Carleton College Reviews

There is no Greek life. The...

There is no Greek life. The social scene is the same as any other school I would imagine. It's a smaller campus so you'll get to know more of the student body.

Mostly, I’m glad I’m here. It’s a...

Mostly, I’m glad I’m here. It’s a small place, so it’s not too hard to get claustrophobic or sick of the social scene. But the people are wonderful, the academics are great, if a bit limited in scope, and Minnesota’s an interesting place to be, especially if you come from either one of the coasts.

Parties on campus get old fast....

Parties on campus get old fast. Freshmen tend to make up the bulk of the party crowd, while upperclassmen tend to split off into cliques and party on a smaller scale. There’s a lot of drinking and some dancing. None of the bars in town are exciting, and students don’t use them much. If you want to club, you have to go to the Twin Cities where you can find whatever you want.

We are not a dry campus, enough...

We are not a dry campus, enough said. There’s also a fair amount of marijuana. Other drugs are harder to find.

There are many people who use...

There are many people who use drugs and many who don’t. I don’t think that there’s a lot of pressure to do either, though there are plenty of occasions to experiment.

Pot is certainly not looked down...

Pot is certainly not looked down upon by any means, but you don’t see much else in the way of drugs.

People have an enlightened view...

People have an enlightened view about what drugs are here. You won’t feel hunted, but you also aren’t likely to end up an addict. Like many other things here on campus, social circles are fluid in this regard. You may have friends that you’re really close to who use drugs all the time, even if you never do. There isn’t a whole lot of pressure either way, so you’re pretty much free to choose for yourself. The same cannot be said for Frisbee, however. God help you if you don’t want to play that particular game.

Campus policies on drugs and...

Campus policies on drugs and alcohol are surprisingly lax. The administration is very good about respecting and trusting the decisions of their students. In other words, getting caught isn’t something you ever really have to worry about.

They’re not strict at all, and...

They’re not strict at all, and it’s awesome.

The weather is scatterbrained. Of...

The weather is scatterbrained. Of course, you need puffy jackets and hats, but I’m wearing shorts and a tank top right now!

I love Carleton. I feel as though...

I love Carleton. I feel as though this is a place where one can study really hard during the day, and then relax and party with your friends that night. Carleton is very challenging and also very rewarding.

Carleton is bizarrely fun and...

Carleton is bizarrely fun and stressful. We work hard, but it’s very much you against your work as opposed to you against the next student. Your friends and professors want you to do well, almost as much as you want yourself to. You are very much looked after in this regard. People are genuinely interested in what they’re doing, and they come expecting the intense academic atmosphere and quirky social scene that only a high-ranking school in rural Minnesota could provide.

The weather is pretty lame. Very...

The weather is pretty lame. Very lame.

I wish I could move the school...

I wish I could move the school somewhere a lot warmer, like California, but I’m having a great time anyway.

The classes are fantastic. I’ve...

The classes are fantastic. I’ve never had a class with more than 50 students, and most are under 20. The small class size promotes good discussion and encourages participation. They’re amazing. The professors here are just as interested in the students they educate as they are in the subjects they teach. To describe them: honest, dedicated, accommodating, supportive, intelligent, and pleasant.

The Rec Center is the bomb. The...

The Rec Center is the bomb. The student center could use some more cool things in it, but the snacky-poo (the Snack Bar) is always on point.

For the size of our school our...

For the size of our school our facilities are very nice, especially the Rec Center. The student center is nice enough but not especially exciting.

For the most part, we get what we...

For the most part, we get what we pay for. My only complaint, though, is that many of the dorms and campus houses could use updates. Some are pretty run down, although it seems they’re in the process of making their way through them. The frustrating thing, however, is that it seems they invest a lot in updating the areas open to the general public, such as the art gallery and Great Hall, when they should maybe concentrate their efforts a bit more on student spaces.

While I struggled during my...

While I struggled during my freshman and sophomore years to find those small liberal arts professor-student relationships you expect coming into the school, in the last year or so things have really started to come together. Meaning, if you seek a closer relationship with a professor, it’s definitely there. Small things like spending more time in office hours can go a long way. I’ve found professors are happy to get on tangents with you; they want to hear that you’re thinking about their class and struggling with reading and/or your thesis for the upcoming paper. They’re eager to get to know you better, but you generally need to make the first move. Someone in my house spent the other day driving around Northfield all afternoon with a professor who had just come from Tanzania so he could get his drivers license.

I prefer Burton Dining Hall....

I prefer Burton Dining Hall. Overall, the food isn’t bad; you’re always going to find something, even if it is a bagel or salad. They have something for everyone and vegetarian alternatives to every option.

Personally, I think the dinning...

Personally, I think the dinning halls are fairly good. You run into the same problems you do eating in any cafeteria. I have visited cafeterias at many other schools and haven’t seen one that’s better than ours. However, they’re way, way too crowded for a good portion of the time they’re open. Go to Burton! Screw East!

I know many people like to...

I know many people like to complain about the food at Marriott, but I don’t think it’s all that bad. At least we have a fair number of choices for every meal.

It’s not a coincidence that...

It’s not a coincidence that everybody drinks on campus. As the old saying goes, ‘Beer: Helping ugly people have sex for centuries.’

There are far too many people that...

There are far too many people that are so ugly that I can’t tell whether they’re guys or girl. For the most part, everybody is pleasant-enough looking.

The talent in the IM basketball...

The talent in the IM basketball league is like that in the NBA Development League.