<p>Today my son received an invitation to an information session for Minnesota's Carleton College. It is at the home of the parents of a current Carleton student. </p>
<p>Is this a common practice among the smaller LACs?</p>
<p>It made me smile and should be nice compared to those big info sessions held in the local hotels.</p>
<p>Sounds like a typical Carleton approach. Bring a bottle of wine!</p>
<p>Typical. Welcome to Carleton. Minnesota Nice is pretty contagious. </p>
<p>Way beyond info sessions, I've seen my fair share of Carleton alumni and parents open up their houses for entire summers to out of town students pursuing internships. Roll aways and sleep sofas open up to student groups coming in to cities for conferences/scientific presentations/RTF events, etc. to help defray student costs.</p>
<p>Kids bond fast and hard here and parents can't help but look on with enormous satisfaction. Graduates don't forget from whence they came. The Carleton alumni giving rate remains the highest among any college in the nation, LAC or university. </p>
<p>Still, these gatherings are more typically held at the homes of alumni than parents. A remarkable number of alumni sponsors involve husband and wife Carl duets. The first two enrolled students at the school married each other within six months of graduating in 1874 and that tradition has incestuously and stubbornly maintained itself to this day. One suggestion to incoming and current Carls - consider booking your wedding now. Skinner Memorial Chapel and the Great Hall are only available for bookings 2 dates from now until January 1, 2010. It's a pretty hot ticket.
<a href="https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/college_relations/events/weddings_at_carleton/%5B/url%5D">https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/college_relations/events/weddings_at_carleton/</a></p>
<p>Enjoy the session. pbr is clearly more of a risk taker than I am. I'd show up Sub-Free.</p>
<p>S and I went to the Carleton session yesterday and it was very, very nice. The event was very well attended - probably 20 or more high school students with a parent, as well as six or seven alums and the admissions counselor. What I liked about it was the candor that I haven't seen at the admissions events at hotels. One example, one Carleton dad stated that when his d started at Carleton, the parents and alums were not all that thrilled with the school's career center. However, over the past couple of years, the school has really worked to improve things and things are much better now. </p>
<p>In any case, it was clear that the parents and alums love Carleton and just as 1190 states, are very bonded to one another. When asked what they missed most about Carleton, every alum said 'the sense of community'.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Carleton is quite a reach for S, but I am glad that we went nonetheless because it shows S what is possible. Now the question is, what schools - not quite as selective - foster the same type of community as Carleton does?</p>