<p>I don't know where to go to college and May 1st is only a few days away! I am waitlisted at Carleton - and I would definitely go to Carleton if I am accepted. Meanwhile, I have to pick another school. I have narrowed my list down to Whitman and Grinnell, both of which I have visited in the last 2 weeks. And both of which I really liked when i visited. Both are good in sciences, good academics, nice campus, four seasons, nice students, oppurtunities for interships, study abroad, grad school........ etc .where do i go!?? Both have given me about equal merit aid, but Grinnell has a billion dollar endowment (they have money galore!). I live in CA, so whitman (WA) is in driving distance, but I want to experince somehting new - like the east coast or the midwest, another part of the country. Whitman is more fun, Grinnell is more studying and is ranked higher on USNWR. The fact that Grinnell ranks better than Whitman shouldn't be a concern, but it is. WHAT Do I Do??? Both Schools are the same!</p>
<p>First. . I would focus on your choice; not on your Carleton waitlist spot. Though each year is a new year, Carleton has a history of waitlisting many students and taking few to none. Even if you were to get an offer, it is unlikely that the aid package would look as good as the ones you have at Whitman and Grinnell.</p>
<p>I would trust your gut feel about Whitman vs. Grinnell, as both are excellent academically. When you were on each campus, did one "feel" better to you? </p>
<p>One other thought. . .alumni networks are useful tools for job hunting and general business networking. Whitman's would be very strong in the pacific northwest and okay in Cali, but almost nonexistent elsewhere. The Grinnell network would be stronger nationwide and very good in the midwest, but it does not have an area where they are as strong as Whitman in the northwest.</p>
<p>Be happy that there is no wrong choice here.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you "commit" yourself to one school or the other for a whole day, and see how you feel about your choice. Reidm is correct about Carleton's wait list. I think it's been at least a few years since Carleton accepted anyone off the waitlist - and even then, they may be looking to fill a particular niche. On the basis of geography alone, Grinnell certainly seems more Carleton-like. But I'm not really all that familiar with Whitman and it could be more Carleton-like in other respects. For what it's worth, my daughter is having plenty of fun at Grinnell - and also studying very hard. Academically, I think it can be an intense experience.</p>