Growing up, pursuing college was not at the forefront of life for Chloe Epperson ’26.
Although she and her friends were aware of higher education, the avenues that would allow them to understand the application process were notably absent; admissions officers weren’t in contact with her high school, and COVID-19 was at its peak. Then, during her senior year, Chloe was able to work with a community-based organization that put her on track to apply for college. She remembers suddenly applying to “a bunch of fly-in visit programs,” and even personally inviting admissions officers to her high school.
Carleton’s Summer Liberal Arts Institute was one of the programs she was encouraged to pursue. Unfortunately, although she was accepted, COVID restrictions initially barred her from attending on campus. Looking for alternative ways to visit, she applied to Taste of Carleton and was finally able to physically meet with other Carls. This allowed her to “talk to students about what their financial aid process was like. Many said that their experience with Carleton was really good, and that Carleton is truly need-based.” Continuing to take initiative, Chloe and a good friend invited the Arizona Carleton admissions officer to their high school. She recalls how this was crazy because no one from a place like Carleton had ever visited her high school.
Well into her first year here, she’s acclimated to the Carleton learning curve. She noted that the “first couple of weeks were just really different, and the weather was wild. Talking to the people here is definitely new, too. It was a bit of a culture shock how so many kids came from different backgrounds than me, but everyone’s been really nice. Professors, too.” A big believer in taking full advantage of the resources at hand, Chloe plans to study abroad and is considering a computer science major.
Chloe says that the commitment to providing financial support for students to attend liberal arts schools like Carleton is “a lot more helpful than you might think. I’ve learned that the liberal arts style allows you time to actually explore your interests. This suits me and a lot of other people out there. My friends back home, myself included, would not be able to go to schools like this without your help. So, thank you so much.”