<p>Everyone I've talked to about Carleton says the same 2 words: isolated & cold. Could someone who likes warm and prefers cities or at least towns thrive here, if s/he liked everything else about the school?</p>
<p>If not, where would you suggest I look?</p>
<p>If you really love the school, then the weather's not going to stop you from enjoying yourself here. Granted, I haven't experienced a Minnesota winter yet, but I know that I'd rather be at a cold school I liked than at a warm one I didn't. And the school is great about keeping the buildings nice and toasty. </p>
<p>As for Northfield being isolated, it all depends on where you're coming from--you mentioned that you like cities, so yes, you'll probably find Northfield a little small at first, but then you'll get into the swing of campus life and probably won't be heading into Nfield for any significant amount of time. There's enough to do in town--plenty of restaurants, bookstores, and boutiques--and if you ever want a livelier nightlife, Carleton runs buses to the Twin Cities every weekend (they aren't free, but the cost is minimal). But really, everything you could ever want or need is already on campus.</p>
<p>Sure. My heat-lovin' Texas daughter is definitely thriving at Carleton. She's been through two winters there and quickly learned how to properly dress for the cold (layers, great socks, etc). </p>
<p>Isolation - daughter says there's so much to do on campus at any given time that she's not inclined to go off campus for much. </p>
<p>She chose Carleton because she loved the college -weather/location, while not really matching her preferences, were not part of the decision-making process</p>
<p>My Kentucky daughter is a supremely happy sophomore at Carleton. She loves big cities, but has become hopelessly smitten with both Carleton and the cozy little community of Northfield.</p>
<p>Thanks to all who responded.. I wish I could visit first, but I think Carleton will be a great addition to my college list :)</p>
<p>I have similar concerns. The cold doesn't bother me, but I'm from NYC and I'm worried that Northfield will pale oh so much in comparison. I've tried to convince my parents to let me visit, but so far I've been unsuccessful....</p>
<p>NYC kids adapt. Sure, they ***** about not having 24 hour everything nearby, but all the NYCers I've known were happy enough in small-town Minnesota. You have to realize that your coursework and activities and work-study and what have you will occupy all of your time during the week easily and that even if you had more options, you wouldn't get to take advantage of them very often. On the weekends, it's not like you're sitting around in a field with nothing to do, but more like a day of homework or chilling, then dinner out with friends, going to some kind of show/play/comedy, pregaming, wandering around from party to party and such. It's more or less what my friends who went to bigger schools in cities did every weekend, except cheaper. Your life will be centered on campus stuff, not Northfield stuff.</p>
<p>After Minnesota, the next largest contingent of freshman in this year's enrolling class come from Illinois, then NY, then California. The majority of these specifically hail from Chicago, New York City, LA and the Bay Area - yes, the big boys. These "city" kids come to Carleton specifically to experience a campus-centered college and they love what they find. They don't need nor want a Columbia/Barnard scene where campuses are there for weekday classes and empty out for weekend partying downtown. That's still there waiting for them when they return home for schools breaks.</p>
<p>Northfield is charming and Minneapolis-St. Paul ARE nearby for those nights you want to escape to the big city for a "destination" concert or to check out a new club group. But what this school is all about is the student body - a very defined student body - that bonds as tightly as it does in part BECAUSE it is free of many of the distractions of an easily accessible East Village or Westwood. As dietcokewithlime already explained, there is a bounty of stuff going all at all times, usually much more than one can fit on to one's dance card. But if you need big city lights on that card every week, you really should look elsewhere.</p>
<p>lol minnesota's weather isn't that bad. Winter's long, but it makes you value summer more.</p>