<p>Hi fellows! I'm a high school senior who, unfortunately, cannot pay a visit to the campus.
I'm actually exploring the vibe in Carleton, as well as in Middlebury, Vassar, and Wesleyan, so I hope you could tell me something about it. </p>
<p>Do people there enjoy socializing and party while considering academy as first priority? Are they liberal and open in terms of opinion? Do they generally enjoy talking about politics?
How's the international diversity in Carl?(I am an international student) How well are those international students involved?<br>
Thank you.
=)</p>
<p>I am a parent of a student there so cannot give you a first-hand perspective, but yes, my impression is that for most students there, academics are the top priority, but there is plenty of socializing and parties as well. I think it is accurate to say that most students are liberal and open-minded. The Carleton students I’ve met seem to be pretty well informed about politics; I’m sure the degree to which a student enjoys talking about politics depends on the individual. </p>
<p>I hope a Carleton student will reply as to the degree of international diversity and the involvement of international students.</p>
<p>Hi there! Sorry I’m a little late to this thread, midterms have been killing me. To answer your questions, I’d say that the majority of students do indeed place academics as their first priority: the library is always packed, and generally the attitude is “work first, play later.” That being said, a lot of students definitely balance work with socializing, partying, and other activities such as sports. Friday and Saturday nights are pretty active on campus, although there are definitely alternative activities if you’re not so into the party scene. In my experience, it’s fine to decide not to go out if you have too much work; no one will judge you. </p>
<p>I would say that the majority of people I know are fairly liberal, with a pretty vocal minority who are conservative. Fiscal conservatives are more common than social conservatives. Although it varies per student, I would say that generally Carleton students are fairly politically-aware as well. My PoliSci classes always have interesting and active conversations, and especially in light of the upcoming elections, I’ve had a lot of political conversations with fellow students.</p>
<p>In terms of international students, I would say that involvement and diversity varies. Some of the international students tend to self-segregate, but as a whole I think that Carleton is pretty welcoming, and many are successfully involved in the community. My freshman roommate was international, and she is very involved on campus and has a lot of friends from all over.</p>
<p>I have a question! I know this sounds silly, but I just got something in the mail from Carleton detailing their athletic program. Nowhere on there did it mention a cheerleading squad, and I have always wanted to cheer in college. Do you know if one exists on campus?</p>
<p>Almost 10% of recent classes have been international. The vast majority come from Asia with China far and away the most popular country represented. Among the latest freshmen, 23 came from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.</p>
<p>I am a freshmen this year and an international student, so I can tell you about my experience so far.
My description of the international community at Carleton will be tight but not segregated. The Office of intl and intercultural life (OIIL) does a great job of creating a family-like atmosphere. All international freshmen are required to attend the international student orientation, which was great. Not only did I familiarized with the environment at Carleton better, but also got to know my fellow classmates and OIIL peer leaders and staff. Throughout your freshmen year, you are assigned to an OIIL Peer Leader, who is a student that meets with you regularly and offers any support he or she can give. The OIIL office also hosts various events, such as the Student of Color Retreat and Tea Time Thursday to bring students together. Since all international students are in different dorms, classes and clubs, we usually hang out with a mixture of friends. I rarely see people segregate themselves to only hang out with international students. Most likely, people hang out with people on their floor, in their clubs or simply those they see often in the dining halls. At the end of the day; however, if you really need someone to talk to or a place to feel like home, the OIIL community is there to support you.</p>
<p>I hope this helps and I hope to see you at Carleton next year :).</p>
<p>Hi, I have a question (not trying to take over this post). How big is drinking ACTUALLY? I’m not into drinking, and plan on picking sub-free, but just wondering. Thanks!</p>
<p>And wwhhxx0324, I’m stuck between Wesleyan and Carleton!</p>
<p>Alcohol is there if you want it, not if you don’t. I started out sub-free, and drank later in college, and found that no one judged my choices either way. You may find that your own choices change over time…or they may not. Either way people are very laid back.</p>
<p>Drinking tends to focus on house parties and progressives, not as much at the bars. So you also don’t really end up with that experience of, “all my friends are going bar-hopping which is really awkward when you don’t drink.” There are always a ton of things to do on campus as well that don’t involve drinking - SUMO, a capella, plays, and so forth. That’s not to say people don’t drink: it’s college, so they do, just like they do everywhere. Rather to say that there is plenty of cool stuff to do that doesn’t involve drinking, and people aren’t weird about it.</p>
I have one more question: are there many Chinese students?</p>