<p>I mentioned this in an earlier thread, but I'd love to hear more opinions. I've been accepted to both Carleton and Williams - in my mind, very similar schools (small liberal arts colleges in the middle of nowhere where you can expect to freeze your butt off). </p>
<p>Williams is ranked higher than Carleton and, from what I know, generally considered more prestigious. However, I don't want to make the decision based soley on rankings or pretige! </p>
<p>So, are there any good reasons to choose Carleton over Williams? If you had to choose between them, where would you go? How are the schools different (or similar) ?</p>
<p>Thanks!!</p>
<p>Congrats, raven. You have 2 superb choices. Yes, Williams is higher ranked in USNWR, however, I don't believe Carleton at #5 means you are trading much in prestige. Geographically speaking, Carleton is less known because it is outside of the NE region that so many students are interested in. Try to visit both. It usually comes down to a feeling of fit.</p>
<p>First of all, Carleton is not really that remote. It is exactly 40 minutes from the Minneapolis airport and Mall of America and 50 minutes from downtown. It is 15 minutes from urban sprawl in a very quaint small town of 17,000 people (including 5000 college students). St. Olaf is the larger LAC in town (3000 students). Williams is truly in the middle of nowhere, taking a couple of hours to get to a larger city.</p>
<p>You might compare the schools' academic calendars. Carleton is on the trimester system, teaching a typical 15 week semeter course in a 10 week trimester. Thus, you are limited to 3 courses each term. For example, the typical two semester sequence of o-chem is taught in 2 trimesters. This schedule makes the academics quite intense, but according to my daughter, very enjoyable and doable with good time management. It also means 6 weeks off from Thanksgiving through Jan 1.</p>
<p>Oh, the trimester system at Carleton is DEFINITELY a plus.. good call!</p>
<p>Can you leave Carleton after a term is over if you are unhappy? Like... can you abort after the first trimester?</p>
<p>I don't know too much about Williams, but I do believe the schools are similar. Williams is preppier and more sports-oriented, though, whereas I'd say the Carleton student body is probably geekier and doesn't have that East Coast mentality. Both schools are in the sticks, Carleton slightly less so but getting off campus is a pain in the butt. Both will have the same freezing weather (and both Minn and Mass are getting snow right now apparently!) As Maize&Blue pointed out, Carleton is on a trimester system, which I absolutely love. I prefer the trade-off of going through 3 sets of midterms and finals a year when you only do 3 of them at a time, rather than having 4 or 5 classes at once. You can do some nice class planning with this system and get combinations and balances of courses you couldn't accomplish at another school in your first couple of years. Williams is slightly better known (at least on the East Coast, but neither is really heard of by the general population). Carleton has better financial aid, from what I've heard ancedotally. You might compare the course offerings of the departments you are interested at both schools. Both are strong in the sciences, but Williams might have a language that Carleton doesn't, for example, or you might like Carleton's English department better. I think I'd prefer Carleton over Williams mostly for the laid-back, midwestern mentality here and the term system, but it's all personal preferences.</p>
<p>mcoledb8: Yes, you can leave Carleton after the first term. There were one or two freshmen who took time off after the first term and I imagine are transferring or returning next fall. I think there are a couple more who aren't coming back to school next week. Carleton isn't going to force you to stay there if you hate it, as with any other school.</p>
<p>Carleton generally has happier students:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/rankings/rankingDetails.asp?CategoryID=7&TopicID=43%5B/url%5D">http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/rankings/rankingDetails.asp?CategoryID=7&TopicID=43</a></p>
<p>This is reflected in Carleton's having the highest % of alumni giving after graduation of any top college or university.</p>
<p>The students at Carleton seem a bit nicer, a bit less sophisticated, a bit less driven than those at Williams. So if you want friends and to be happy, you might pick Carleton. If you are more careerist and don't care much about happiness, then the students at Williams are a tad stronger.</p>
<p>"Can you leave Carleton after a term is over if you are unhappy? Like... can you abort after the first trimester?"</p>
<p>omfg i'm laughing</p>
<p>I think academically, Williams is a better school-but not by much. You really have to decide what works best for you. Williams was my first choice (congrants on getting in, by the way) because of the fact that the academics are intense, Williams students are generally outdoorsy (not to the extent that Middlebury kids are, but they still go out into the woods), and that Williams is what some call a "Jock School". If that's what you're into, then I'd choose Williams.</p>
<p>Carleton is more laid back, I think. Academics are only a hair behind Williams-not enough to make it a significant factor, I'd think. Although I've heard (don't quote me or get offended) that most kids that go to Carleton are "quirky". I dunno if that's true, but keep that in mind.</p>