Carleton College Top Questions

Dear Senior Year Me, Senior year is full of surprises, sudden curves and turns that you could not anticipate. It is going to be a stressful year, so stressful in fact that there will be times when you want to drop everything on the ground and run for miles. Juggling between senior year courses, probably two of the toughest terms in high school, and applying for colleges will be tough, but there's one thing you should remember about this entire process. It seems so important right now, the thought about going to college, specifically which college is daunting and constantly on your mind, but remember that a year from now, when you have settled into where ever it is that you have picked, you will find something about that institution that you'll appreciate and enjoy. Wherever you end up going, you'll do great things, not exactly big thing, but things that will make you realize what your passion is. Things that you'll actually like to do, not those rigid high school schedules that you had to adhere to day after day. College will help you grow into a better person. Yours Truly, Lisa

Dear High School Senior Self, I commend you for all the hard work you have done in the past four years of high school. Keep striving forward is my advice to you about college life and making the transition. College IS the transition from being a teenager to becoming a young adult. Know yourself and know what you want at heart then strive for it. Ignorance is not bliss; it should be painful. The pain and struggle you will go through will only make you stronger and wiser; forget the mistakes but remember the lessons. Pick after yourself, whether it's cleaning your room or getting back on your feet after a disappointing exam; never give up. Most importantly, never be afraid to seek for help for academics or personal issues. Your social or love life should not interfere with your academic performance, if anything your social life should be a support system and not a destructive one. Words are easier said than done, but as long as you hold true to yourself that you will always continue to strive forward, you are unstoppable. The world is yours. Make it your own. Own it. Sincerely, College Me

Classes is not as diffiult as you think it is. You got accepted to that college because you are good enough to attend that college. You know how International Baccaleurette goes on a fast pace and we had to do all these readings? Well the readings really helped you because some books that you read, are part of some of your classes. Time-management is key still, just like how you were good at it in high school. Do not worry about not making friends because you will make friends. Everyone who is a first-year student is going through the same thing as you, therefore connect with them through classes and club organizations. You will realize how much you have grown and yet to grown when you make the transition to college. Money. Remember you had a good scholarship that cover for most things? Will it's never the end of the scholarship days because you should always apply for scholarships, especially if you want to study abroad. Now, keep working harder then you have, cherish the moments there. At the end, network with your professors and your peers. Both are gret help! Now enjoy and grow.

Even after a term and a half at Carleton I have already learned so much about myself. I started this fall thinking I may be a physics major, but knowing I enjoyed history and religion as well. On a whim I enrolled in an Intro to Classical Studies class and fell in love, so much so that I switched my foreign language from Russian to Ancient Greek. I am now 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} sure that I will be a Classical Studies major, take ancient Latin and Greek, and study abroad in Athens or Rome, but the best thing about Carleton is that while it has allowed me to find my passion it won’t let me take only classics classes. I have already taken romantic literature, multivariable calculus, and philosophy of the mind, but I still need to take art, PE, and science classes as well as complete a writing portfolio and write a senior thesis before I can graduate. Carleton is helping me hone my passions, but it will also make me a well-rounded individual by the time I graduate, with the skills necessary for me to be successful at any job. That is the value of a Carleton education.

My college has been valuable in that I believe it has given me a solid foundation on which to build my future.

Find a place where you feel both challenged and at home at the same time. Campus visits are invaluable; the type of person who leads your tour and the type of places you see on campus will tell you more than any brochure about what the college values and emphasizes. Remember, college is a place for you to have fun as well as learn, so make sure you *enjoy* being on campus. Also, know yourself. If you like more intimate classes and small group dialogue about important issues, don't go to a super big school where it's hard to meet like-minded people. If you like feeling a part of a larger community and blending in with a big group, don't go to a small school that will make you feel stifled. You're choosing your home and your future, so make it about you and have fun with the process!

After having narrowed down to a smaller selection of schools, one important strategy would be to get in touch with people who have been at the specific institutions to get an insider's view. It is important to gauge the atmosphere and attitudes of the school for one to make a suitable choice. If one is sure about their career path then they should pursue a school that is well equipped to provide their success. If one is unsure about their path and perhaps also undecided on a field of study, it would be good to consider a school that provides a more holistic education but that also has particular strengths (departments, organizations) that are in line with the student's interests. College is about growth in ways far beyond academics. While taking one's studies seriously it's also crucial to find a balance between studying and leading a well-rounded, healthy life. You can make the most out of college if you can see the fun in it without losing track of your goals. Be bold, step out of your shell (if you have one) and be involved with activities, clubs, events, or just friends. Embrace the opportunities!

During my college application process, I discovered that the recent trend of colleges is to be satisfied looking good on paper. Top rated schools might look good on a list of school, but might turn out to be less than valuable to some of the students applying and hoping to attend. I suggest sitting down and compiling a list of traits that you would find in your "dream school." Then take this list to your parents and utilize their input as well. Once you have the completed list then find schools that possess as many of these traits as possible. Once you have your list of schools, sit down with your parents and compare these schools picking out the best ones. Finally, makes sure to VISIT! Visiting schools is an excellent way of differentiating between top choices. Pick somewhere where you feel comfortable! Upon starting school, I suggest an open mind free of pre-convieved notions. I've learned that these are often wrong and can cause individuals to miss out. Academic exploration is also important. Taking classes you normally wouldn't might expose you to something you never knew you were interested in. Finally, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE FUN!

