Questions for current students and alums!

<p>There are so so so many places that you can study in, part of the fun is exploring the campus and finding different places over the years.</p>

<p>I just wanted to respond to the math question specifically (don’t have a ton of time, but I’ll try to offer more info later!). For the Formal and Statistical Reasoning component, there are actualy a lot of non-math classes that satisfy the requirement as well. In the math department, there’s Introduction to Math (I think it’s like Math 104?) and Math 115 (less-intense statistics), but there are also classes like Astronomy, which is also a lab science during certain terms. Psychology and geology also have labs and some of them count for the Formal and Stastical Reasoning requirement. INtro to Computer Science also satisfies the requirement, as does Intro to Linguistics and several Methods classes in Psych, Econ and Environmental Studies. Even the Logic class in the Philosophy satisfies FSR.</p>

<p>So I guess my basic point is, don’t let the “math requirement” stress you out. :)</p>

<p>Thanks so much! A lot of those classes sound like more fun than an “intense” math option! :)</p>

<p>I’ve been reading through some old threads and came across this. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/carleton-college/202140-where-grads-headed.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/carleton-college/202140-where-grads-headed.html&lt;/a&gt;
I’m wondering, is it still true that not many students go on to law school? If so, why do you think that is?</p>

<p>Inkmuse (and others), wondering how the visit is going. My ds said his floor is overrun with prospies. I’m hoping you love it. :)</p>

<p>Visit is going great! Staying in Musser for the weekend and it’s much more bearable than I thought it’d be! XD Weather was also gorgeous yesterday. :)</p>

<p>I heard that there was a shortage of female students to act as hosts. Did that turn out to be true, or did enough Carl-ettes step up to the plate?</p>

<p>I hope so! I just put my daughter on a plane there this morning!</p>

<p>Ds implied that one of his male friends had two prospies, so maybe they just got a huge crowd this year. That’s awesome, but I hope it’s not so crazy that people don’t get a great impression. Ds didn’t do an Admitted Students Day, opting to go the last week in April.</p>

<p>Rayrick, let us now what she thinks!</p>

<p>piglette–Not sure. I haven’t heard anything about a shortage. I’m rooming with another prospie as well, but I don’t think that has anything to do with a shortage. I believe they said there are 160 people here this weekend.</p>

<p>Wow - have a great time everyone!</p>

<p>Greetings from NJ! General q - my d is interested in both carleton and macalester but I can’t afford to send her out there right now. Can you speak to differences? Also, how diverse is the population on campus? She’s Hispanic. Thanks!</p>

<p>S. is a freshman at Carleton. I’ve visited that campus as well as Macalester’s, but school was not in session when we went to Macalester so I can’t offer much of an opinion.</p>

<p>According to Carleton’s website, 22% of the non-international students identify themselves as “students of color”. Our family does not fall into that category but S describes Carleton as a tolerant, respectful and integrated community.</p>

<p>In general I think admission to Carleton is more difficult than Macalester. There are “Carleton vs. Macalester” threads on CC that can probably give you a much better understanding of the differences between the two schools. Good luck to you and your D.</p>

<p>Here is a link to a site for Carleton’s Hispanic student group: [LASO</a> Carleton | Facebook](<a href=“Facebook”>LASO Carleton)</p>

<p>Sunmachine, that link was extremely helpful! Thank you!</p>

<p>Ds1 is at Carleton (he’d also applied and gotten into Mac). Ds2 and I visited Carleton and Macalester after moving ds1 in this fall. Macalester’s location makes the campus, to me, feel like it had a lot more energy, lots going on. I liked it a lot; ds2 didn’t.</p>

<p>Ds1 is Hispanic and certainly hasn’t spoken of having any issues at Carleton. He’s not a member of LASO, that I’m aware of. His closest circle of friends is quite diverse: a fellow Hispanic, one Pakistani, one Chinese and a couple of Anglos in there. Carleton seems to be a really welcoming place. When we visited as an accepted student that last week in April, I was really impressed with the campus and the attitudes. I tell people that there’s a small-town attitude but not small-minded people. After visiting, I felt totally comfortable sending him there.</p>

<p>Thank you, great info!</p>

<p>31% of Macalester/32% of Carleton is minority/int’l, indistinguishable. Student attitudes are about as tolerant-liberal as you’ll see anywhere, ANYWHERE (both schools). </p>

<p>The biggest differences in my mind lie in, much as I argued with Williams, geography and the dominant personality of the student body. </p>

<p>Mac sits in a quiet residential area within easy reach of downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis. Carleton sits in historic Northfield about 40 miles away, surrounded by woodland and farms, easily accessible to the twin cities but we’re talking planned excursions, not strolls a la Mac. </p>

<p>The campuses are physically night and day different. Mac sits on a very small pretty and manicured piece of property, all of 53 acres, and I can see how youdon’tsay and ds2 could look at this and perceive very different images. 2000 kids on 53 acres - dynamic to one person, claustrophobic to another. I know kids that have done the “I’m not getting out of the car” thing looking at Mac because of this. I also know kids that wouldn’t consider making the trip to Northfield knowing the nearest Chipotle is 19 miles away.</p>

<p>With the understanding that there are a lot of overlaps, I think Mac as a whole tends to support a student population that is, true to its rep, more politically active and left leaning liberal. Carleton is not exactly a conservative bastion, but the population has a surprising number of pretty traditional types in the mix making for some interesting interactions. Carls are, also as billed, probably as a group more cerebral, quirky and alternative fun-loving. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have plenty of jocks and, yes, even “preps” that would seem more at home in New England than Northfield. </p>

<p>At either school, a frisbee is de rigueur, an instant “Ultimate” entree to acceptance :)</p>

<p>Ds was turned off on Mac by the admissions rep. He simply thought she didn’t do a good job selling the school and had weak answers to questions she must have been asked a thousand times. Also, he’d just spent the night with his brother at Carleton, meeting his friends, playing games in Sayles, running in the Arb. Mac, for him, just paled in comparison. I was disappointed because of Mac’s strong IR bent, which is ds2’s interest. And, it would have been virtually a safety for him. I thought it looked like a great option for him. Oh well.</p>

<p>Thanks again. To that question, what are the median socres/GPA for Carleton and Mac? Thought they werehighly competitive?</p>

<p>pirateq, you can find lots of great information if you Google a college by name with Common Data Set. Here’s the link to Carleton’s for 2011-12: [Carleton</a> College: Institutional Research and Assessment: Common Data Set (CDS)](<a href=“http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/ira/basic_carleton_data/CDS1/]Carleton”>http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/ira/basic_carleton_data/CDS1/) Section C has the SAT info.</p>

<p>Macalester’s is here: [Macalester</a> Common Data Set](<a href=“http://www.macalester.edu/ir/cds/cds.htm#CCC]Macalester”>http://www.macalester.edu/ir/cds/cds.htm#CCC)</p>

<p>They are both competitive, Carleton more so. Maybe you’re referencing my “safety” comment about Mac? Ds is a male URM with a CR+M of 1500+ who’d get points for geographic diversity as well. For a school that takes almost 40% of its male applicants, I was OK with putting Mac into the match/safety category.</p>