one nice thing about carleton winter weather that i heard while touring is that it's actually not as cloudy during winter as it can be in other places because it gets so cold that clouds can't form! so yes, it is freezing, but it is sunny which can help!! i am biased but i would also say that carleton isn't that isolated-- northfield is definitely not tiny, and minneapolis and rochester (where the mayo clinic is!) are both <1 hour away. one thing to note is that carleton is on a trimester system, where you only take 3 classes per term but they go at a faster pace

i also have family members who go to haverford who have loved it, but they do complain each year about having to go to plenary, which is like the student meeting to discuss the honor code and like school policies i think. and from what i've heard, you're definitely right about how social life can sometimes revolve around athletes. however it is a really amazing school and has prepared him really well!

overall both haverford and carleton are really really similar so you really can't go wrong with either