FAQ for Accepted Students

First of all, CONGRATS CLASS OF 2025!!! I’m so excited for all of you guys—you made it through a really stressful time!

Here are just a few commonly asked questions I’ve heard from attending Zoom sessions with you, and from our WISR community:

1. How easy is it to get support from faculty and staff?

Very! Thus far, all of my professors have been incredibly accessible and happy to answer questions. Support from faculty is a big part of Carleton culture: we have a very tight-knit community, and professors are known for being very available to talk (whether it be about their class, a personal struggle you’re facing, or to nerd out about their subject matter together!).

2. Because of Covid, are students encouraged to stay inside? Will this be the case fall term?

While we are urged to be cautious and take quarantine measures seriously, we are not encouraged to always stay inside. Students spend a lot of time outside (when it’s above freezing, that is) and studying in campus buildings. I often study in the top floor of the LDC or in Sayles—I feel comfortable here, knowing that I am distanced and everyone is good about wearing masks. Our Covid data reflects that we are doing well, plus we’ve started administering vaccinations! Hopefully, by the time you arrive in the fall, you will be even less restricted.

3. Do we have fun here?

Abso-freakin’-lutely!

We…

Play spike ball and frisbee on the Bald Spots!

Ice skate, ski, sled, and build snow castles during the winter

Hang out with friends

Walk through the arb and admire how pretty EVERYTHING is

(In normal years) head to the Twin Cities and have fun there

Window shop through Northfield

4. What’s the best dorm?

Working for admissions, I am required to say they’re all good… However, since Nourse has been my first dorm here, I’m definitely partial to it! It’s very close to the LDC which makes getting meals during the cold months very convenient, along with being sandwiched between the bald spot and the mini bald! James, Cassat, Davis, and Severance are super nice and usually home to seniors and some juniors and lower classmen.

Here are some cool facts about all of them:

Nourse: has specific floors: ground floor is men only; first is all gender; second is quiet; third is sub free, and fourth is all women (AKA the Nunnery). We are also home to the Little Nourse Theater.

Cassat: has fans and heated floors!

Davis: is part of the Complex, along with Burton and Sevy (i.e. you don’t have to leave the building to get food).

James: known for its quad and quint rooms.

Severance (Sevy): is directly connected to Sayles!

Burton: home to the Burton Dining Hall and part of the complex.

Evans: where my roommate and I would love to live next year. Evans has insanely good views of the field where sports practices are held and where Northfield kids sled.

Goodhue: a mostly freshman hall; it is the furthest walk from main campus, but is still under five minutes. It’s very close to the Arb which is great! But… watch out for geese while passing over Lake Lyman!

Musser: has a very friendly vibe; it’s easy to make connections with your floor-mates here.

Myers: is directly across from Nourse! It is also very close to the Mini-Bald, LDC, and very close to the Arb. 

Watson: this is the tallest residence hall on campus, totaling seven floors!

5. The quirk: is it real?

For-sure. But fear not! The “quirk” at Carleton to me is that we all accept that we’re “weird” here: we’re interested in academics, are very passionate, and have some really specific interests. In my opinion, this is the best educational environment I could ask for, as it’s so encouraging. Read my blog post, How Quirky are we, Really?? for more insight into campus life.

I hope this helped answer some questions—if you have more, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at manuele@carleton.edu.

Erin grew up catching salamanders, recklessly climbing trees, and running around barefoot in the Appalachian Mountains in a small town in North Carolina. This is her first year at Carleton, and she’s looking forward to meeting new people, exploring campus (especially the arb!), and experiencing her first Minnesota winter. She is currently interested in studying psychology and gender, women’s, and sexuality studies. Meet the other bloggers!