<p>hi, I'm pretty interested in Carl, so i have some questions.</p>
<p>1)What kind of student body should i expect to see? a lot of diversity or mostly white students from the Midwest?</p>
<p>2) I know that Carl has a trimester system. does that still mean that i can take more than one class per trimester?</p>
<p>3) Is the workload bearable? what percentage of the time would you say you study (or be involved in something academic)?</p>
<p>thank you</p>
<p>As a Carleton student, I will do my best to answer (my mom asked me to)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Admittedly, the student body is a white majority. That's the way most schools are. There's a good number of kids from the Midwest, but there's a good number of kids from all the regions. You probably won't really notice it any more than you might say words differently. If you want stats, check out the Admissions website. There are multicultural organizations for just about everything, whether racial, religious, or just being an international. I feel like while diversity may be the minority, it is well represented and respected on campus.</p></li>
<li><p>Trimesters have 3 classes per term. In addition you can take pe, music, and lab classes which add to your credit load. Overloading (generally requires approval) = 22 credits. Most classes are 6 credits, so add in music lessons and a dance or pe class and you might take 20 credits.</p></li>
<li><p>It all depends on your classes, professors, and personal need/commitment to study. If you don't understand a lot about calculus, for example, but you really want that A, you are going to have to study, go to the Math Help Center, make a study group, etc. Personally, it completely varies. THere have been days where I've had no homework and days where I've spent the entire day studying. Also, how much sleep you need and how many activities you are in will help determine this. I know, I know, that didn't really answer your question. I probably spend about 3 hours a day doing something academic outside of class. Sometimes that's in study groups, at prefect sessions (upperclassmen who hold review sessions for classes like psych and econ), or on my own. I am also involved in a good number of activities and live on a very social floor and oftentimes procrastinate.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>This is my mom's username, but I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have</p>
<p>Hey fireflyscout, I'm going to Carleton next year and I'm a little apprehensive about the trimester system making life stressful since midterms or finals are always a few weeks away. Are you a fan of trimesters?</p>
<p>The trimesters are good because you can take more classes total (9 per year instead of 8), your classes are still either 70 minutes 3 times/week or 105 minutes twice/week, so you have lots of time to do other things, since there's only three. Also, if you're wary about the winter, you miss a good chunk of it in December, and there's enough time to get an internship or job (retail loves the fact that you're around between Thanksgiving and Christmas). Also, counting your weeks and weekends is easy, 1st-10th week (sounds silly, but it comes in very handy). Spring break is completely homework free - sounds unimportant, but I have lots of friends who have to write papers, proposals, and do all sorts of things over their Spring Breaks, and it definitely makes them more stressed. On that note, Spring Break is 10 days. Say your two best friends have different spring breaks - you may get to see both of them. The reasons for liking it are pretty logical.</p>
<p>The reasons I don't like it are mainly social: most of your friends have school between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so there's two weeks or so that are really boring. Also, your friends will get home earlier for the summer. Sometimes I feel like I either have learned a TON in a short amount of time (foreign languages), or sometimes like a course was just getting warmed up and I was just getting to know people. That, of course, depends on the course. Also, your freshman year is kinda weird because you've known these people for 10 weeks and you go home for 6. Kinda strange. Studying abroad during the spring can be difficult if it's not a Carleton program. Fall is fine, but Spring can take some maneuvering.</p>
<p>All in all, I don't mind the trimester system. There are pros and cons to all systems, and I actually appreciate that I'll get a little more of a chance to take some of the really cool classes offered here.</p>
<p>And, of course, welcome to Carleton, we're glad to have you. Have you/will you visit?</p>
<p>Yeah, I visited to do the whole interview/tour/info session bit earlier this year. The campus was great, but the people were why I decided to apply early. Everybody was so friendly! I visited an English class and I was really terrified and intimidated at the beginning, but everyone was really cool and at the end like three people made sure I knew how to get where I was going. I might go to the accepted students' weekend in April to get a better feel for the campus even though it's generally for students who are still making their decision.
