OK, very last one for S24 (sniffle), but . . .
CARLETON RE-VISIT: UP (again)
The upshot is Carleton proved a worthy LAC contender against WUSTL and it will be interesting to see what S24 decides.
Carleton does not have the same monumental campus as WUSTL (few places do), nor for that matter nearly as many individually-excellent buildings as Vassar (same, few do), but the eclectic campus is still attractive and well-laid-out, and nicely integrated into the town. It was too cold and windy on our day to take an Arb tour, but that is also an attractive feature.
The real appeal at Carleton, though, is the people. Their admitted day really nailed the promised vibe of being super into learning for the sake of learning, but also chill and fun. Carleton was actually easily D30’s favorite of the three she got dragged on, precisely because she said there was always something fun to do. There are way too many examples to list them all, but perhaps the most illustrative example was right at the start—the opening breakfast included a station where you could sample all the locally-made Post cereals and vote for a favorite.
More on the learning side, they integrated into the program being able to attend one of their regular Friday Convocations, in which an outside guest gives a lecture. We got a great presentation and then Q&A with Fiona Hill, a global security expert. It was very informative and thought-provoking, and she remarked it was really cool Carleton had the “stamina” to do this sort of thing not just a few times a year or monthly, but actually weekly—and we agreed, that is cool!
S24 also attended a class, and although it was more or less randomly assigned and not on a topic he was particularly interested in (something like Introduction to Educational Studies), he said it was actually very engaging and was discussing philosophical and social issues he found interesting.
Also true to form, everyone was very nice. We actually got a little smarter about taking charge so started just entering various spaces of interest. Like, near the end we had a gap of time before our (Carleton-provided) shuttle to the airport was leaving, and we were hanging out in a café area in the student center, but I suggested we move over to the Admissions office, which was in a lovely building and had a great comfy sitting room I remembered from our first visit. So we did that, and the Admissions staff heartily welcomed us, explained how we could get snacks and coffee or hot chocolate, and then an Admissions officer came over to have an extended (but no pressure) chat with us. I am sure this sort of thing would be doable other colleges too, but it just felt so natural there.
In terms of things that really had an impact on S24, I noted briefly in a prior comment in another thread he is suddenly much more engaged with questions like what will happen AFTER college. So I think he was particularly impressed at the breadth of things and places students mentioned, the special Carleton-only externship program they have set up to make use of their unusually extended winter break (from Thanksgiving to after New Year’s), and all the many big name employers and grad/professional schools that make a point of recruiting at Carleton. Again, that last thing is not necessarily unique among top LACs, but I think it clicked for him that Carleton is in fact a truly national college.
OK, so we are back to S24 needing to decide what he really wants over the next four years in terms of a college or a university. But for sure Carleton is the right college for him to be considering, because it is so much the sort of culture where he would thrive.