<p>The advice that you have been getting is pretty sound, though I have a feeling that it is not quite what you want to hear. </p>
<p>I suggested part of what I thought was the difference, but since you thought I was unclear, I'll be more blunt. </p>
<p>At the risk of overgeneralizing the differences between 2 schools more similar than different, Pomona has MUCH better weather, more rich kids, more preppies, more Easterners, more Westerners, more kids who at home would scope out the right gym to join, more attention to being fit and looking good, MUCH better clothes, more makeup on women, more traditionally ambitious students, more grade-grubbers, and students who are less driven by the love of learning than at Carleton. </p>
<p>Are you like that, or do you like to hang around kids like that? In other words, how cool are you? Did you run with the cool kids in high school? If you did, you'd probably fit in great at Pomona. If you didn't, you'd probably be happier at Carleton. </p>
<p>Carleton is the modern small college equivalent of what the University of Chicago used to be before it decided to admit "well-rounded" students and thus become "Northwestern light": the school for brilliant, quirky social misfits.</p>
<p>I remember my daughter's overnight at Carleton and our official tour in zero weather in a recent Feb. There were 2 student guides (male and female) and they spent something like 2.5 hours showing us around, even though there were just a total of 2 prospective students and 3 parents taking the tour. We even got to see the male guide's room, which was a MESS. </p>
<p>They were two of the nicest young people I've ever met. At the end of the (Sat. afternoon) tour, we asked whether their tour job was part of their work-study financial aid award. They both said that they were volunteers who were not being paid at all. We were stunned. At every other school we visited after Carleton, we asked student guides if they were being paid and of course every other one, without exception, was being paid.</p>
<p>Because my daughter had expressed interest in Sci-Fi during the tour, when later that evening the male guide saw us in the dining hall, he grabbed his roommate, who was into Sci-Fi, and brought him over to meet our daughter. The roommate promptly asked her if she wanted to come to Sci-Fi night at Benton House that night (she couldn't because we were leaving).</p>
<p>The night before our tour, the student who was hosting my daughter in her room took my daughter to a group that was performing/reading a series of one-act plays written by Carleton students. My daughter was assigned parts in two plays and performed (read) them that night in front of the small audience.</p>
<p>Then, when she was going to sleep on the floor of her host's room, a guy in a nearby room came in to tell her bedtime stories, including some obscure medieval German ones. </p>
<p>During admitted students weekend, the president of the college said that during student orientation they actually try to drum into Carleton students that they shouldn't try to be cool by being cynical, condescending, and negative, that striking a world-weary attitude is not a sign of intelligence.</p>
<p>I hope by now you are getting an idea of what I am trying to say. As I said on another thread, but which someone was kind enough to quote on this one, Carleton students are the nicest, least cliquish students I've ever seen--and I've taught courses as a prof. (or visiting prof.) at six universities (I'm a Northwestern prof.) and guest lectured at dozens more.</p>
<p>Let me be even blunter. </p>
<p>Ask yourself this question: Are you decent, interesting, and intellectual enough to be a Carleton student or would you be happier running with an equally bright, but socially faster, better dressed, and slightly more superficial crowd?</p>