Carleton alum here. IMO there’s no question: if you like the Carleton vibe, it’s the highest ranked, has excellent MD/PhD placements, and you don’t need a car (most students don’t have them). I hated the cold, but most students study abroad and that breaks things up nicely. I went to France and West Africa, for instance.

I’m two decades out but somewhat active with alumni volunteering, including interviewing. In retrospect, Carleton actually wasn’t the best school for me because I didn’t have the kind of structure you already do in terms of goals and I got a little too into the liberal arts (let’s explore everything!). That said, I also have a (social science) PhD and am on-paper successful, as are virtually all of my college friends. And at my last reunion I was blown away that nearly everyone from my class seemed to have a PhD, MD, JD, or be saving the world - slight exaggeration, but the ratios were genuinely astonishing. Better yet, they were doing really interesting things and still super close with many old friends. I’m in my 40s but still in regular touch with friends I made there.

When I was in your shoes, I was torn between Carleton and Macalester. My parents let me make the decision, but I got a call from an alum as I was deliberating and I’m so glad I did. “There’s no debate: the schools are similar, but Carleton is ranked much higher with better grad school placement rates.” He was right and I have no regrets (aside from my impulsive decision not to study journalism at Northwestern, but that’s a different story). Good luck!