Carleton Liberal Arts Experience

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The application for CLAE 2026 is now live!

Apply to this year’s summer program, or view your applicant status page after applying.

The Carleton Liberal Arts Experience (CLAE) is a week-long all-expenses paid summer program for rising seniors in high school. The program is intended for students who want to explore the liberal arts on a residential campus and are interested in African American history and culture. The free program provides exposure to highly rigorous, college-level coursework across a range of disciplines within the unique style of education found only at liberal arts colleges like Carleton.

Program Details

Dates of CLAE: July 5-11, 2026
Application opens February 1
Priority Deadline: April 1
Final Deadline: May 1

CLAE is a free program made possible by generous Carleton alumni who are dedicated to advancing liberal arts education.

We invite applications from current juniors who possess a strong academic record, are intellectually curious, and are socially engaged.

CLAE is interdisciplinary, featuring courses in the humanities, arts, and STEM, where students find unexpected connections between classes and across disciplines. The program also prepares students for the college search, application process, and thriving at elite colleges.

Each CLAE cohort is comprised of 40 scholars from all across the U.S. Admission to the program is selective.

Scholars experience life at Carleton including living in the dorms and eating in the dining halls. Mentorship is a highlight of the program, and current Carleton students provide guidance and leadership to CLAE Scholars throughout the week.

The schedule includes a survey of four distinct courses taught by leading professors, college prep workshops led by professional Carleton staff members, and community building activities. All costs related to housing, food, and transportation are covered by Carleton.

Recent CLAE course offerings include:

- What We Don’t Know We “Know”: Pop Culture and the Distortion of Reality
- Religion and the Black Freedom Struggle
- DNA Fingerprinting: The Science of Forensics
- American Dream

Recent college application workshop offerings include:

- Carleton 101
- The College Essay
- Admissions Case Study
- Your College Options
- College Essay Feedback

CLAE Scholars are supported by Carleton faculty members, admissions staff, and current Carleton students. It is a great way to meet other students from across the country and to get a sense of what a liberal arts education is like.

Who should apply?

Students who want to explore a liberal arts education and are interested in African American history and culture are encouraged to apply. We’re looking for academic excellence, investment beyond the classroom in activities, talent, or work, and a desire to engage with values of diversity and inclusion.

At Carleton, students love to learn and enjoy challenging their intellectual capacity. It’s fueled by deep curiosity and desire to make an impact. Applicants should embody these characteristics.

Eligibility: Interested high school juniors (US citizens, permanent residents, or undocumented/DACA students living in the US).

Application Components

- A current transcript
- At least one letter of recommendation from an academic teacher or advisor
- Information about extracurricular activities or a resume
- Two short essays

I was excited to experience liberal arts, and during my stay on campus I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved how engaged everyone was during the seminars, expressing well thought out opinions and ideas while also actively listening to what others had to say.
Javin White '20

Bowie, MD

I am applying to Carleton because I appreciate what the school has done for me. My first trip to Minnesota was for CLAE and it was my very first flight alone. It was one of the greatest opportunities I've been given.
DeLante Blagburn '23

Greenville, SC

Prior to CLAE, I had never been surrounded by so many self-motivated, tenacious, and gifted students. CLAE truly exposed me to a part of myself that I had never known.
Peter Uwalaka '07

CLAE Scholar '01, Carleton College '07, Harvard University Graduate School of Education '10

Carleton Liberal Arts Experience

The application for CLAE 2026 is now live!

Program Details

Who should apply?

Application Components

CLAE is one of several on-campus access programs.

Contact Information