Carleton College Top Questions

Although most people will ask you where Carleton is, the ones who do know about it will rant and rave. Carleton is the "Harvard of the Midwest," meaning it is achedemically challenging. But it doesn't have the pressure that usually surrounds a strong school. At Carleton, people sport the Carleton sweatshirt, or no sweatshirt at all. Everyone is glad to be here because it is a self selecting school.

Size is just right. Not much of a town so nearly all of one's time is spent on campus.

Some of the most charming aspects of Carleton are the quirks and idiosyncrasies present on campus and in the student body. The hunt to capture the bust of Schiller, late-night breakfast before finals, and class outside when the weather is beautiful are a few perks of the generally laid back attitude on campus.

Carleton is a smaller school, and when you are on campus, there is a distinctly Carleton bubble. I generally like the size, but sometimes feel a bit boxed in by the limited number of people at the school. If you tell someone you go to Carleton, you'll get one of two reactions. Either "Where's Carleton?" or "Wow, you must be smart!" Northfield is definitely a college town, with St. Olaf right across the river. School pride varies per person. People either love it here or hate it. Or love-hate. Most people have a love-hate relationship with the school, but overall I think people who are accepted like the school for the academics.

The campus is beautiful all year round. If you like the snow this is a great place. It's nice to have a small college, you get to know everyone around you. The town itself is nice. Small but it has good bookstores and coffee shops a grocery store nearby.

The best thing about Carleton is that it has a lot of really interesting people. The school is small enough that one can see their friends regularly in the cafeteria or between classes, but big enough that one can always meet new people. Most people hang out in dorm rooms here, socializing or partying, although sometimes we go down to students' apartments or townhouses. Other than that, Northfield is pretty boring and doesn't have much to offer.

Carleton is a great place. The students have a lot of freedom to create activities and organizations, and many do, so if you are really passionate about something, you know the group on campus is the same way. If there isn't a group on campus, you can create one!

Carleton students are quirky -- everyone will describe it that way, and it's true. We aren't just unafraid to be off-beat, we actively enjoy being a bit silly. Students here are smart and hard-working, but also quite low-key -- it's a lot less of a pressure-cooker than many other elite colleges. Arrogance is highly frowned upon here. Northfield is a nice enough town, though a bit small. The student body is small and intimate, the campus is large and inviting, and there is a lot of breadth in course offerings. Obviously, this being small-town Minnesota, it isn't the most diverse environment, but on-campus at least there is a pretty strong commitment to fostering an open, inclusive, and diverse climate.

Carleton is full of smart people who really are into studying. In high school you would look at the "dumb blonds" or the "stupid jocks". But at Carleton you can't make any assumptions, because that girl who wears mini-skirts and spend two hours doing her hair and makeup in the morning just spent six months living with a tribe in Africa, teaching children English, and doing HIV/AIDS research. Carleton is too small, and too rural, but that's what makes it Carleton. It wouldn't have the same intimate community if we had the option to leave campus... Northfield is a two college town, and is a "college town" in that there are many young people around, and everyone in the town works for either Carleton or St. Olaf. Despite this, there isn't really too much to do in Northfield other than grab some coffee at Blue Monday's or some EXCELLENT Indian food at Chapati's. Everyone at Carleton loves to complain about it - but everyone complains with a twinkle in their eye, because we all know that this is the best place in the world and we love it here.

Best thing about Carleton: the atmosphere of fun. Size: just right. How do they react: if they know what Carleton is, they're usually impressed; otherwise, they're confused. Where do I spend time: usually Sayles-Hill Campus Center, playing arcade games or ordering from the Snack Bar. College town: yes.

Carleton is the perfect size for me, I feel, and the campus is compact while also not feeling tiny. I'd say the atmosphere here is the best part of college life, as there are so many interesting people to meet (both students and faculty). People back in Maine hadn't really heard of Carleton, but I have nothing bad to report back to them. Northfield is a cute, quaint town that's a fun place to go once a week or so, although it gets old pretty quickly.

The people here (both professors and students) are the best thing about Carleton. The small classes are great and professors legitimately care about students. I'd probably change the food service if I could change anything, but that's actually being changed next year. I think the school is a good size. People generally don't know what Carleton is when I am back home in California and tell them where I go to school. I spend most of my time in the dorms hanging out with my friends or doing homework. Northfield is a decent college town - it is nice that downtown Northfield is literally across the street from Carleton. I wouldn't like Northfield if I went to Saint Olaf and wasn't right by the restaurants and stuff. Carleton's administration is very good I think - most people here really like our President, Oden, and the deans are all very open to student opinions. The administration is also very liberal - the only way you can really get in trouble here is by being prejudice, getting in a fight, or dealing drugs. If security catches you smoking marijuana they just tell you to stop. They are designating some dorm rooms as rooms that can have both a guy and a girl in them. We already have co-ed dorm halls, but the co-ed room thing is sort of controversial. There is a tremendous amount of school pride. Some people frequently complain about how much work we have and that there isn't anything to do on the weekends. Furthermore, people complain about all the girls here being ugly. I don't really think either are legitimate complaints though.

