Carleton College Reviews
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Sara from Buda, TX
05/04/2010Reviewer is Researching this school. Reviewer has been to campus.
16 out of 16 people found this review useful. 1 of 8
Categories Comments Great for these types of students Bright, motivated, humorous, noncompetitive, down-to-earth people. Friendly (without being to obnoxiously extroverted).
Tips for prospective students Really consider the environment you are looking for in a university. Carleton offers a small, tight-knit community that is pretty non-competitive. It has no sororities or fraternities, and favors inclusion over exclusivity. It is, to quote an admissions officer, Elite without being elitist. The people are bright, motivated, and friendly. They take academics seriously, but do not take life too seriously. The campus is very rural and nature-oriented (as displayed by the gorgeous 880-acre Arboretum).
Bang for the buck I am a firm believer in the fact that a good education is well worth the price of a school. And a Carleton education appears to me to be just that--a good education. Also, Carleton offers instrument/vocal lessons that are not counted as classes and are therefore considered to be free. So that's pretty awesome. AND they have really great financial aid that very nearly matched the offer made to me by an Ivy League school (which is saying something for such a small, relatively unknown liberal arts school).
Will enjoy being here Carleton has an amazing atmosphere on campus. Most everyone is friendly and seems to share the sense of community (and the Midwestern sense of humor) that defines Carleton. Everyone I met on-campus was involved in several activities (intramural sports, radio station, community service, comedy troupes, musical groups, etc.) and seemed to be genuinely happy to be there. The main factor that kept me from attending, however, was the location. While Northfield is a very charming small town it is also distressingly TINY. It is located in a very rural area and likely lacks sufficient social life off-campus (or so I feared). However, if you have a car you could likely reach the Minneapolis/St. Paul area within 45 minutes to an hour. So there's that. Plus there's those harsh Minnesota winters (so be prepared for that).
Will learn a lot Carleton offers a comprehensive liberal arts education. Because it is based on a trimester schedule, students only take three courses per ten-week term. This allows them to focus more on the classes in which they are enrolled without becoming overwhelmed. And at the end of their four-years, they will have actually taken four classes more than most students at most other universities. Additionally, because Carleton is a small school that only offers an undergraduate education, all classes are taught by professors (rather than graduate students) and are small in size.
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from MN
06/23/2011Reviewer is A current student here.
6 out of 6 people found this review useful. 2 of 8
Categories Comments Great for these types of students The students that want to do everything. Carls are extremely talented, interesting, well rounded people. However, you won't necessarily know this because they do not brag of their accomplishments or try to compete with other students. Carls are friendly, conscientious, engaged, and intelligent. Carls are quirky. You can find people here that are all very different but that get along. Academics come first but Carls know how to let go and be goofy (as seen in our numerous school traditions, check out the Wikipedia page). The frequent motto is study hard, party hard. Partying can mean whatever you want it to.
Tips for prospective students Visit. I didn't know that this was the right place for me until I visited. Do an overnight. Talk with students. Talk with more students. They love 'prospies' and will tell you all about Carleton. It sounds cliche, but I picked Carleton because of the people. This is true for many of my friends too. Remember to pick a school that is right for YOU. Not anyone else. Go somewhere where you can really be yourself. Also, if making the decision where to go is hard, try elimination. Write a list comparing your schools and gradually cross them off. Allow yourself to be selective.
Bang for the buck Financial aid was fantastic. This price of an education at Carleton was equivalent to that at a state school. The financial aid office is very good about working with students so that they are able to continue to go here. I have friends who have appealed and received more aid. Carleton is also great about giving out work study.
Am enjoying being here Although I didn't realize it until I got here, I could not have picked a better school. Students here truly love this school. This is seen by how prospective students are treated like celebrities, how there is an abundance of students who want the unpaid position of tour guide, and how Carls could go on for hours talking about their school. Here is a place where there are so many opportunities. Carls are involved. Not only can I be a student receiving a great education but also a volunteer, a friend, an athlete, a worker, a musician, a club member and so much more. Yes, Northfield is a small, rural, Minnesota town but that does not mean that activities are lacking. The school brings in bands weekly to 'The Cave', there are 'Sayles' dances, traditions such as Rotblatt, Spring Concert, and Screw your Roommate, sporting events, performances by both school and major musical, theater, and dance groups, speakers, camping and adventure trips, club sports, intramural sports, an 880 acre 'Arb', floor activities, free trips and tickets to the movie theater, weekly movie screenings, countless costume/dress-up parties... Students stay on campus on weekends because they want to. There is something for everyone.
Am learning a lot Learning at Carleton can not be quantified by a GPA. Students here learn class material, yes, but also about themselves and the world. Students become conscientious, passionate, well rounded individuals. The learning environment is conducive to this. Other than intro classes, classes are small and many are discussion based. Students do not just idly sit, but engage in the material they are learning. Professors are amazing. They encourage students to attend office hours and are genuinely interested in getting to know them better and to help them. Many invite students over to their houses for meals. They are great resources for writing letters of recommendation, internships, study abroad opportunities, and research. Outside of the classroom, students learn through the many activism groups on campus, volunteering, campus activities, and the numerous speakers and presentations including the weekly 'convocation' where a famous speaker is brought in to speak every Friday. Carleton gives it's students many opportunities for them to grow and learn.
