Wellesley or Carleton for an undecided?

<p>While I've read almost every recent thread about Wellesley, I'm still curious.
I've "heard":
Wellesley, despite being an all-girls environment, is diverse.
It has great alums/resources
Located near Boston
Holds a-types but also outliers (relaxed students)
little social life beyond weekends (unless you actively assert yourself)
no loans!!
people only like it because of Hil Clinton.
there's gay fish as well as straight fish as well as harvard and MIT drunken fish 30 mins away.
cross registration with non-drunks also 30 minutes away</p>

<p>on Carleton:
it's small, it's great , it's quirky!
students are humble
social life is thriving
there's a cookie mansion (?)
job prospects ok - not ok
midwest too
great prospects for phD persuers
small loan
no one has heard of it except maybe employers' grandkids </p>

<p>I don't really see myself further perusing formal education after college. When I google carleton vs. wellesley, I find that 50% chose C and 50% chose W.</p>

<p>So most rankings are arbitrary and my individual preferences can probably be suited anywhere I go if I try hard enough. I've accepted that. But if any students or parents of students have any more info or advice,on either school, I'd love to read it.</p>

<p>Further questions:
Is Wellesley easier to get into because it's all girls? </p>

<p>I attended Carleton many moons ago and transferred out.</p>

<p>My daughter attends Wellesley.</p>

<p>Do you prefer urban to rural? Wellesley is more urban - Carleton more rural.</p>

<p>I would also consider Carleton to be more self-enclosed - be prepared to eat / drink / sleep / socialize on campus - which of course you can also do at Wellesley, but if you want to branch out to socialize / take class elsewhere, that is very easy to do. (I would say this is probably the biggest differentiator.)</p>

<p>I am sure you can go on to get a Ph.D. from Wellesley as easily as you can from Carleton.</p>

<p>When I attended, many of the students were from suburban Minneapolis, which colored the student experience to a certain degree.</p>