Carleton is a true community. I would say that the students have a common sense of humor, and that relations with faculty and staff tend to be close. It is small enough that you meet someone once and then you start seeing that person everywhere. This is nice in that there is a sense of interconnectedness-my physics tutor is one of the students in the class I prefect for.

Ultimately, Carleton can be what you make of it. The campus here is beautiful and eclectic - somewhat indicative of the atmosphere here. The school is the perfect size for me, just under 2K students, you can find a place here without feeling suffocated. The town might be small for some tastes - about 15000. Its got great character, friendly people and enough resources for a comfortable life. Most importantly though, being in a small town, there are always events going on around campus to find something to keep entertained. The best thing about Carleton - and you'll hear this from about anybody you ask - is the people. People here are friendly, engaging, intelligent and generally want to learn and expand their understanding.

When I tell people I go to Carleton, they usually tell me I must be smart or they ask if we really are all a bunch of hippies. Overall, Carleton provides an excellent education, but I do feel that students live in a bubble. A lot of what we learn is interesting, and we're learning good critical thinking and communication skills, but we're not learning practical job skills. Being in a bubble makes most students unaware of this issue and they seem to feel that all there is to life is reading books and writing papers.

The campus and community seem to get smaller over the course of four years. That has its ups and its downs. It's nice to feel completely at home basically anywhere on campus. It's nice to see someone you know every time you set foot out of your dorm room. However, the tiny environment can also seem constraining, and sometimes it's frustrating that people who you've never had a conversation with probably know your life story.

A lot of people don't know about Carleton. Even people from Minnesota have never heard of this place. Carleton is a great place to explore who you are freely. Carleton has many resources and many professors who will help you find your way. The town is very small and it is hard to get to the cities. One thing Carleton doesn't do well is provide enough transportation to go off campus.

The best thing about Carleton are the people. One thing I'd change is the food-but we are getting a new food service next year! Carleton's size is fine. A number of people haven't heard of Carleton but when they have the response has always been really positive. I spend most of my time hanging out in my friends' room. The town is nice and we just got a new waffle bar called Sweet Lou's

I most appreciate the human relationships I've been able to develop with other students. Some of the most inspirational and beautiful people I know, I met at Carleton. I would change the general apathy and lack of activism in Carleton students, starting with higher expectations of applied knowledge within the curriculum. Social activism is completely a choice, both in ideology and in deed. I don't mind the number of students at Carleton, though I wish more of them were conscientious and more engaged with their complete learning experience. Few people know about Carleton outside of a privileged group within the US - the response is therefore either 'impressed' because they have heard and believe the elitist rhetoric that surrounds schools like this one, or disinterest because they have no context for the College. I spend most of my time at work (15 hours per week), doing homework and with friends. Northfield (our College town) is a perfect example of small, Midwestern farming communities becoming suburban - some hate this and others adore it. I don't cherish the smell of cow dung and Malto Meal cereal that is particular to the area ... The administration is, unfortunately, more interested in maintaining a status quo that photographs well and can be published in promising brochure paragraphs than it is in investing in the holistic education of all students. Carleton struggles consistently with racial issues, hidden sexual assault, drug ab/use and one of the worst retention rates of men of color in the nation. Many of these stem from an institutional preference to ignore these problems, allowing them to fester, instead of a dedication to healing dialogue about them.

Carleton is an amazing school. From my experience of talking with friends and others in colleges across the country, I feel it's one of the best undergraduate experiences in the country. You can do anything you want, and be anyone you want. We're all family to a reasonable extent. That is true. The school is about taking everything in moderation, including moderation. You'll find a liberal student body, but also a vocal conservative presence that creates great dialog. You'll find atheists and believers; nudist and puritans; jocks and geeks. Everyone can find happiness here. Everyone. Carleton's relationship with the world around it is an interesting one. When someone hears you go to Carleton, one of two answers is assured: 1. That's a fantastic school. Do you like. My *blank* went there, and is in grad school at *blank*. She credits Carleton with a lot. OR 2. Carleton. Hmmm; that in Minnesota, right? It's cold there, you know. People apparently assume that you aren't aware that Minnesota is cold in the winter. The town of Northfield treats the college in a similar manner. Some of the town's people really like the school, some of them are ambivalent, or unaware. So it goes. Our administration is fantastic. Ridiculously so. Rob Oden, the current president is an amazingly charismatic, insanely intelligent man who with the rest of the administration is leading Carleton in the 21st century with ambitious plans to renovate Carleton's arts, as well as a plan to increase our endowment about 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}. His goal is to leave Carleton with fully endowed financial aid, a sub 10:1 student to faculty ratio and an arts program to rival any other small liberal arts college. It's ambitious, but it's Rob Oden. I have no doubt that it will happen.

