<p>Hey all.</p>
<p>I'm a senior in OH and Carleton is tied with another school for my first choice. For those of you who either attend or know someone who does, can you give me some tips for applying beyond just the standard "have good grades and ECs"? I really want to get in because I think Carleton is perfect for me and want to make sure I'm not missing out on anything.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Will it be possible for you to interview?</p>
<p>My daughter is currently a freshman at Carleton, and it seems like Carleton values "passion for learning" above all else. Thus the interview and the essays are where you can really let this show. Avoid a generic "Why Carleton?" response.</p>
<p>If you can't visit, then go through the Carleton website carefully - there are links to the Carleton radio station, student blogs, Shout (student web magazine) etc, which can help you get a feel for the campus culture.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Ooh, I'm also a senior (from NJ, though) and am very interested in Carleton... it was tied for #1, but it's slowly inching its way up to being #1 alone... I'm considering ED. :)</p>
<p>What school shares your Carl #1 status?</p>
<p>Grinnell. </p>
<p>I'll be quite depressed if I don't get into either. But secretly, I think I like Carleton a little more, mostly because I love Carleton's Jewish atmosphere. By the way, anyone know any more info on that?</p>
<p>Yes! I do. Aw, I like Grinnell a lot, too. and am applying there as well (though my second-choice school is Kenyon, or maybe Wesleyan). I'm sending in my pre-app now, actually. (Can't make it to Iowa to visit, though. Would you mind telling me more about the school, if you've been there?)</p>
<p>When I went to Carleton, both of my tour guides were Jewish, and they talked to me about the Reynolds House, which is akin to Hillel. There are Thursday night Torah studies, and Friday night services and dinners, I believe. Definitely seemed to be things going on. I also love the overall quirky, Jewish, guys-with-Jewfros atmosphere... we saw about five shirts with Hebrew writing when we were walking around (in the course of two days). My dad was impressed. :)</p>
<p>I, too, have a gut feeling that Carelton is "it" however, as of now I'm holding off applying ED because I keep reading about stress, stress, and more stress, which makes me a little queasy. I love learning, and I'm very studious, but I just bought the College Pr0wler (<a href="http://www.collegepr0wler.com%5B/url%5D">www.collegepr0wler.com</a>) book about Carleton, and ALL they highlight is the workload. </p>
<p>Thoughts?</p>
<p>[oh, by the way, "0" in for "o" in the URL/book name because otherwise it got censored. Damn the System!]</p>
<p>Regarding the workload - remember that with the trimester calendar you are only taking three classes (plus PE/fine arts maybe) at a time. You can also elect to take up to 30 credits as S/CR/NC (basically pass/fail). All kinds of tutoring is available. It is a strong workload, but in a supportive rather than competitive environment.</p>
<p>I think that in coming to Carleton, I'd have to come to terms with a much MUCH heavier workload, but I know my strengths, weaknesses and limits. Second semester of last year taught me those really quickly :).</p>
<p>In response to the Grinnell questions, I loved it there as well-the tone of the campus seems pretty similar. Grinnell is located in a slightly grittier yet still nice and quaint, slightly more isolated place, but that adds to its charm. Really, though, aside from their locations, I think the schools are pretty comparable. Except there are no hills in Grinnell.</p>
<p>plethora-keep me updated on how your college stuff goes...maybe we'll be classmates next year?</p>
<p>Ha, definitely... what's your academic interest? I like English, American Studies, Women's Studies... basically, I guess I like the "studies." ;)</p>
<p>Hearing about the Grinnell-feel gets me psyched... I wish I had been able to make it out to Iowa, but that really wasn't happening. (Getting to Minnesota to visit was hassle enough for my poor parents!)</p>
<p>The more I think about it, the more I want to apply ED to Carleton, so maybe that's in the works. <em>sigh</em></p>
<p>I'm leaning towards political science, though psychology is definitely a possibility. I don't know. I figure that I have a while to decide, so I intend to use the time before I have to decide on a major to really explore everything. So long as I don't have to explore a lot of math....</p>
<p>I would apply early decision, but a) I can't choose between the two and b) the whole financial aid business. If only money wasn't an issue and I could decide...then I'd be set.</p>
<p>For the humanities, Carleton's workload is very doable for the typical driven student who applies there. The natural sciences, however, demand more of a student's time. For instance, a science major has 4 - 8 more hours in lab(s) per week, without any additional credit hours earned. For both of you, if you have good study habits and time management skills, you will be just fine.</p>
<p>Thank you for that info. I think I'll be avoiding the natural sciences as much as possible.</p>
<p>Maize&Blue-are you a current Carleton student or a graduate or not at all? If you come on here often, I might have some more questions for you eventually.</p>
<p>clsched: I'm the parent of a junior D who is a chem major. My D is very involved with the campus activities office and the registrar's office, so I get some second-hand scoop from time to time. Feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>Maize&Blue, thanks for the feedback, it was very much appreciated!</p>
<p>That's good info about the workload at Carleton. My son will be much more involved in the humanities areas.</p>
<p>We also visited Grinnell. The campus is beautiful, with a new student center almost finished. They obviously have a lot of resources. There were signs up all over about fun-sounding activities. One of the dining rooms reminded us of the great hall at Hogwarts. It seemed like a place filled with very motivated students; work hard, party hard. It's known for having a multi-talented student body, e.g., pre-med students who are great at theatre, etc., and we met some students like that while we were there. Also went to a quiz bowl "trash" (pop culture) tournament and an evening lecture on globalization while there. The town is tiny but has a great coffee house and at least one very good restaurant. The campus is so lively, I doubt the sleepiness of the town would matter.</p>