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Canaan from Saint Bernard, LA
06/22/2011Reviewer is A current student here.
4 out of 4 people found this review useful. 3 of 8
Categories Comments Great for these types of students This school is great for quirky, open-minded, intelligent, diligent students who like being outside and who enjoy the feel of a small town. It's also a plus if you enjoy the smell of malt-o-meal and like winter.
Tips for prospective students I didn't visit campus, but I wouldn't recommend taking that approach. One of the things that's great about Carleton is that there are a lot of misfits who find other misfits to fit in with. . .which is great if you're a bit of a misfit, but I can see how some people wouldn't be happy with the social scene. The campus is gorgeous and definitely worth looking at, and it's probably a good idea to see dorms and things, but I also think it's important to get a sense of the people you'd be going to school with if you went to Carleton (or any school).
Bang for the buck Carleton gives out pretty great financial aid packages, and I'd say I am definitely getting a lot of bang for my buck. The academics are great and pretty challenging, but the amount of support you can get to aid you in your academic growth is incredible. If you want it bad enough at Carleton, between academic support services and professors, you can find a way to get ANYTHING. Also, there are a bunch of study abroad programs that are covered by your tuition, which I think is great.
Am enjoying being here I'd say that 90% of the time, I enjoy being at Carleton. The social setting is definitely one that is interesting. There is a lot of social awkwardness, and sometimes that can be a little intense, but I'd say that by the end of my first term, I was completely accustomed to the awkwardness, and I've even come to embrace it. I'd say that the 10% that I'm not enjoying myself is accredited to not enough sleep because of poor time management (something that is easy to fall into given the amount of work/number of extracurricular events on any given night). As long as I'm managing my time effectively, I find my experiences at Carleton pleasurable. Everyone is really nice and very accepting of social/cultural differences, really open to helping their peers, really open to almost anything, really.
Am learning a lot Both the professors and students at Carleton are amazing. Profs make themselves incredibly available, and I've yet to have a professor who was unwilling to meet individually with his/her students. Not only do profs take an interest in your academics, though. Many of them enjoy getting to know their students outside of their coursework. Many of them are fascinating people who enjoy just kind of chit chatting with students. I have found them to be incredibly social and very supportive of the academic and extracurricular endeavors of their students. The students at Carleton are also incredible supportive of each other, as well. The atmosphere is very non-competitive, and that fosters this no-fail sort of atmosphere. At a college as academically rigorous as Carleton, it's easy to become overwhelmed, but I am continuously impressed by the academic resources available on campus. There is literally tutoring for everything. The prefect program, which acts as reinforcement of the course material, is amazing too. I have definitely learned more in my first year at Carleton than I did in any single year of high school, and I credit the rigorous but noncompetitive academic atmosphere for that.
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Transferring out of Carleton
03/22/2011Reviewer is A past student here.
3 out of 6 people found this review useful. 4 people found this inaccurate. 4 of 8
Categories Comments Great for these types of students quirky to use the admissions office term. Highly academic, motivated, driven, and intellectual students. Socially alternative, dorky, misfit people.
Tips for prospective students Make sure that you fit the carleton-type. I knew after spending one hour on campus that Carleton wasn't for me and I did not fit in. I still decided to go because of the academics, but I would caution anyone who feels out of place there to consider a more mainstream experience.
Bang for the buck Apparently generous with needy students, but overall cost is expensive.
Did enjoy being here While I loved my classes and professors at Carleton, the overall college experience was miserable. There is absolutely no school spirit or pride. The small student body is made up of almost entirely identical students seeking a somewhat alternative experience. Athletes were seen condescendingly by students and professors. The weekend scene was depressing. Most students studied, save for occasional small parties thrown by some of the athletic teams mostly. One of my visiting friends remarked it was the quietest, loneliest campuses he had ever set foot on. The lack of diversity (socially) among students was the biggest flaw. Carleton attracts and accepts a certain type of person, and if one does not feel that they fit in, they are correct.
Did learn a lot Academically, I found Carleton outstanding. My professors were incredibly engaged and cared about the success of each and every student. The expectations were high, very high, but I felt like I was truly pushed to my highest level of learning. The classes were varied and interesting. There is nothing bad to say about the academics at Carleton.
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Devin from Omaha, NE
06/13/2012Reviewer is A current student here.
2 out of 2 people found this review useful. 5 of 8
Categories Comments Campus Safety I have never felt like I was in any danger when I walked around campus, regardless of what time it is. Security is very good at responding to any quarrels, and fights are so rare here that the only time cops are on campus is when students may have alcohol poisoning.
