<p>The guidebook is Carleton College: Off the Record, and it looks pretty interesting. I was only able to read the 8 page sample they have posted. (I'll probably buy the thing.) I thought it was pretty funny that Carleton was ranked the "ugliest campus in America." The quotes by students were particularly amusing...</p>
<p>Of course, the students hailed the academics for the most part, which is a great sign.</p>
<p>Any thoughts at all? I'm just trying to generate some discussion :-) .</p>
<p>i think the guide looks pretty crappy... i'd prefer to stick to my own impressions which were (and i hope will continue to be) much more positive. i thought the campus was really gorgeous! </p>
<p>I won't be able to visit until after I get accepted (on the faint chance that there's an earthquake that knocks my application into the 'accepted' pile), so I'm pretty neurotic about finding things out about Carleton's campus. I hear there's a lake! </p>
<p>Anyone up in MN, what temperature is it right now? Just curious.</p>
<p>The HS GC is a Carlton grad & also was an adcom there before he became a UCDavis adcom & then a HS GC. He loved Carlton, said it was a great LAC--must have loved it because he stayed on as an adcom after he graduated.
I think they have a senior project that has to be completed by each student. He said for HI students, it would probably be considered cold. <grin> <brrrrr--we're cold="" now="" with="" temps="" in="" the="" 60s="" &="" 70s=""></brrrrr--we're></grin></p>
<p>That guide is on sale in the Carleton bookstore. When my daughter showed interest in it, the student working the cash register said that it was OK, but the consensus from the students was that most of the quotes were taken from a disgruntled student.</p>
<p>And Carleton's campus is quite pretty (from someone who has visted over 20 colleges).</p>
<p>My d is a freshman, and I also agree that the campus is lovely- especially the arboretum in the fall. The town is an old mill town on the Cannon River- quaint, unique and very welcoming. We live near Boston, and my d has found the midwestern warmth to be charming after growing up in New England! If you want a big city fix, you can take the shuttle to the Twin Cities/Mall of America on the weekend. Personally speaking, I believe living in a small community with access to a big city is ideal- as does my d.</p>
<p>My D and I visited Carleton last May and she and her mother will be visiting for an O/N next week. Northfield is a college town with St. Olaf and Carleton, both campus were quite nice (different and individual) and the town is pleasant.</p>
<p>I know the guidebook you referenced, have a copy, use it only to generate questions and to compare with my D and mine impressions.</p>
<p>I have visited too many college/university campus' to count (my D is our 6th child off to college), and I can confidently state that Carleton's campus is far from the worst, not the best, but very nice, compact and most importantly, the faculty and staff and students seem motivated, aware and alive.</p>
<p>Guidebooks IMO are just that Guides to assist, not the final word. Nothing can take the place of personal visits to establish how YOU feel about a college. IMO, the selection of a college for you or your child is vastly too important to allow some unknown author(s) decide for you.</p>
<p>The collllllleeegggggeeeeprowlllllllllleerrrrr guide (goddamn filters) is pretty silly. The company that publishes those guides went looking for someone to write one about Carleton I believe in spring of 2004 (you can actually see the job posting put up at <a href="http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/career/internships/weekly/?issue_id=43103&story_id=43112)%5B/url%5D">http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/career/internships/weekly/?issue_id=43103&story_id=43112)</a>. I don't know how disgruntled or gruntled the guy is who wrote it since I never met him, but was not pleased with the editorial liberties taken. He wrote an article in some campus publication last year, can't remember which one, about how collllllllleegegeggegege PROOOOOOOOOOWWWLer took his ratings and dramatized them. I believe he said the "girls" rating, for example, was a C and the company changed it, and the quotes were chosen to show the widest possible range of opinions--not necessarily the "median" view. If you want to know about Carleton, you're better off saving your money and just browsing around the website.</p>
<p>Like I said, I'm not going to take the guide seriously. It's pretty much a given that they show the most outrageous of comments....it has that tabloid mentality that attracts people.</p>