Like any institution, Carleton College has its strength and weaknesses. For my part, I believe the strength of Carleton College is its professors. They are very approachable and always willing to help any student. I have witnessed professors writing strong recommendations for students they hardly know. As for weaknesses, in the past, I believed the school administration was not very sympathetic to low-income students. However, this appears to be changing as Carleton College's New Access Scholarship, which will be implemented during the 2008-2009 school year, will be a major help to low-income students. A continuing weakness of Carleton is a lack of school pride for sporting events. There seems to be a large divide between the student athletes and the rest of the student body. One experience that I will never forget is the Halloween fight over the bust of Friedrich Schiller. At Carleton College, there is an ongoing competition to capture a bust of Schiller. Often, the group that has the bust will bring "Schiller" to special occasions such as the Halloween Concert in 2005. The competition to grab Schiller lead to an all-out tussle (not an excessively violent tussle though) in the street, which was broken up by Northfield police.

I love that Carleton makes you think: in class, about life, about people, about yourself. I'd change: the price. Size: sometimes it feels way to small, but then if you make an effort to you are always meeting new and extremely interesting people. How do people react: some people think it's a 2 year technical school or get it confused with Carlson at the U of M. Those that know education respect it. Most time on campus: West Gym, my house, or the Libe. College town: If you make an effort to get involved in the community in a positive way it's great. (Schools, community events etc). But you have to make an effort. Administration: no problems. Controversy: Why hasn't Shiller shown up in awhile? Pride: Sometimes I wish there was more athletic support. But athletes are really supportive of each other. Unusual: it's very unusual. Experience I will always remember: midnight runs Complaints: the food...but that's in the process of changing.

Carleton is just the right size - it's easy to become comfortable and find a group of friends. Northfield is a great college town - couple of pizza places, delivery sub shop, a few bars, and Hogan Brothers makes the best hoagies I've ever had. The administration is pretty great when it comes to students. They have a lot of respect for students and trust us with a lot of freedom, especially when it comes to partying. We handle this responsibility by being (mostly) responsible.

Best thing: the student life Change: the food Size is just right for me, depends on what you're looking for- many people think it's too small, but i really enjoy the quaint feel of it and the smallness makes it really easy to make friends People's reactions: usually they're very impressed I spend my time in my room, on the golf course, or at the library Really lovely college town!! Northfield is the perfect size and you can still find places to go... it's cute and cozy but without being too elderly in feel... i think it's actually very artsy, young and hip for such a small town School pride: not really with sports- I guess it depends... i thought my high school had more student pride than carleton does, but i think that's just because carleton is more into the academic scene than the athletic one student complaints: rigorous academics, bad food

the school is too small. People first havent heard of Carleton (im from CT, nobody thinks there is a world outside of the NE and California). Id tell them where it was and they would say "You know its cold there" and "You know thats far away." I spend most of my time on campus in my dorm because Goodhue is isolated. There isnt that much school pride, its pretty middle of the road. I will always remember playing my first college baseball game in the Metrodome. The most frequent student complaint is the food.

1. The best thing about Carleton is the people. 2. I would change how the administration interacts with students. Specifically I would like to be able to have a party that goes past 1am when it isn't bothering anyone. 3. Just right. I meet new people every now and then. 4. People react as if it is a good school and hard to get accepted. 5. I spend the majority of my time in the library or athletic facilities. 6. College town. 7. I think the Carleton administration understands that Carleton students are creative and college is a time to express oneself, but recently they have been cracking down on parties and the like. I would appreciate it if they would give us a little more leeway. 8. Biggest controversy on campus was a fight. 9. There is a lot of school pride but on the surface I think everyone gets a kick out of hating Carleton since we are all going through it. Deep down its definitely there. 10. There are probably too many unusual things to list. 11. I'll always remember the time I spend together with large groups of my friends and meeting new people, which is why I get upset when parties get broken up without warrant; I'd like to get to know new people when when parties are shut down everyone is dispersed to the usual crowd they hang out with. 12. My most frequent complaint is the disdain for large parties.