While they are no substitute for visiting, websites like Campus Discovery are valuable tools for discovering how colleges around the country stack up to the educational and quality of life factors that matter to you.

One morning you're going to wake up and know which college is right for you.

The most important element in finding the right college and making the most of the college experience is to follow what you feel is right. You only have one chance at life, so parents tell your kids what you will and will not do for them (and kids listen to your parents because you?ll be with them forever) and then do what you are drawn to do. You?re equally likely to succeed, in life, doing things you love and things you hate, so you might as well do what you love while you can. College is also a great time to think about the future. People who go straight from high school into college typically learn to be adults in college, so the way the community, staff, and faculty treat you are formative in what ?being an adult? will mean. Wander around the area, see if you?re comfortable. Your years in college are not long in hindsight, but typical college kids are treated like adults for the first time in college. Do you like the people you interact with? Do you want to be like them? Follow what feels right to you.

Generally, you can't make the 'wrong' choice; if you feel like it's the right choice, it probably is. That is to say, if you feel like it is the right choice, you'll find a way to make it the right place for you. Good luck!

I would suggest that you choose a school based on the people with whom you want to spend the next four years . The marginal help that getting into a higher ranked school is dwarfed by the effect of choosing a school where the people are not who you like to be friends with for the rest of your life. I think you need to realize the characteristics of your best friends and try to find a college that has people with those characteristics. After that, figure out where you want to be: city, town etc. Most people I knew who transferred did so because they did not like living in a town. Finally, when you enter college, figure out one thing about your life you would like to change and do it. Don't change the core of who you are but, since it is a fresh start, try to reach toward that utopian you that you see in your head.

Choose the right school and make the most of it

The best thing you can do is to visit the school while it is in session and look and talk to current students. People may try to sell you their school, but choose the one that feels like the right fit for you and the one that you could see yourself living at for the next four years. As for parents, you can give your student advice and help them choose, but let them be the ultimate decider because the decision is going to affect them the most. As for making the most of your college experience, don't be afraid to try new things. Join clubs, try out for a new sport, take a class that has nothing to do with your intended major, talk to someone new because you never know what might change your life. Also, while working hard on academic work is important, don't forget to pursue other interests and have fun. After all, in ten years you won't remember the Friday night you spent at the library studying, you'll remember the Friday night you climbed to the roof of the science building to watch that meteor shower.

The college search may be difficult and stressful for most, but there are many outlets for finding and researching your dream schools. Many more websites and books are available than when I looked at schools four years ago. Sites that dedicate themselves in capturing the character of colleges are created at an exponential rate. Books that claim to know the nitty-gritty of each school's experience are printed regularily as well. A cautious (and curious!) student would utilize these materials to guide them in their search. Don't just read material only from colleges: check out third-party literature to try and balance the presentation of repsective schools. Media can be used as both a suppliment to visits or in replacement if one is unable to travel in far-off lands during high school. While there is no such thing as a "perfect" college, one should try to find a college that fits them best. Sure, people are swayed by numerical rankings of colleges in respectible magazines, but matriculating in a #2-ranked school will not guarantee a happier experience than studying at a school ranked #12 on a list. If people are different, schools are different, too.

FIT is the most important thing to consider when selecting a college. No matter where you go, you will find a niche for yourself and create a great learning experience, as long as you go into it with an open mind. Perhaps you are looking at reach schools, match schools, and safety schools; that is all well and good, but at the end of the day you should feel excited when you imagine yourself at each of those schools. Any college can supply you with a decent library, classes that interest you, and activities to occupy your spare time, so don't get caught up in focusing on one thing you believe you NEED in a college. Talk to the students on campus, read the school newspaper, and watch how people interact in the cafeteria. Can you see yourself living and learning in that environment, with those people, for four years? THAT is what matters the most. You wouldn't pick a partner or spouse because of their hair color or because of what your friends think--you pick because of how they make you feel. A college that is right for you will make you feel good.

Thanks for the survey!

You have to be flexible, and take the process at its own pace. I thought I wanted to go to a mid-sized suburban school in the northeast. I ended up applying early decision to a tiny liberal arts college in the midwest. I got lucky -- I had a friend who demanded I look more broadly than I had previously intended to. A lot of other people were so convinced that they knew what they wanted, that they ended up narrowing their choices dramatically. My pre-law adviser in college told her students that picking graduate school "isn't like picking college. It doesn't matter if Arizona State 'feels right' -- if you get into Yale, you go to Yale." Well, if she's right, she's equally right about undergrad as she is law school. Fit matters. Anybody can be successful going anywhere, if they feel comfortable and apply themselves. Find the school that harmonizes with you, and then dive in with reckless abandon. If you've got a good support structure around you, you'll make the right choices, learn from your inevitable mistakes, and come out the other end happy and prepared to enter the real world.

Finding the right college is a balance of priorities between academic programs offered, extracurricular activities, proximity to home, and, especially important, your gut feeling of comfort during your visit. And the most heartening part of your choice is to know that almost wherever you end up attending you will find happiness and a good education, so do not be afraid of making the wrong decision; you have reasons for prioritizing the above components differently from others and for those reasons you will be happy where you end up and be able to make the most of it. To make the most of your college experience, understand that academics are important and that you are in college to learn but also that academics are only part of the college experience. Try out new activities, meet lots of different people so you can find a group which suits you best, consider studying abroad and/or taking classes you would not normally consider. Also, realize that you must balance your time effectively to make friends, do well in classes, and be involved in activities but that everyone has the same balancing issues and will understand days when you must focus on one aspect.