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Carleton College

How this student rated the school
Educational QualityA Faculty AccessibilityA+
Useful SchoolworkA- Excess CompetitionA+
Academic SuccessA Creativity/ InnovationA-
Individual ValueA University Resource UseB+
Campus Aesthetics/ BeautyB+ FriendlinessA
Campus MaintenanceA- Social LifeB+
Surrounding CityB Extra CurricularsA
SafetyB+
Describes the student body as:
Friendly, Arrogant, Approachable

Describes the faculty as:
Friendly, Helpful

Female
ACT:31
id='quarter' class='snapshot' style='color: #009704; line-height:80px';float:left;
SAT1450
Quite Bright
Lowest Rating
Surrounding City
B
Highest Rating
Faculty Accessibility
A+
She cares more about Safety than the average student.
Date: Jun 27 2003
Major: Biology (This Major's Salary over time)
Throughout the early stages of the college search process, I assumed that in order to attend an excellent liberal arts institution I would have to head to the Northeast. While visiting a school my junior year in Massachusetts, a fellow prospective student asked me what I knew about Carleton, since it was in my home state of Minnesota. Honestly, I had never heard of Carleton at that point. I soon visited the school & was immediately impressed with the friendliness of the students & the fact that they could balance intense study with other pursuits. I continued visiting other schools, but Carleton was the only one that I really could picture myself attending.

Carleton students have found a great balance between arrogance and humility, never taking themselves to seriously (students at other schools I visited, however, leaned towards the arrogant side of the spectrum more often than not). One negative is that many Carleton students and the administration seem to have an inferiority complex…we know that the school is great, one of the best in the nation—we just wish that everyone else recognized this as well! (As an alum, I brace myself whenever I tell people I attended Carleton for the response of "Where??")

If you have already researched Carleton, you may have heard it mentioned that there is no typical Carleton student…this is very true. People here will continually surprise you (and also challenge every assumption you have, but in a Minnesota-nice sortof way). Carls first and foremost are intelligent, motivated students who came to Carleton anticipating the academic challenges ahead of them, and thus their studies come first. But they are equally passionate about their extracurricular activities (over 80% of Carls participate in intramural sports—broomball is the best way to actually enjoy the MN winters!). Carls are obsessed with ultimate frisbee (you can even complete one of the 4 P.E. requirements by taking an ultimate class)…if you don't know how to play when you get here, don't worry- you'll learn. There are also plenty of folks who aren't into the sport (one of my roommates was once hit by a stray frisbee while walking to class, and has cursed the plastic disks ever since).

My advice: if you are looking for an excellent liberal arts education, a laid-back yet motivated student body, friendly and inspiring professors, an opportunity to pursue you passions while concurrently exploring new interests (I never knew I could draw until I got to Carleton!), and an all-around great experience, you should definitely put Carleton on your list.

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