carleton is too intimidating!

Colleges & Universities Carleton College
1

<p>after looking through the highlights about the class of 2012 profile, i am really discouraged…</p>

<pre><code>* Wrote, directed, and edited a film that was screened at New York City’s New Filmmakers short film series.

  • Authored a geology research paper on seismites that was published in a geo-physicists’ peer-reviewed journal.
  • Worked as a facilitator in Bali during a five-day Initiative for Peace conference for victims of the Timor Leste civil war.
  • Won gold medals in six events at the 2007 U.S. Canoe Association nationals.
  • Traveled 9,500 miles across the United States conducting interviews for a guidebook for teenagers dealing with relatives diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
  • Played the violin at the White House, the National Zoo, an Orioles baseball game, and in Iceland.
  • Competed in pairs skating at the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
    </code></pre>

<p>even though they’re just highlights, they scare me. ahhhh!
WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE</p>

<p>at least i played the violin in china…HA, TAKE THAT</p>

2

<p>Hey, I think it’s more of a College Confidential thing rather than Carleton’s specifically.</p>

3

<p>Belleisbelle, we had the same reaction when we first read the Carleton material, but then my S said that it doesn’t mean that most of the kids did such extraordinary stuff, but that they highlighted the kids who did. Perhaps most kids got in primarily on academic credentials and those kids got in primarily on their EC achievments.</p>

4

<p>I always get a kick out of reading those profiles (my daughter’s primary EC was highlighted one year), but my favorite part is the more unusual activities - a few years ago they described a student who won a grocery sacking contest and another who tried to break the record for wearing the same pair of socks. </p>

<p>What they’re trying to demonstrate is that Carleton students are diverse but passionate in their interests.</p>

5

<p>Visit the campus if you can. If you cannot visit, ask the Admissions Office to put you in contact with some recent graduates. It’s better to judge for yourself in person than to make assumptions.</p>

6

<p>You think those are intimidating? What about these?</p>

<p>•Was crowned Miss Norway at the Scandinavian Festival in Albany, Oregon.
•Was a sergeant in the English Royal Air Force Cadets.
•Was first in state 4-H dairy judging.</p>

<p>I’ll second the comments above. These listings are more to highlight the diversity, individualism, and free-thinking the school embraces while, at the same time, offer up a measure of Carleton’s inimitable, self-mocking humor: </p>

<p>Violin performance at the White House? Impressive. At the National Zoo? Whoaa dude.</p>

7

<p>As an alum I used to be impressed with the freshman class profile, but when I got to the point of viewing it from a parent hat, I started seeing it as really intimidating, too. But I’ll third the comments above. D was in the profile as one of dozens of kids who played in marching band. If any of her friends are one’s featured, then I haven’t heard about it, and she may not have either. Carls aren’t much for boasting about past achievements. Several years ago an entering freshman had place top 10 in the national spelling bee, twice, and been featured in the documentary “Spellbound.” She did her best to keep it quiet - I think she felt that it just happened that she’s a good speller and anyway, it was back in middle school so not a big deal for her. It was funny when some groupies showed up at the college - they were doing a road trip to meet all the kids in that movie.</p>

<p>For me though, the most intimidating is the Daft Hands performance
<a href=“Daft Hands Does L.A. | shout | Carleton College”>Daft Hands Does L.A. | shout | Carleton College;

8

<p>Honestly, I got in to Carleton ED this fall, and I have not played violin in Iceland =)
It’s mainly to impress people who are looking, not to intimate them. If you have the grades, you should definitely apply!</p>

9

<p>My daughter didn’t captain a space shuttle flight, discover a cure for cancer, or re-invent the wheel. She was, however, a very good high school student and a young woman with a couple of serious extracurricular passions (theater, poetry). Her personality must have shown through in her essay and interview, because she’s now a very happy Carleton junior. Don’t worry too much about those freakishly awesome ECs a handful of Carls seem to have. Most are mere mortals, like the rest of us. :)</p>