<p>I am planning on apply to Carleton College next year and am looking for other schools that I should apply to. I am looking for a LAC with a strong science department, particularly biology and chemistry (or biochemistry). What I like about Carelton is that they have a diverse student body, unlike many LACs that are full of mostly very liberal student who can make being a conservative christian an uncomfortable minority. I live in Montana and would prefer not having to go too far east into any kind of big city and would also like to avoid any kind of big party school. Thank you.</p>
<p>The correct spelling is Carleton–you got it right once 
While not particularly diverse, Carleton’s neighbor St. Olaf has a strong science department and a new science building. You might want to check out Associated Colleges of the Midwest schools like Beloit and Luther, who also have built new science buildings recently (although, again, Luther is not particularly diverse). There are also a number of schools in Colorado that might fit the bill, although I am not as familiar with them.</p>
<p>Lots of kids who apply to Carleton also apply to Grinnell, which I think has even stronger sciences than Carleton. (It’s one reason my S ED’ed there-and he loves it!). Grinnell also offers merit aid, has the smallest average class size of any top LAC (even the intro science courses are 25 or fewer students), and facilities are new and beautiful. Definitely not a party school. And they have their own observatory-not a lot of light pollution in rural Iowa.</p>
<p>Pomona, in Claremont, CA would be another school popular with the same group-but if you want to stay in the midwest, then Grinnell is your best bet.</p>
<p>Most LACs (most top colleges, period) will have many very liberal students. The collegeguide.org site provides reviews (up to three free of charge) from a culturally conservative (but not politically far right) perspective, including red/yellow/green ratings for the school (indicating how friendly it is to conservative viewpoints). The only top-30 (USNWR), midwestern LAC to get a green light is Colorado College, which has good science departments and facilities (especially in environmental/life sciences and geology, I think). It’s a little less selective than Carleton and Grinnell (which I do think would be good choices for you regardless of politics). Earlham is less selective than any of these, but seems to have a very good biology program. It’s a traditionally Quaker school and you might like the atmosphere.</p>
<p>Is there some reason you want a top academic school but can’t put academics first? Is there a social reason why you can’t find your own people in a new environment? Are you usually uncomfortable around other people? If so then choose based on this, but if not, feel free to look at the best schools if you are qualified for Carleton.</p>
<p>Most colleges, uni’s and LAC’s will be liberal minded, but all will have your own peeps, you just need to find them. There isn’t a school where you know everyone, so it won’t matter what most do, will it? My daughter’s good friend went to a Christian college and quite liked it. Funny thing is he was conservative in HS but got tatooed and pierced in college and worked for a Democrat. Funny that. My dd went to Brown, a supposedly liberal and even hippyish environment, but she hung out with nerds and academics.</p>
<p>There was a thread on this less than a week ago. </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/839743-schools-like-carleton.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/839743-schools-like-carleton.html</a></p>
<p>I agree with the idea of Grinnell, St. Olaf, Pomona and Beloit.
How about Pepperdine University (not an LAC but is not that big of a school) and maybe University of the South, since it is in the south it might be a little more conservative.</p>