<p>I am a conservative and am wondering if i would be able to thrive. How liberal is Carleton?</p>
<p>It’s pretty liberal, according to DS. But I would think most students are thoughtful enough to realize that tolerating the viewpoints of others is an important part of the experience at small colleges like this. And I suspect that the school’s emphasis on diversity includes diversity of opinions. Based on my one visit to campus, and the Carleton students who have visited my home, I would think you could find a fair, like-minded group to hang with as long as you too are respectful.</p>
<p>If by “thrive” you mean that you would like to attend a college or university where you can join a group of conservatives/libertarians to have discussions, contribute conservative articles to a publication, or be an outspoken conservative, then Carleton is definitely not the college for you. If you hold conservative opinions and occasionally air them, that is perfectly fine and will just be considered another one of the quirky traits that Carleton students appreciate in one another. </p>
<p>Let me put it this way: from what I can see as a Carleton parent, the College offers an amazingly wonderful undergraduate experience, one of the very best in America. But Carleton seems to train the vast majority of its graduates for academia, government and NGOs. There is little respect for or interest in where the money comes to pay for all of the people who work in those not-for-profit fields.</p>
<p>To be fair, most other college campuses live in the same bubble. Just be aware that conservatives who have a better idea of how the private sector contributes to the well-being of our society will find Carleton a lonely place.</p>
<p>You’ll be in a minority at Carleton as you would be in the vast majority of similar colleges across the country. But the school is not easily pigeonholed. There is a less politically charged quality to the campus, unlike, for example, Wesleyan, Vassar or Macalester. Students are an open-minded bunch, more have some sense of connection to organized religion than one might expect, and there is a Minnesota “nice” and Minnesota political independent-mindedness that makes life for a mainstream conservative seem, well, pretty mainstream on campus. If you are yourself a politically “charged” type and a right of center conservative, you may find yourself more at home at a place like Claremont McKenna or Davidson.</p>
<p>And while I agree with singleparent that graduates are traditionally more likely to tread non-profit and academic paths, and you still see typically 15-20% of graduates eventually make their way to law or medical school, careers choices have evolved in the last several years. For example, a larger percentage of students than seen at most LACs (or unis) end up majoring in math/CS and move on to established tech companies or start ups, many on the West coast. A surprising number of late also end up pursuing consulting in some form, often with underlying majors in economics, poli sci, history or the sciences. Wall Street remains, I agree, a more New England LAC-breathren target. Happily :). Bias in the open.</p>
<p>I think it would depend on the specific conservative beliefs you have. I imagine students would be much more accepting of fiscal conservatism than certain socially conservative views regarding same-sex marriage, women’s health, etc.</p>
<p>I agree with mflevity. There are plenty of econ majors here and I would say that the vast majority of them are very understanding of “how the private sector contributes to our well-being and society.” Plenty of kids here are pre-med and (fewer, but still a fair amount) pre-law, or are hoping to go into business. I know people who are i-banking right now after graduating a year or two ago. If you’re a fiscal conservative, I definitely don’t think you’ll find Carleton “a lonely place,” because I know plenty of others.</p>
<p>If, on the other hand, you are an outspoken social conservative, you might haave a slightly more difficult time. Carleton students tend to have very progressive views on same-sex marriage, women’s health issues, and the environment; the College as a whole is fairly committed to environmental sustainability. If you think you wouldn’t be able to “thrive” in an environment where students are widely supportive of same-sex marriage, Carleton might not be the place for you. But I wouldn’t knock it until you try it. There aren’t a ton of outspoken Republicans on campus (although I know a few), but they do exist.</p>
<p>Actually, Wesleyan is not as monolithically liberal as 1190 suggests. I know this to be the case since I was an undergrad there in the late 60’s and my son is there right now. He has several friends who are conservatives and when I was there I did as well. Antonin Scalia spoke there in the spring, quite unimpeded. I am sick and tired of the relentless stereotyping of Wesleyan and whenever I see it happening, I will raise my voice. Wesleyan is, as I suspect Vassar and Macalester and Carleton are, a much more diverse campus than many think.</p>
<p>Morganhil, you can lower your voice. “There is a less politically charged quality to the campus, unlike, for example, Wesleyan, Vassar or Macalester” most certainly is not Midwest-speak for “Wesleyan is monolithically liberal.” </p>
<p>I most certainly don’t believe Wesleyan is “monolithically liberal” any more than I believe Vassar or Macalester are. But I do believe that Carls often fall victim to POLITICAL ennui to a much greater degree than students on these other campuses. This despite its probably deserved “stereotype” as a place filled with, to quote the great and powerful Oz, “good deed doers.” This ennui, when it hits, has often been a source of consternation to members of the Student Senate, but it may be a source of relief to a prospective campus conservative.</p>
<p>Thank you, 1190, for correcting my comments. Here is a list of the scheduled speakers for Carleton’s 2012-2013 convocations so the OP can get a better idea of what interests most of the students:</p>
<p>[Carleton</a> College: Convocations: 2012-2013 Convocations Schedule](<a href=“http://apps.carleton.edu/events/convocations/]Carleton”>http://apps.carleton.edu/events/convocations/)</p>
<p>Again, to be fair, this list might not differ from what you might see on a lot of other campuses.</p>
<p>As a freshman conservative at Carleton, I can easily say I don’t feel marginalized or discriminated against in any way, it really is not hard to fit in here. However, I will agree with previous posters that if you feel strongly/are vocally against gay marriage and believe global warming to be a hoax you may find yourself in a lot of arguments with few allies. Fiscal conservatives/libertarians do exist here. Students who actually identify with the Democratic party are not a majority here, its Independents/Moderates.</p>
<p>Well-stated, 1190. But you should also know that Wesleyan alums NEVER lower their voices. -:)</p>