<p>Would anyone like to comment on which east coast or high ranking Liberal Arts Colleges are similar to Carleton in personality? Or would anyone like to compare St. Olaf to any east coast schools?</p>
<p>I’ve never been able to identify any college nationally that truly resembles Carleton in aggregate. Probably the closest East Coast sibling in academic atmosphere would be Swarthmore. Socially, it’s much more difficult to find any blood relations, especially within the NESCAC - Wesleyan has at least some overlaping personality. Venturing to the uni category, probably Brown.</p>
<p>(Based on my reading of college guidebooks)</p>
<p>Wesleyan is really liberal. Carleton may be as well, but those at Carleton are much more laid-back about it. Wesleyan is more of an activist’s school.</p>
<p>Brown definitely, though, university-wise.</p>
<p>Maybe Middlebury?</p>
<p>Possibly Vassar.</p>
<p>Maybe someplace in between Haverford and Wesleyan?</p>
<p>^I definitely agree with that. Although I personally think Haverford is a closer fit than Wesleyan (which I felt had an edgy/urban feel to it when I visited)…but not quite so nerdy…</p>
<p>Middlebury, Haverford and Swarthmore come to mind. Also maybe Bowdoin? Those, at least, are the schools someone I know who went to Carleton also really liked.</p>
<p>Though, it also depends on why you like Carleton. Carleton was probably my third choice after Wesleyan and Brown, and my other favorite East Coast LAC was Vassar. But, for me, Carleton was on the less quirky/artsy edge of schools that I liked.</p>
<p>I don’t think you’ll be able to find an exact match, so it might be useful to know which way you’d rather go – more quirky, or less? What about Carleton appeals to you the most – the quirky student body, the tight knit campus, etc? Do you care about location (city vs. small town), size, etc?</p>
<p>its actually my son who didnt like Carleton, but liked St. Olaf… And I am debating whether to do east coast /new england college visits with him, because it will be expensive.</p>
<p>He felt Carleton was too small, and a little nerdy and the kids didnt seem to be having much fun.</p>
<p>We visited Muhlenberg, Lafayette, Villanova and Bucknell and he liked all of them. I visited Hamilton without him and I liked it… </p>
<p>I hate to visit schools that may feel like Carleton if we do decide to travel out east… I did drive by Haverford, and I know without a doubt that it would not be something he would be interested in. The schools I think we should visit are Bowdoin, Dartmouth, Middlebury, Amherst, Williams and Wesleyan, unless there is quite a bit of commonality between Carleton and those suggested above. My son likes sports but doesnt live for sports, and he plays ice hockey. Haverford and Swarthmore are not schools he would like. </p>
<p>Any other comments would be welcomed. I really liked Carleton and the diversity I saw. He I think liked St. Olaf more because the kids seemed more normal and not so intellectual.</p>
<p>I don’t know about the intellectual stuff, but I think they’re into ice hockey at Colgate, he might check that out.</p>
<p>Bowdoin maybe?</p>
<p>St. Olaf is really a unique place because of the combination of it’s campus, setting, academics and religious and community focus. It is also one of the largest LAC’s. The closest version of St Olaf that I can think of in the Northeast might be Muhlenberg, which you have already visited.</p>
<p>The schools your son has liked (St. Olaf, Muhlenberg, Lafayette, Villanova and Bucknell) are in general on the more conservative, more traditional/mainstream, more pragmatic/less intellectual, less individualistic end of the college spectrum. It’s understandable that Carleton, Haverford and Swarthmore might not appeal. I’d suggest that Wesleyan be added to the “no” list (don’t quite see St. Olaf and Wesleyan as overlaps). </p>
<p>There are two schools you didn’t mention considering I might suggest - Colgate and Lehigh. Of the schools you’re considering visiting, Dartmouth and Middlebury also seem potentially good fits. Bowdoin will be a major Maine trek to visit. Amherst and Williams seem reasonable for consideration but are in a competitive league above many others your son’s considering (except Dartmouth).</p>
<p>Bates. Definitely.</p>
<p>C’mon, no two colleges are exactly alike.</p>
<p>St. Olaf is quite conservative. Carlton has a more lively party scene. The schools are quite different. I have trouble equating any east coast schools with St. Olaf. I like St. Olaf, but it just doesn’t seem to match up with the east coast LACs in my view.</p>
<p>^ I could not agree more. I have been trying to think of a similar college in the Northeast to St. Olaf and I just can’t come up with any. Muhlenberg is even a stretch.</p>
<p>It is so great that you know a little about St. Olaf… What makes it so unique? There are so very many colleges in the country, it surprises me that nothing anywhere else is like it…If you can expound, that would be great… I think Gustavus Adolphus might be similar, but it has a greek scene and St. Olaf doesnt. Would Wash U or Denver U be like St. Olaf, only a little larger?</p>
<p>St. Olaf attracts a conservative student body and has a strong choral music program. I believe it is a dry campus. It would not be comparable to Wash U or DU, in my opinion. It’s not conservative in the sense of completely right-wing or Bible-thumping, but what I call “upper midwest conservative”. This is not a bad thing at all- but it isn’t for everyone. Lawrence would be somewhat similar, in my opinion, but less conservative. It is also upper midwest.</p>
<p>St. Olaf is more similar to southern LACS such as Davidson or Rhodes than to any northeastern LAC. It is a self-described “college of the church” and its religious identity is alive rather than residual. So many Northeastern LACS (i.e. Wesleyan) were Methodist at one time but that is not an important part of their identity anymore.</p>
<p>I agree that St. Olaf is really unique, with its combination of strong music programs, emphasis on mathematics and sciences, and active faith life.</p>
<p>I honestly feel that Carleton’s personality is unique and cannot be matched by any LAC in the East coast. :)</p>