lmserra

I am planing to apply to Carleton, next year. How bad is the weather up there in MN? I see that is a great school and is in my short list, but the long winter has me concern.

Ephemeral2

I'm from Florida and applying to carleton.
haha.
we wear jackets for a week each year, as soon as it drops below 70

limner

My son, a freshman, was born and raised in Tennessee--not a place known for cold weather. He did fine this past winter, relying mainly on a good winter jacket, scarf, gloves, occasional long underwear bottoms, and an Elmer-Fudd-like shearling hat.

On the trimester system, you leave campus just before Thanksgiving and don't return until about Jan. 2. So it's really just January and February that you need to deal with. As I heard from my son (and from watching the temps in Northfield on my desktop), there were some spells where it was brutal, but like all weather, those soon changed--into the merely cold or even "not so bad."

And how could you play broomball in without freezing temps?

GerberDaisy

I'm used to cold weather, but when it got to be -30 degrees outside, I didn't want to leave my room. You should try to visit in the winter (or sometime near the winter) to see how you deal with cold weather. It isn't a negative reflection on you if it turns out you don't want to live with those kinds of temperatures. And if you're from Florida, I'd tell you winter extends through March and sometimes part of April, depending on the year (temps in the 30s, for sure).

In terms of adapting... "It's cold" in January and February meant "it's cold when I wear a sweater, heavier pants, gloves, scarf, winter coat, hat and I'm still cold." You do adapt, but some people from warmer climates (who might, for instance, wear a wool pea coat in 50 degree temperatures) have a harder time and spend more time inside.

If you do decide you love Carleton anyway, yay for you. Just don't schedule too many distant, out-of-doors, or studio-time-intensive classes in winter term (so you won't have to leave your room as much). ;-)

fireflyscout

Seeing as how Carleton does attract (and retain) students from Texas, California, etc, it would appear they learn to adapt. My daughter swears by her thick LL Bean socks. The length of winter was a shock to her, but May makes up for it, and autumn is wonderful.

lmserra

Thanks for all the advise. I will schedule a visit for october and skip visiting in the summer. school looks very nice and academics very strong.

bingle

Also remember that, as a student, you don't have to "deal" with winter all that much. No shoveling the walks and driveway, no scraping off the windshield so you can get to work. You get all the fun stuff (snow angels and dancing among the pretty falling flakes) and then go inside where it's cozy.

Hindoo

October would be a good time to visit--though nowhere near the arctic depth of winter in Northfield! ... Although visiting schools during the summer or at times when students are on hiatus, may be convenient, it doesn't give a good picture of the school at all. We went to Vassar (during a school holiday) and Brandeis (after graduation); both came across as rather bleak ghost towns. Not their fault, but people and activity breath life into a place. ... Also, regarding the bitterness of winter at Carleton--my Kentucky-raised daughter is so crazy about the place, I heard nary a negative word this whole first year!

Northern Lights

I love the winter in MN. Granted I've been raised in Northern MN my entire life so Calreton seems a little warmer! Objectively all you need is the proper amount of clothing on and you will be quite confortable. Carleton has great sledding hills, broomball playing, and kids just messing around outside in the arb. Don't worry about it, it really isn't THAT bad.

Silverzc413

I live in MN, and I hate it. But that's just me because I don't like the winter. The weather is nice for only like 3 months/12 months. And in the summer, there's a crapload of bugs unlike in Cali. But if you like skiing, you will love this place. I go skiing almost every week in the winter, and for the few months in the summer I play golf. There are some nice golf courses here like Rush Creek. HOWEVER, Carleton is a really good school and offers great financial aid. Minnesota is one of the top academic states with alot of big companies like 3M, Cargill, etc. There are alot of opportunities.

lunitari

Winter does seem to go on forever, but fall is beautiful and spring--no one comes to life in the spring like a Minnesotan after a long winter. And winter can be very pretty also.

I'd say about two weeks of winter are truly oh-god-why-do-I-live-here brutal. The rest will seem darn cold if you're from a warm climate, but manageable if you bundle up. The extreme subzero temps where you don't want to spend ANY time outside are a relatively short period.

But hey, you get to experience the joys of sledding on cafeteria trays, and playing broomball, and creating ice sculptures.