar labeled with the college name. Every time my son comes up with any criteria, however “important” or seemingly random, which he thinks is important, he assigns a value to each school on a scale from 0 to … whatever (for example: orchestral performing opportunities, on a scale of 1 to 30, school 1 is a 25, school 2 is a 10, school 3 is a 30). And he adds that many multi-colored glass beads to fill the jars. I have to say it is not a super logically based system, but the decision is not always logical for most kids, it is fun and it is actually becoming clear where things are headed from looking at the jars. And they are pretty on the table.</p>
<p>The second thing he is doing, which I plagiarize from another thread: each day, accept one school wholeheartedly. Figure out what your freshman classes would likely be and how big/small they are, find some webcams of the area, check the weather. Look at the academic calendar and see when you would be going home, figure out what kind of work study jobs you might have access to. Is there a menu of the food options today in the dorms? Spend alot of time on the website, with course descriptions, and all the literature you have for that school. Talk to your family and friends “as if.” Write down your thoughts before you go to sleep, ask yourself for guidance, and then the next morning, write down any dreams you may have had. Repeat with the next school.</p>
<p>american university is the weakest link! (drop it from the equation)
rice is hot carleton is cold. both great schools. toss a coin.</p>
<p>p.s. I do not think of rice as conservative …but, as a typical berkley liberal…it may serve you good to be exposed to other ways of thinking. ( not sure that would happen at rice)</p>
<p>Rice is not conservative and is very strong in areas other than science and math. It offers a little more of a campus life (D1 sports, such as they are) etc. Climate is much better than Carlton. Both are excellent schools. I would eliminate American.</p>
<p>Just a comment on the “residential college system”–Carleton IS a residential college! All but a very small number of seniors live on campus. On-campus housing options improve as you progress from freshman to senior year, with upperclassmen typically living in larger dorms, singles and/or on-campus houses. There is a wide range of “interest” houses as well, for those interested in foreign languages, sustainability, etc. etc.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is trimester vs. semester. At Carleton, you wouldn’t get out until almost mid-June, which could affect internships. As far as internships during the school year, you’d probably be in a better location for that at Rice than at Carleton. For Bio, I’d say definitely Rice, but for Poli Sci I think they’d both be good schools. </p>
<p>As a Californian, weather is definitely something to consider. Take it from somebody who moved from Arizona to New York at the age of 11: Suddenly having to deal with winter isn’t fun. I’ve gotten used to it, of course, but it’s still kind of miserable.</p>
<p>The people at Carleton are lovely, though. Can’t say I know much about the students at Rice.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your replies! I am taking all of these thoughts into consideration. I have now narrowed it down to Rice and Carleton. Really weather is the only thing that’s really holding me back from Carleton…but still it’s a huge factor.</p>
<p>For me, four seasons at Carleton is all about the Arb adjoining campus - glorious Fall colors over almost 1,000 acres of veritable wilderness, cross country skiing in Winter on 15 miles of trails, and Spring with wild flowers and a rushing Cannon River.</p>
<p>Add to that Winter distractions like skating, hockey and broom ball on the 2 rinks set up for all to use on the Bald Spot, snow ball fights, traying hills and Snow Men that just happen. Most kids, yes even the Texans and SoCals, adapt crazy easily (and happily) taking in all the good with the cold. </p>
<p>I loved Rice but found very little appeal (sorry) for Houston as a city or the hot humid weather for which the city is infamous. If, as you say, you’re from NorCal, you just might find that your blood is more sympatico with Minnesota :).</p>