One question, if I'm not mistaken, Carleton requires students to be proficient in a foreign language. What exactly does proficient mean? If I were to start a new language how many classes would I need in order to reach proficiency?</p>
<p>From the Carleton website:</p>
<p>Study of a second language is an essential part of a student's preparation in the liberal arts. The requirement aims to assure that students will acquire a usable level of competence in a second language. This competence is demonstrated either (a) through satisfactory completion of a fourth-level language course (fifth-level in Japanese or Chinese) or (b) through acceptable performance on a standardized or departmentally designed examination. Fluent speakers of second languages, may ask to be tested for fulfillment of the requirement or, in the case of languages not offered at Carleton, may ask that testing be arranged. Students whose native language is other than English may fulfill this requirement by demonstrating competence in their native language, as well as English.</p>
<p>Entering students may fulfill the requirement by satisfactory performance on a College Board Advanced Placement or Achievement test, or on another placement examination most appropriate for the particular language. Students who have not taken such a test before entering the college should take the language placement examination either during the summer prior to matriculation or during their first week at Carleton. Students beginning their study of language, as well as those who need more study to complete the requirement, should enroll in language in their first year.</p>
<p>Students who complete language courses equivalent to courses 101 through 204 (205 in Chinese/Japanese) at domestic post-secondary institutions after being enrolled at Carleton may take the appropriate placement or proficiency examinations to gain advanced standing or exemption. Credit toward the degree is typically not awarded, however. </p>
<p>Note - This is fireflyscout (the elder - LOL). My daughter took 4 years of Spanish in high school, but is starting over with French. Taking the sequence 101 through 204 means four terms of the language.</p>
<p>Hi firefly scout!</p>
<p>I'm still sitting here in the Cone of Silence, anxiously waiting. Not the most fun I've ever had...</p>
<p>"Students whose native language is other than English may fulfill this requirement by demonstrating competence in their native language, as well as English."</p>
<p>How exactly does one go about doing that? I took French my freshman year, but then my school started to offer Chinese so I switched to that even if it meant only 3 years of that language. Then it turns out French is being taken out of the school curriculum next year so I would have had no hope in any manner for finishing any of these 2 languages. However, my native language is Spanish and that is really the only other language I know. I'm still a junior, but I have no idea yet what to do for this problem, unless if the whole demonstrating competence part is not too difficult...</p>
<p>Copied and pasted from the Carleton website:</p>
<p>Satisfaction of the language requirement does not happen automatically for students whose native langue is not English. Such students will need to provide objective evidence of their current language proficiency in the native language in all four skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The most common means of demonstrating proficiency is a transcript from high school that indicates that the language of instruction in the student's secondary school was a language other than English or that the student took courses in his or her native language during high school. If you know that your transcript will not provide an indication of your proficiency in your native langue, you might consider requesting a letter from a school official attesting to your level of proficiency.</p>
<p>If English is not your native language and you think you have the skills to be exempted from the language requirement, download and complete the Bilingual Petition located in the upper right corner and if possible, submit a copy of your high school transcript or alternate documentation of your proficiency to: Elizabeth Ciner, Associate Dean of the College, Laird 131, x4300.</p>
<p>Not for nothing, but on the main admissions website (<a href="http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/overview/apply/rqments/)%5B/url%5D">http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/overview/apply/rqments/)</a>, it says:</p>
<p>"Normally, students also will be expected to take two or more years of a foreign or classical language unless it is not offered at their school."</p>
<p>The place from where you are getting that info says something about advising and I think it might have something to do with majoring in a foreign language, since that section is listed along with sections such as music, math, and chemistry, with the music section discussing auditions and the like. I mean, I'm not the one to argue with somebody actually currently attending Carleton, but I think that maybe the link from where you are copying that info might have to do with something else. Just a thought! :)</p>
<p>You ARE talking about something different from what fireflyscout is discussing. The language proficiency thing is a requirement to graduate from Carleton, and the "at least two years" thing is an admissions requirement.</p>
<p>Aha, well, I saw things like</p>
<p>"Entering students may fulfill the requirement by satisfactory performance on a College Board Advanced Placement or Achievement test"</p>
<p>So I assumed this was all meant for prospective students. I guess I'm just horrible at reading into things, so just ignore all my previous comments I guess! :S</p>
<p>thanks for the great responses fireflyscout's S/D!
i have some more questions.
