<p>So, I visited Carleton a little over a week ago. When I got back from my trip I received a letter from the assistant dean I had talked to, saying that she hoped I enjoyed my vist etc. While that by itself was odd (never have had a college send me a letter after visiting) she even took the time to write a little note (just saying that she hopes I come back to visit when the school was in session and not on spring break). Then, today, I received an e-mail from a Carleton Alum saying the Carleton AAR program (matches alumni with prospective students) had given me their email. Of particular note was that the alumni was actually from my high school (a small private school in new jersey). I was just wondering how standard it is for the Carleton admissions office to do this for students; does anyone know?</p>
<p>Carleton’s admission office seems very friendly. After I visited in January for an interview, my interviewer (a member of the admissions committee) sent me a postcard saying that she really enjoyed the interview. The postcard also encouraged me to contact her if I had further questions. After I was accepted to Carleton last week, I got a letter with information on the Chemistry department (my expected major). Also, Carleton sent a letter to my parents encouraging them to join the alumni network.</p>
<p>So I’d say your experience isn’t that unusual.</p>
<p>Your experience is not unusual. Carleton has a program where they match alumni to schools and areas to act as a resource for interested students. Thank your alumni for reaching out. They can be a great resource for you and your parents.</p>
<p>I think that Carleton has been seriously stepping up their marketing efforts. Don’t read anything into these overtures. They want to get all the applicants they can. Perhaps you have high test scores, which is why focused on you, but don’t assume that means you’re a shoo-in.</p>
<p>That’s pretty much the same as my experience after a February visit this year. Even if they do reach out to most of their visitors that way, it does make you feel special, doesn’t it?</p>
<p>welcome to MINNESOTA NICE!</p>
<p>I can’t resist sharing a little Carleton rant here. Carleton was by the far the most solicitous of the schools DS applied to. He identified it as a favorite early on since it has a particular program of interest. After that he was inundated by presentations, alumni events, phone calls and admission office offers to answer questions, or send info. No other school invited him to so many local events and it was actually a bit of a burden, since he felt he needed to show interest, but didn’t want to become part of a community that he was not yet invited to join. Through the course of this his interest began to wane partly because it was likely not a good fit re offerings and requirements, but partly because he felt he was repeatedly asked to show his interest and devotion. He just stopped feeling it. By the time of his alumni interview, he felt he had nothing left to ask or say. He was put on the WL,after being admitted to some more selective schools. Honestly this may be for the best all the way around, since he doesn’t seem to be a good “fit.” But he can’t help but feeling a bit ripped off after all the “niceness” and being asked to jump through what seemed like endless hoops.</p>
<p>I don’t think Carleton expected your son to attend every local event. There are lots of ways of showing interest, and plenty of students are admitted without even visiting the school.</p>
<p>I personally found the admissions office’s attitude refreshing. Applicants are already expected to go out of their way to apply to schools, and it was nice to feel like the Carleton community (including admissions officers, faculty, and alumni) recognized this and wanted to be welcoming as opposed to intimidating. I never felt for one second that they were being insincere in order to secure my application. This was actually one of the big reasons I chose to apply ED to Carleton over Brown, where I was told that the admissions office did not arrange class visits for prospective students and then turned down by three professors in a row when I tried to arrange my own.</p>
<p>We’ve been through 2 application cycles 3 years apart with Carleton and never had that type of experience or feeling either time. They were nice and friendly and helpful (as we Midwesterners tend to be) but we were not pestered by them at all with invitations or any uncalled for attentions. I can’t imagine that being a tremendous factor in admissions since it certainly wasn’t in our family.</p>
<p>My S got a personal letter from the dean of Admissions, who interviewed him,and a follow up phone call from admissions.I love the Midwest!</p>