<p>Which would you choose?:</p>
<p>Middlebury or Carleton</p>
<p>Carleton. :) That's where I'm going next year.</p>
<p>To be honest, I don't know much about Middlebury, therefore I can't offer much comparative advice. But what I can tell you is why I chose Carleton.</p>
<p>I visited campus twice, viewing a bunch of classes and generally soaking up the environment. Every class I viewed (and I saw about 5 in all), was more or less utterly amazing: the professors were personable and knew how to lead students into those thorny, tangled questions and the students, for their part, were quite willing to dive in and tackle those questions with gusto. I liked the small-town LAC feel (evidently you do too), but also liked the fact that the twin cities are within reach. Carleton has the usual pluses of a LAC of its tier: small classes, close-knit students, and all that viewbook filler.</p>
<p>What really separated Carleton from its east-coast peers to me, however, was the general atmosphere of nonpretentious, friendly oddness. Oh, people are strong students and motivated and intellectual. But they combine a love of learning with a love of life. And that love of life manifests itself in an infectious, cheery nerdiness. What other college habitually has ice-sculpting contests or sends its students scurrying after a marble bust of an obscure, dead German poet (by dangling it over the football field in a heliocopter, for instance)? Where else is there a "hardcore" intermural league of broomball? And yet this exists with top-notch, challenging academics. Zeal for learning and having fun and combining those two things just permeates the campus. For what it's worth, I've talked at length to several alumni and each one has been ardently enthusiastic about the place. My AP Lit teacher was an alum and when I told her I was accepted, her usually sedate and grammatical text exploded into a flurry of smileys and exclamation points. Carleton, I guess, just seemed disarmingly optimistic, yet intellectual: a curious blend that I didn't really find anyplace else.</p>
<p>I don't know much about Middlebury, I'll reiterate, but I do know that it's an excellent school as well. So I'm sure which ever one you choose, you will be quite pleased! Happy decision-making!</p>
<p>Minnesota rocks ;)</p>
<p>I have quite a few friends at Carleton and they love it. I got into Carleton, but I don't think I'll be going. It's definitely my first choice for Minnesota schools, but I just want to experience a different part of the country.</p>
<p>depends on your major..</p>
<p>If I were to major in foreign languages or international relations, I would go to Middlebury</p>
<p>But if I were to major in history or English.. hmm I would go to Carleton</p>
<p>Just my opinion :)</p>
<p>A friend of mine goes to Carleton and loves it there. He's actually got rejected from Princeton and Harvard, but now is glad that happened.</p>
<p>The Twin Cities are really nice. You have Mall of America, the country's biggest shopping center (and they are planning a $1.8 billion addition). Minneapolis has the second highest number of theater seats per capita behind NYC. Also, Popular Science rated Minneapolis the most technologically advanced city in the country. The best part is, it is only a 45 minutes away from Carleton.</p>