<p>I've got a few quick questions for anyone who has done a prospective student overnight stay at Carleton.</p>
<p>Is there a usual time for arriving and leaving? For example, for a Monday to Tuesday overnight stay, would you arrive early on Monday and spend all day before staying over (then leave Tuesday morning), or arrive late Monday for the overnight and then spend the whole day Tuesday? Carleton's online form leaves it wide open, but I'm thinking spending a day there first would provide a better context for the evening hours. </p>
<p>How many classes can you sit in on? Carelton's online visit scheduler has you list a first through fourth choice, but it doesn't indicate how many you would actually go to. (We've already visited Carleton and done a tour and information session.)</p>
<p>Has anyone ever sat in on a non-academic class like theater? Was that helpful?</p>
<p>Regarding arrival/departure times, I don’t think it really matters - if you tell them when you’re getting there and when you have to leave, they’ll work with that. I think the only thing that might be a limitation is that you should get there before the admissions office closes for the day? So they can give you all the info you need for your visit and stuff.</p>
<p>When I prospie’d last year, I visited two classes. I don’t know if you can do 3, but I’d guess 2 or 3 is the limit (remember, almost all students here take 3 classes a term, so 4 would be kind of ridiculous!) If I remember correctly, you list which subjects you’re interested on the form - they’ll take that and see what’s meeting during the time you’re here. In that light I’d advise trying to stay for the day on Monday, and leaving Tuesday, because in my experience there are a lot more classes that meet on MWF than TTh. I haven’t done anything with theater or art or anything so I can’t answer that question for you, sorry.</p>
<p>Ds set up his overnight. I remember specifically the admissions office saying he could meet his host at a specified time – either 3 or 4 p.m. I got the impression that that was a standard time, but I could be totally wrong about that. We flew in that morning, taking the earliest flight we could get out so we could spend maximium time on campus, even if we didn’t have specific plans. For that same reason, we spent the extra money and took the EcoTrans van rather than wait hours at the airport for the Northfield shuttle. Turned out to be a wonderful investment: Driver was a wealth of information, his family being at least fourth-generation Northfield, and the only other passenger was a faculty member who, in a stroke of luck, is now ds’s freshman adviser! Small world.</p>
<p>Anyway, we got to campus before 1, but they told us to go ahead and go to admissions so ds could leave his luggage there while we ran around. I suppose we could have scheduled a tour, but ds already had had one (this was his second vist, my first) so we skipped that, electing to walk into town and eat at the Tavern. Then we walked all the way across campus to catch a Carleton baseball game (ds plays ball). Then ds left to go meet his host (I stayed to watch the double-header and to eavesdrop on conversations to get a feel for what parents/students/alums were saying). He sat in on two classes the next day, a Tuesday. We had to leave campus by 3ish so two was all he could fit in, leaving time for lunch, to retrieve his bags from the host’s room, etc.</p>
<p>My advice: Spend part of that first day checking out the theater dept. and other areas of non-academic interest, then spend the next day in the two academic classes. Everyone who we spoke with was so accomodating that I’m sure if your student called a prof ahead of time that he/she would be happy to meet with you and/or introduce you to theater kids.</p>
<p>While ds was in classes on Tuesday, I took the tour and met with admissions. I was the only parent there at the scheduled times, so lots of personal attention. Then I went to eat in the dining hall to just see the scene and check out the kids, went to the bookstore, etc. Ds called to meet me at the dining hall, so I sat with him while he ate and we debriefed. I was totally sold by this point, but played it cool. It’s when we went to the bookstore afterward and he asked to buy Carleton paraphernalia that I knew it was a love-match – even though we had one more college to visit the next day!</p>
<p>When I was a prospie (slang for prospective), I stayed from Monday afternoon (around noon) through Tuesday morning (leaving around 11 AM), so I got to go to all of the meals, see some classes, and meet some people. From what I understand, the admissions office will do its best to accomodate you whenever you can come. I visited several classes which were really cool - a French cinema class and an Environmental Ethics class - and both were interesting, so I was happy. I took the tour in the morning, before meeting with my host, and I have to say that it was nice to already have a feel of the campus, so it will be a plus that you’ve already toured. Still - I’d recommend that your son ask his host to show him around a bit anyway. See the arb if possible - it’s beautiful, even (especially) in the winter.</p>
<p>I’ve also hosted a few prospies - one specifically for the soccer team (teams make sure to host athletic prospectives so they can meet the team and get a better understand of the facilities, training schedules, etc.), and one just through the admissions office. The admissions office lent us a mobile bed and sheets, so sleeping won’t be a problem, and we took her around to Sayles, introduced her to people, and hung out for a bit - even though it was a school night, my roommates and I found time between the three of us to make sure she had a good time (at least, I hope she did! Haha).</p>
<p>Best of luck and I hope your son likes Carleton!</p>
<p>Daughter just got back home to Pacific Northwest after a short couple day visit. Said it brought back all the old (great) feelings from SWP & helped confirm a lot of things for her about Carleton. Have turned in all FAFSA & Profile stuff needed. All we can do is wait on RD decisions…</p>
<p>It confirmed a lot of things about her positive feelings for the school. She enjoyed a political science class that she sat in on. She was also made very well aware of how cold it get in the winter~lol. We have absolutely no complaints about Carleton. Want my freshman son to also attend that SWP when his turn comes up.</p>