A Carleton Romance Story

Choosing a college is hard, and it is rarely a perfect love story. That said, the journey that brought me to Carleton is a bit of a romance chronicle in its own way.

Like any good rom-com, we started as enemies. I visited Carleton for the first time on a hot and dry day in late August and hated it.

My First Visit

Looking back, I attribute my misconceptions of Carleton to a few different factors, my lack of sleep, the weather, and the fact that most students and faculty working on campus all summer had been taking time off before classes started in September. It didn’t seem like the sort of place I would want to spend four years.

The biggest reason, however, was that the whole idea of the Liberal Arts seemed like a waste of time to me. We have all heard the stories of college graduates finding out they don’t like the field they chose, or that their school didn’t properly prepare them. I was terrified that this would be me and didn’t see how the Liberal Arts could provide me with a valuable and useful education. I remember sitting in the Northfield Culver’s (a staple of the Midwest, if you aren’t from around here) and telling my dad over our butter burgers and frozen custard that I definitely didn’t want to go to Carleton.

What Changed?

I kept looking but my search process seemed fruitless. I have always had a wide range of academic interests and it seemed like every school I came across restricted me to only one. So, as I scanned Wikipedia and opened endless tabs on my high-school-issued Chromebook, trying desperately to find something that fit, I finally started to look deeper at what the Liberal Arts are. This was a critical point for me. The idea that I could study something in detail and have the time to explore other interests seemed perfect, almost too good to be true.

Despite not particularly liking Carleton, the application is free, so I figured I might as well apply.

Making Decisions

Come springtime, I had decisions to make. I visited Carleton for the second time on Accepted Students Day and finally had a chance to meet with students and see the college in action. I learned more about how the Liberal Arts prepares Carleton students for awesome and unique careers and about the countless resources on campus that prepare students for the future and support them while they are here. While I would love to say that Carleton had my heart at this moment, I still wasn’t completely sure. Honestly, it is hard to know if something will be right for you until you are really there. Based on my visit, I figured that my chances were pretty good at Carleton, and I enrolled during the car ride home.

Blossoming Love

When the time came for me to move in in the fall, I was mostly excited, but like everyone preparing for New Student Week, I was pretty nervous. All of those nerves went away after the first few weeks. I met an awesome group of friends, was already starting to form relationships with professors, and had access to countless extracurriculars. I was in love.

Like any true love, I continue to fall deeper every day. I am continually learning more about what Carleton offers, the opportunities myself and my classmates have access to, and what our awesome alums are up to. The thing that I love the most, however, is our community. We like to say “Carls help Carls.” It is true on campus and off campus, and even after graduation. If it wasn’t for the free application, I never would have found such a wonderful undergraduate home. Thank you, Carleton.

My Advice

The college search process is hard, and I honestly hope that it goes a little smoother for you than it did for me. The advice that I can offer, however, is to put yourself out there. The application is free, I’d recommend applying.

Harrison (he/him/his) stays busy at Carleton! He is a captain of the club water polo team, plays both IM basketball and broomball, and participates in activities hosted by the German and physics departments. He loves the atmosphere of Carleton in that its students are focused on academics but they don’t let it get in the way of fun.