The best thing about Carleton is the supportive atmosphere. People want to see you succeed. I would change the cliquiness of some social groups. People think I'm really smart when I tell them I go to Carleton, or they don't know what it is. There's no middle ground. There's a bit of a disconnect with the town of Northfield and the St. Olaf campus. There isn't a lot of school pride, especially in terms of sports. Students often complain about the food, but much of it is undeserved.

Re: Career counseling Carleton's in an odd place right now as far as colleges go. It's continually ranked in the top 5 by US News and World Report for liberal arts colleges, which means it attracts a fair amount of national attention and consequently has a low admissions rate. At the same time, Carleton remains a fundamentally Midwestern institution, and its rise in prestige has been accompanied by somewhat haphazard steps to give Carleton students national opportunities with regard to internships, careers, networking, etc. Every year Carleton's student population becomes more urbane and bicoastal - the result of the rankings, positive word of mouth, and so on - but Carleton as an institution is only now discovering how to capitalize on that buzz. A new Career Center director is doing good work, but he only arrived this year.

It's the perfect size- i always see people i know and i always see people i've never seen before. a lot of people back home don't know where carleton is or how great a school it is, but all the people i talk to who are important and know the good schools all recognize it as one of the best schools in the country. i spend most of my time on campus in the snack bar, the rec center/pool, class, my room, other peoples' rooms... everywhere? Northfield is a nice little town because it has 2 colleges. without carleton and st olaf northfield would be a miserable little town, but there are a lot of nice things that cater to college students because of the large population of us. administration = ok most of the time. wellness center could use some work. recent controversy- the elimination of the pre-freshman trips for incoming freshmen the week before the rest of their class arrives and classes start. they were the best experience i could have ever had at school and they can't happen because not everyone can go on them so it is unfair. there is school pride but it differs depending on the groups you're looking at. sports teams have a lot of school pride because of the team and the school. unusual things... maybe that we call our quad the "Bald Spot" and abbreviate everything? and have awful food.

The best thing about Carleton is that it is incredibly fun to live here. You are surrounded by motivated, interesting people, and though we have different backgrounds and opinions, we all tend to share a lot of the same values. It feels like a very safe place to be- where everyone can feel comfortable being themselves. One thing I would change is that it's too cold here. Honestly, though, there's not a lot that I would change. I think Carleton is just the right size. It does feel quite small sometimes, especially since by senior year (or sooner) it feels like all of your friends have dated all of your other friends- creating a lot of potentially awkward situations. A lot of people don't know what Carleton is, so a common response I get is something like, "oh, is that the Culinary Arts School in Minneapolis?" But the people who DO know are usually impressed when I tell them I go to Carleton. These people also tend to be interesting and intelligent themselves. I spend most of my time on campus in a psych lab in the basement of Hulings working on my senior thesis, or in "the Complex" - where my dorm room, the dining hall, the campus center, and most of my friends tend to be. I love Northfield. It's small but quaint, and the little shops on Division Street are charming. Carleton's administration are extremely committed, and they seem to understand what it's like to be a college student. Most students have very positive feelings about the administration, and President Oden in particular. The most recent controversy that I can think of was a recent firing of an RA because he was caught drinking in a semi-public space. The RAs that thought that his firing was uncalled for, and through a huge petition and many letters, the decision was reversed and since then Residential Life has tried to make their expecations more clear to the RAs. There is a lot of school pride, though not necessarily for our athletic teams.

Carleton College is a small private liberal arts college. It is not too big or too small, I believe that it is the perfect size. It's big enough to still meet new people everyday, yet, small enough to know almost the whole campus. I love Carleton, as my four years of experience here has been great. I've met a lot of very cool people, and the professors here are nice and get to know you one on one. The professors care about you, they even take you out to lunch. If there was one thing I would complain about, it would be the lack of diversity. Although Carleton College may be the most diverse college in the state, at least percentage wise, Carleton still lack diversity, in terms of numbers and discussions about diversity or race related.

I love all the people at Carleton and how open and accessible the professors are. I feel that administration and faculty are truly invested in the success of each Carleton student. There are always small issues with the administration, I personally want to park my car closer to my dorm, but I understand that Carleton is not a campus designed to accommodate student cars. Northfield is awesome. It has plenty of cafes and bars with tons of personality to keep the town interesting. It is a rural Minnesotan town so it doesn't have everything, but it has great Indian food and a Target so I think that is sufficient. When I tell people I go to Carleton they don't know where that is because I am from the west coast. Students frequently complain about the food but the administration has listened and they are changing dining companies next fall. I will always remember my first spring term, going out to mai fete island with all my upperclassmen friends in the warm weather on a Wednesday night to have a party. It was great to see everyone so relaxed and carefree after the long cold winter. Some of my favorite memories occurred out on that island and were a great conclusion to my first year in college.