I’ve been to a LOT of colleges being the daughter, niece, and granddaughter of educators and an educator myself, and I can safely say that Carleton is not only gorgeous on the outside but also on the inside.
The campus is full of trees, expansive grassy spaces to sprawl out and study on, lakes with birds singing on and over them, a waterfall (not kidding, a peaceful babbling waterfall) classic stately buildings, elegantly mixed with stunning (state of the art) modern buildings and an 800 acre arboretum! Yes, 800 acres of quiet, rolling natural prairies filled with trees, grasses, flowers, birds and butterflies. Aside from its beauty we also have our own cinema which shows several movies each weekend so you don’t even have to leave campus to catch a flick.
But something that no other campus can claim is that it is at the very top of the list of all colleges in the United States for its carbon neutrality. With its own geothermal system, and its two windmills, it literally beats ALL OTHER campuses on environmental stewardship.
That’s just the outside. Now let’s talk about the inside which is filled with professors who answer my kids’ emails within hours and take a sincere interest in their lives, not just their academic lives, but their whole lives as people not just students. In fact, my older son who has already graduated from Carleton maintains and really values his relationships with his former profs.
The students are kind, friendly, and collaborative rather than competitive. Now don’t get me wrong, these students are hard-working competitive academics BUT they collaborate with each other for the sake of deeper learning, rather than competing with each other for a better grade. They are substantive students who are sincerely curious about learning for the sake of learning. This is the “beauty on the inside” of Carleton.
The city of Northfield, is, like Carleton, small but mighty. A hop, skip, and a jump from the Twin Cities and one of the best, most accessible airports in the country, it’s full of surprises like Makeshift, which is a store full of jewelry and other hand made items created out of reclaimed silver, and other metals. The Sketchy Artist, run by a wonderful woman named April, is another gem where you can find pencils, pens, paint, brushes, paint, handmade cards, vintage, posters and other delights. A couple of other places I love are Content Bookstore where you can find unique cards, writing instruments, journals and gifts in addition to an amazing selection of books and Northfield Yarn, where you can find beautiful yarns and needles for all your knitting, crocheting, and other projects.
My son purchased a used bike for himself in downtown Northfield very easily, and quickly upon arrival when he realized that it would save him a bunch of time to get from class to class and into town. Not necessary, as town is literally butted right up against campus, but many kids get bikes to zip around more quickly.
In the unlikely event that your student is caught off guard without the winter wear necessary for Minnesota snowstorms, they can pop in to The Rare Pair for boots, beanies, gloves, and other warm accessories. And of course, The Mall of America, where you can literally find anything, is just a quick 35 minute drive.
Despite the loss of a few restaurants and businesses during the pandemic, Northfield has bounced back with some wonderful new restaurants like Reunion and some old faves like Hogan Bros, Tokyo Grill, and The Ole Store are still going strong.
There is a Target a five minute car ride away, and right in town walking distance from campus is Family Fare market with and Starbucks and pharmacy inside, and a dry cleaners and nail shop a block or two away.
So you see, though off the beaten path, Northfield has everything and more of what your student might need while at a campus. But they really won’t want to leave due to its astounding natural beauty, and the warmth, support and camaraderie of their professors, the staff and their friends.
Please feel free to email me with any questions as I LOVE talking about Carleton and Northfield!
Hope Demetriades P’22 P’26, Los Angeles
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