1) so I can take upto 3 classes per trimester. that isn't too hard to manage... is it (considering that i take challenging courses)?</p>
<p>2) I know the incoming freshmen size is really small (~500?). does it ever get lonely? i'm sure you hang out with the upper classmen too, but it's more likely that you chill with the people in your class. do you feel like you see too many familiar faces everyday? my high school class is around 450, and seeing the same people every year (50-60 in every course) is kind of getting old.</p>
<p>Hey ubi, my whole school barely has 500-600 people, so at least you aren't in that kind of situation! :P</p>
<p>1) I feel like 3 is the perfect level. 2 and you would not feel challenged (depending on your classes) and you might be unmotivated. 4 would be hard, not only because of workload, but scheduling as well. Scheduling can be ... interesting. I've been more likely to not get into a class b/c it conflicts with another class than b/c it's full or the prof won't let me in off the waitlist (which they often do). Yes, 3 classes is challenging, but if you plan it out, you can have Tuesdays and Thursdays free, you could have a math class, an art, and a litereature (just for example), thereby balancing your reading vs. problems vs. whatever, etc. It's about planning ahead and knowing what's offered when.</p>
<p>2) This is entirely up to you. I don't get lonely, but it helps that I LOVE the freshmen on the floor I live on. I also play ultimate, am in choir, and in a play, which means I meet a good number of upperclassmen and freshmen outside what is typically my circle of friends. Also, your floor will have have upperclassmen on it, and probably a good number. In Watson, I believe it's typically about 18 freshmen and 12 upperclassmen - these are the smallest floors on campus open to freshmen. So yes, I do see certain faces everyday, and on certain paths at certain times. Every term there are 3-4 people that I bump into multiple times a day, but I don't feel like I know everyone. Granted, I am only a freshman 2/3 through the year, but my roommates tell me about classmates that I don't know all the time, and I am continually meeting new people at parties and events, and even when new people show up to ultimate practice. You are completely able to make your social circle small, large, primarily upperclassmen, your class, whatever. I know this sounds like a cop out answer, but I have friends who mainly hang out with freshmen and others who mainly hang out with upperclassmen. I came from a high school graduating class of 1200, and I personally enjoy hearing about how my friend knows my ultimate captain's roommate's boyfriend, or whatever the small world case may be. Some people do feel like they see the same people everyday, but I get out and about enough that I don't really feel that very much.</p>
<p>Two quick notes:
Accepted Students Weekend is AMAZING. That's what solidified my decision to go to Carleton. So you should definitley go, and go the first weekend if you can, b/c you'll get to see my play!</p>
<p>There is another way the Lang. Proficiency requirement can be met. Say you're like me and took a language in high school. You can: a. Start a new language at the beginning, aka, 101, b. Take the AP/IB/SAT, or c. Take their Language Placement test which will place you in either 101, 102, 103, 204, or placed out of the requirement. By doing this, my roommate placed into French 204 for Fall term and is now done with her Language Requirement. For me, I only placed into 102, and since I wanted to start French anyway, just decided to go ahead and do it.</p>
<p>When is Accepted Students Weekend? Does anyone know when Parents WE will be next year (2007-8)? I find it frustrating to try to plan visits when we don't know about acceptances until what feels like the last minute.</p>
<p>There are two Accepted Students Weekends - April 12-14 and April 19-21. Parents' Weekend is October 5-7, 2007 and October 10-12, 2008 (hint: make hotel reservations EARLY). </p>
<ul>
<li>Fireflyscout the elder</li>
</ul>
<p>(ps to bethievt - if they follow they same schedule as last year, the cone of silence should be broken this week!)</p>
<p>thank you again for the awesome responses!
now all i have to do is finish the jr year well, have a good sr year, then apply and hopefully get in.</p>
<p>Fireflyscout</p>
<p>I am so out of it--I already had Family WE on my calendar. My son's play he's directing is this week. It's an adaptation (written by his best friend) of AA Milne's "The Red House Mystery". I'm trying to stay really busy with helping out so the disappointing visits to the mailbox are not so bad, but they're still bad. I'm ready for some action here...this week would be nice.</p>