Choosing Carleton: Expectations vs Reality

My Journey

If you’ve read any of my previous blogs about my college admissions process, you’ll know that it was anything but linear. Choosing a college is such a big decision, and I ended up picking Carleton for many reasons. Here are just a few reasons why I chose Carleton and if those things actually lived up to my expectations.

The Community – Expectation

When I came for my Accepted Students Day, I just felt at home in the community. I could talk to current students or prospective students and felt a true connection with them. Carleton was the only school where I felt like I could find people like me.

Reality 

In reality, I had no idea how many people I would be able to find. I honestly have yet to find many people that I don’t connect with. Even if I’m not best friends with everyone, I genuinely enjoy the company of so many people on this campus. I could not have predicted just how easy it would be to find my place in this community.

The Classroom – Expectation

I knew that Carleton was well-known for great professors with small class sizes, so getting personalized support when you need it is a lot more possible. I also loved how the liberal arts requirements worked and how it forces everyone to get out of their comfort zone.

Reality

There are no words to express how amazing all of my professors have been. Not only are they extremely knowledgeable, passionate and interesting, they’re also some of the nicest people I’ve ever met inside and outside of the classroom. The small class sizes make it so you get to know your classmates and professors really well, which is something that impacts the learning experience. 

The Weather/Location – Expectation

This was something I was worried about. As someone from California, Minnesota is incredibly far from home. I also heard horror stories about the Minnesota winter. I wasn’t sure if I would survive my first year.

Reality

With the community of students and professors here, it doesn’t feel like I’m far from home. While my family and animals are in California, I’ve created a new community here that is really loving and supportive. And don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t survive a Minnesota winter! It might be really cold on some days, but as long as you dress right, it’ll be okay.

Artsy and Quirky Vibe – Expectation

People often describe Carleton as “artsy and quirky” and I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant when I committed here. I hoped for a community of people who liked art or maybe had cool interests.

Reality

Everyone at Carleton, regardless of their major, has a huge passion for performance, writing, reading, art or anything similar. It’s so inspiring to be surrounded by people with so many talents and passions every single day. This might make us more quirky that other places, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

In the end, I had no way of knowing what it would be like to be a Carleton student until I started here. I had an idea of what things would be like, but truly I could not have predicted how much I would’ve grown within the last three years. If I had one piece of advice for anyone deciding on colleges right now I’d say this: go with your gut. Even if you’re not sure why you’re exactly drawn to a place (like I was with Carleton), following your intuition won’t steer you wrong! 

Kate (she/her) is a junior History  and Theater double major from the Bay Area, California. She loves Carleton’s artsy community, and is involved in the Vocal Studies Program and occasionally the Experimental Theater Board when her fight choreography skills are in high demand. Kate’s favorite places on campus are the practice rooms, either in Myers or the Weitz, where she can sing or play the ukulele. She loves the campus during all the seasons but thinks nothing could compare to the beautiful colors of Northfield in the fall. When not in class, you can find Kate either petting the nearest cat or forcing her friends to watch bad movies in a study room.