Greek Life Non existant
Clubs and Activities There are so many clubs, and it is here that a good portion of friendships are formed since you will be around kids who have the same interests as you.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus Shiller! A small bust of Freidrich von Schiller is held by a secret few, and ever so often they present it at public events and students chase down the handlers. If they catch the handler they are allowed to take the bust and must outrun other students. To have shiller is a great honor at the college.
Bang for the buck They meet all of my determined financial need, but still the school is expensive to attend. I feel the board is a little steep considering the quality of the food, but it is not detrimental to my decision to return. Also I have built fantastic relationships with professors, but it isn't until you reach the higher level courses that you get the small class sizes that allows the intimate settings with students and professors.
What to do for fun There is something called the Carleton Bubble, that I didn't notice until winter term. While there is a second college in the city, it has a dry campus so many times its students find there way onto the Carleton campus. While there is alcohol present, there is very little pressure to drink. There is also a drinking culture, despite what many might thinks about this college. But the school has a wide variety of activities every weekend ranging from concerts to movie showings at the Weitz cinema, so for those who choose not to drink there are an abundance of other activities to partake in. A few favorites of students are Dances at Cowling gym, Rottblatt, Spring concert, Easter, and during the winter traying (sledding on dining trays aquired from the dining halls) and broom ball/ice skating on the ice rinks put up during the winter months.
Food and Dining The dining service is better than it has been years past, and Bon apetit also boasts about how they use food from local and sustainable farms. But at times the food does lack variety in the long term. But there is always something to eat, and they have a good selection of vegetarian and vegan foods as well as celiac friendly accommodations.
Dorm Life The college requires you live on campus until your senior year, and as a first year student a majority of my friends were those who lived on my floor. The first week the college has a competition of fun games between all the first year students teamed up by their dorm floors. This was the first experience that began the relationships between me and some of my closest friends.
Academic Rigor The classes move fast, and it is essential you say on top of daily assignments as well as long term assignments. While the course work is difficult it is also engaging and fun to see how well you can learn given the volume of work.
Tips for prospective students Ask for help. A trimester is a foreign concept to many, and the classes move at a quick speed. Falling behind at one point can be detrimental to understanding future course work. Also see professors when they have their office hours, they are very good at clarifying concepts and recommending other resources to help you learn.
In three sentences A fantastic institution that encourages you to follow your passion, whatever it may be. The list of clubs is endless, allowing you to foster your interest in a variety of activities. The professors also encourage free thinking and strive to build relationships with students to further their education.
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Sarah from Folsom, CA
08/28/2011Reviewer is Researching this school. Reviewer has not been to campus.
6 of 8
Categories Comments Tips for prospective students Read the student blogs, they are incredible! ( link here: http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/blogs/ )
Bang for the buck Carleton is a pretty expensive school to attend, but they give generous scholarships, paired with work at the school so that virtually everyone can afford to go.
Will enjoy being here Through reading the student blogs it seems to me that the student body as a whole is friendly, cheerful very open. It also appears that the school does a very good job of pairing off incoming freshmen with roommates they can get along with easily.
Will learn a lot through research I have found that the classes are rigorous and the teachers are really interested in making sure students succeed, also their is a large range of classes and subjects to chose from.
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Arafat from Chicago, IL
09/02/2012Reviewer is A current student here.
7 of 8
Categories Comments Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus There is a bust of a German poet, Friedrick Von Schiller which anonymous students vie to keep to become it's guardian. Schiller has being airlifted on the presidential helicopter during Bill Clinton's visit to Carleton, Schiller has also being mentioned on the Colby report and has being around the world in different places. If you can capture Schiller, it is an honor to keep it.
What to do for fun Sports, food, recreation center, exploration of arboretum, visit beautiful Northfield
Tips for prospective students Prepare for the Carleton student's awkwardness.
In three sentences Carleton is a very liberal college that promotes accepting different people regardless of background. Its a school that is academically rigorous yet gives you space to experience new opportunities. It is an awesome learning experience am having
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Jojo
12/08/2012Reviewer is A current student here.
8 of 8
Categories Comments What to do for fun There is so much to do!! There is always an a capella concert. There is always a party. There is always a movie night somewhere. There is always a game/meet/ There is usually a movie playing. There is Knight life for the non-party people its a group that puts on late night activities during the party hours.
Food and Dining Bon Appetite is a great catering business but our school only has the gold level of their business. While its good food, if you are anything like me I grew up with an ex-gourmet chef. I would suggest bringing spices!
Dorm Life We have a really nice dorms, they have all the basics and aren't small. Of course they aren't the best that I have seen for freshmen anyway. They also aren't the worst the dorms for upperclassmen are great though!
Academic Rigor Carleton is definitely challenging and pushes you to the max, but the nice thing is it has incredible student and faculty support.
Tips for prospective students Come out for a visit during an school day instead of a visiting day and you'll fall in love because you will see the students in their regular atmosphere.
In three sentences Everyone is Minnesota friendly, in other words we are all there to help each other grow, there isn't a strong sense of competition but rather communication. Carleton supports each and every person with clubs, sports, and all sorts of activities. Carleton creates leaders in every field.
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