<p>Ask me. I know everything about this place.</p>
<p>Seeing as you asked, I do have a few questions. My son has visited St. Olaf on a couple of occasions, and it is one of three schools where he has been accepted that he is still considering (along with Northwestern and Wash U). There are many things he likes about St. Olaf, and I think it represents a strong academic and social fit for him, but in comparing these alternatives there are a few things it would be helpful to know or get opinions on. Specifically:</p>
<p>1.) He is particularly interested in biology and chemistry, and would welcome any insights with respect to these departments. How accessible are the professors? Are they focused on teaching or research? Are the students collborative or competitive? What are the opportunities like to engage in research?</p>
<p>2.) His plans beyond St. Olaf (at least at this point) would be to attend medical school or pursue a post-graduate degree and work in medical research. Accordingly, he is interested in the quality of pre-med advising, medical school acceptance rates and the % of students going on to post-graduate work. Can you provide any color on this?</p>
<p>3.) You hear people talk about the St. Olaf “bubble”, and having visited, it certainly felt like a very friendly and nurturing environment, but I wonder given the size and location of the school does it get a bit boring or claustrophobic after a while? If so, what do students do to “break out”?</p>
<p>1) The Biology and Chemistry departments are very strong (Biology moreso than Chemistry imo) and, in my experience, the professors are, almost to a man/woman, friendly, accessible and willing to help students. The focus is primarily on teaching, however many (most) conduct research (with students) in the summer that can spill over into the year, and I’m sure that’s going to continue with the new facilities; but as there are no graduate students, undergrads remain the #1 priority. As I mentioned, the majority of science professors conduct research over the summer, and they’re always looking for a few student volunteers, so there’s no problems getting involved; you don’t get paid but your summer housing is usually subsidized (AFAIK). The atmosphere is generally cooperative except in the larger “pre-med” courses, which can have something of a student vs. student atmosphere (although I’m sure nothing like what you’d find at a lot of other colleges); still, most students are generally friendly and willing to help one-another, especially in the “major” courses.</p>
<p>2) Pre-med is huge here; I don’t know the stats exactly, but I’d say that while there’s a very high attrition rate (i.e. the number of people who are pre-med as freshmen vs. seniors), the majority of those who apply to medical school seem to get in; schools are generally in the Midwest (Creighton, U of M, Northwestern, Mayo etc.). I know there’s a specific pre-med advisor and while I don’t have any firsthand experience with him, I would assume you’ll get steered in the right direction. Lots of post-graduate work as well; I just checked the website, and we’re 8th amongst all liberal-arts colleges in the countries in terms of producing Biology Ph.D.s, and 7th in Chemistry.</p>
<p>3) As far as the “bubble,” I’d say that while St. Olaf is probably a little more cliquey/high school-like than most colleges, it’s not really a huge deal. Northfield is a pretty nice town (especially for this part of Minnesota) and has a lot of the typical college town stuff you’d expect, albeit on a much smaller scale than, say, a place like Madison. There really isn’t much outside of Northfield though, as the school is located in a very rural/blue-collar part of the state. The Cities are about 35 miles and the commute is pretty easy (straight shot up 35), so if you have a car that’s always an option. But overall, since almost everybody is involved in one or more extracurricular things, there’s plenty to keep you occupied.</p>
<p>Wow, that ended up being a lot longer than I expected. Hope it helps!</p>
<p>thank you for your very nice post, NHS. I’m an international student, and I’m supposed to stay at St. Olaf during summer (due to transportation cost). So I want to ask about the housing policy during summer. Will I have a chance to find a job during summer? I’m also interested in doing some researches with professors, and I really hope the cost during summer would be less than $2,500, which is the price of a airplane ticket =D.</p>
<p>The housing situation during the summer is usually that one dorm stays open and everybody lives in it. There are usually a decent number of jobs available, both full and part-time, on campus (ITS, Admissions, some academic departments), although in that case you do have to pay for your own housing ($350 per term or thereabouts, so around $700 for the whole summer). For summer research, I believe your housing is paid for but I’m guessing you have to pay for board ($300-$450 depending on which plan you get); I’m not 100% on that though.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks for the detailed response. It is much appreciated.</p>
<p>My son is making his decision, right now…and it’s between 3 schools, including St. Olaf, but at the moment he is thinking he will choose Bard instead. It’s closer, we live in New York, and seems a little less wintry, and a bit more friendly to non-conformity. And he got a bigger scholarship to Bard, even factoring in the lower cost of St. Olaf. He loved the comp sci program and math program at St. Olaf, thought the school had the most attractive girls anywhere he had seen (16 schools), thought there was an incredibly friendly atmosphere, and sense of community, but he, well actually we all felt it was a little white bread. (confession: We live in NY City, so a lot of places are going to seem less diverse), and we also have a friend who transferred out of St.Olaf, saying the academics were absolutely fabulous, but she found the student body a bit boring. Your thoughts?</p>
<p>Your son’s impressions seem pretty accurate: St. Olaf is definitely a lot more “down-home”-ish than Bard, or at least I’d assume so given the differences in demographics. The school also isn’t very diverse in almost any sense. The people are very friendly though. It’s a trade-off I guess, “cool” vs. warm, if you will.</p>
<p>The one advantage I would give St. Olaf is that, while most people haven’t heard of it, those who have have a fairly high opinion of it. I think Bard might be regarded as more of a flakey, burn-out-type school amongst many, although I definitely could be wrong on that. All comes down to preference I guess.</p>
<p>Hey NHS, any suggestions on freshmen dorms??</p>
<p>Hoyme or Mohn are your best bets imo. Avoid Kildahl if you have the option-the rooms are really small.</p>
<p>rhsoccer18, what dorm you pick really depends on what you want out of the “freshman experience” so to speak. </p>
<p>Hoyme and Mohn tend to be the sporty party dorms, though it is possible to live there and not be involved in that lifestyle. </p>
<p>Kildahl, while the rooms are small, really has a great sense of community. Because of the tiny rooms, people tend to congregate in the main lounge more often than in some of the other dorms. </p>
<p>Ellingson is the “studious” dorm.</p>
<p>Kittlesby seems like a mix of pretty much everything. Rooms are generally pretty big-some of them are triples, but not all. It’s also the farthest away from the rest of campus, so consider how far you want to walk to get dinner in January and it’s -30 outside.</p>
<p>OMG I chose kittlesby, and I can’t even bear the +8 C winter in my country lol. anyway, love the room there. </p>
<p>Thank you, NHS, for your detailed post. I haven’t checked the site regularly recently. I’ve just made the deposit last week, can’t wait til the time I come to Northfield. according to what I saw on googleearth, the surrounding area seems a little bit rural, doesn’t it? I don’t have my own car, so does the transportation system work really well? Is there a nearby wal-mart? since there’s something I can’t bring from home due to the long journey.</p>
<p>There’s a Target off Rt. 3, which is basically the same thing. Closest Wal-Mart is either Faribault or Owatonna I think.</p>
<p>actually right now I have no idea of Faribault of Owatonna 
I hope it’s near enough so that I’d get my pillow and blanket ASAP :)</p>
<p>I recently returned from a visit to St Olaf with my wife and daughter. She is a junior. We are from Connecticut but the school seemed to fit on paper exactly what my daughter was looking for so we took the trip. She attended a few classes and we spent the day. I am convinced that St Olaf, despite the distance, would be the best fit by far of all the schools we have looked at. The kids seemed so friendly and I did not see any cliques, although I am sure they are there. The only concern is how she might fit in being from another region of the country. Do students from other parts of the country feel welcome here? I know she was disappointed that there is no Greek scene since she thought that would be a good way to make friends. My daughter is on the shy side so finding an environment where she will fit in trumps everything else. St. Olaf would be my choice for her but never give your opinion to a teenage girl because they seem to than want to do the opposite.</p>
<p>I have a question regarding the Economics Department at Olaf Is it strong there? What’s the job outlook after graduation?</p>
<p>BobbyCT, I’ve never heard any students complain about fitting in if they’re from out of state. The biggest advice I would give to your daughter is to find something, whether it’s a sport, a music group, or a volunteer organization, where she can meet people with similar interests. The freshman dorms are also really great for fostering community. Instead of RA’s for the freshman dorms we have what are called “JC’s” (Junior Counselors), 3rd year students who’s primary function is to help the new students acclimate to college life.</p>
<p>The only complaint I’ve ever heard from out-of state students is that sometimes the academic calendar isn’t exactly conducive to meeting the their needs as far as vacation schedules. For example, this year our Easter Break was only Friday-Sunday instead of Monday, so kids who lived more than a few hours away really couldn’t go home. Sometimes that break is combined with Spring Break, (better for kids who live far away), but this year the two were a few weeks apart, which was more annoying than anything else.</p>
<p>Hope this has been helpful, feel free to post here or PM me with other questions. I’m an English major finishing up my junior year at St. Olaf right now and I’m also pretty involved in the music department.</p>
<p>Hey NHS, you’ve been really helpful so far. Hoping you’re still checking the thread out. After recently looking more into the school, something seems really right about it.</p>
<p>How dominant is the religious affiliation? I understand from what I’ve read in college guidebooks students are generally liberal leaning, but would I feel left out of part of the experience considering my more secular beliefs? Also, are the required biblical classes closer to an open discussion on biblical text or a lecture?</p>
<p>What is the dry-campus policy like? Do students drink/party or is the policy strictly enforced?</p>
<p>How strong are the social sciences? I will most likely major in Political Science, and was a little surprised to see the short list of social science majors, I believe only Political Science, Econ and Sociology are available? </p>
<p>Would a religious studies major/minor focus in Lutheranism/Christianity or religion in general?</p>
<p>Is the campus as beautiful as pictures have made it seem :P?</p>
<p>I live in upstate New York, about a 14-15 hour drive. If accepted, are there any discounts available through flight or hotel expenses? (I understand the flight part of the question is most likely a no, but I am very hopeful, my mom is very hesitant about anything farther than 12 hours). Additionally, would I be penalized in the admissions process for not making a visit before acceptance, considering my location?</p>
<p>BobbyCT: What you experienced is “Minnesota Nice.” I was born and grew up in the NYC-NJ-Conn area. I lived in Minnesota for 16 years until four years ago. A corporate move brought me back to the East. I didn’t want to come back. I met my wife in Minnesota (she’s a native) and my kids were born there. </p>
<p>People are a lot friendlier in Minnesota than the Northeast. There is more mom and pop, grandma and grandpa, and less cynicism. There is also more homogeniety. Most St. Olaf students are from Minnesota (about 6 out of 10), and most are from public schools (8 out of 10). So what you have are a high percentage of ethnically Nordic, non-stuck up, Minnesota Nice Lutherans. Miinnesota does not have the ethnic Balkanization common in the Northeast. Here’s a funny example.</p>
<p>I went to graduate school at the U of Minnesota. In one class of 64 students, there wasn’t a single Jewish or Italian or Hispanic surname. Not one. Try to find a state U classroom in the Northeast with 64 students without one of those ethnic groups. Leave the Twin Cities and it’s hard to find Jewish people (and they are few inside the Twin Cities) or hyphenated Americans descendant from Mediterranean countries. It’s basic demographics. When almost every immigrant from Europe stopped at Ellis Island, the Scandinavians and Germans kept going west. Lots of Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes. </p>
<p>It’s a different place culturally. When I first arrived in Minnesota (as a grad student) the first place I got a meal was McDonald’s. The lady in front of me paid for a single hamburger and a coke with a personal check and no I.D. Coming from Jersey, I almost fainted. In 16 years, I never pulled out a credit card in a restaurant, except one or two in the big city (Minneapolis). Try that in New York City or Hartford. I wrote personal checks and got up and left. Some of this is changing (or has changed) because of some bad habits new migrants to the state have brought with them from other parts of the country and overseas, places that are less trusting. Some of those folks took advantage of Minnesota Nice, forcing the natives to change in ways they didn’t want to and, frankly, should not have had to. </p>
<p>Anyway, it’s a great place. My kids would go back to Minnesota for college, but now that we live in PA, they don’t want to be that far away from us. My D has decided to go to Oberlin. It’s extremely liberal - like MacAlester and Carleton in Minnesota - it’s in the Midwest, the part of the country they love the most, but it’s only 7 hours away from us in PA.</p>
<p>Your daughter/son will have a wonderful experience at St. Olaf. The only way the kids there are “boring” is because they might not be as enthusiastic about some of the things Manhattan/Boston/Philly “hipsters” are interested in.</p>
<p>greg6or:</p>
<p>To answer some of your questions, yes the campus is as beautiful as it looks. We were just there a few weeks ago for the day. </p>
<p>As far as discounts, I don’t believe the college offers any on flights but the airfare for us out of Hartford was pretty cheap for a direct flight, about $199.00 roundtrip, cheaper if we flew out of New York or on a connecting flight. The hotels in the St. Olaf area are pretty cheap, mostly Motel 6 type lodging. My D was interviewed by the Admissions Counselor for Connecticut and he said they prefer interviews but they do not require them for students that live out of the region.</p>