Mailing Address: One N. College St., Northfield, MN 55057
Rank on 2008 List: 50
Rank on 2006 List: Not on list
Average GPA: N/A
Matriculation Rate of All Students: 36%
Total Enrollment: 1,966
African American Enrollment: 109
Number of Applications: 4,859
Acceptance Rate: 27%
*Average SAT Scores: Reading: 650-750; Math: 660-740; Writing: 650-730
Black Student Group(s): Black Student Alliance
Summer Program(s): Summer Writing Program, Carleton Liberal Arts Experience
Application Deadline(s): Regular: Jan. 15; Early Decision I: Nov. 14; Early Decision II: Jan. 15
Acceptance Letters Sent Out: Early Decision I: Dec. 15; Early Decision II: Feb. 15; Regular Decision: April 1
Financial Aid Options/Deadline(s)
Costs: Tuition: $38,046; Student Activity Fee: $198; Room: $4,944; Board: $4,545
*25th Percentile-75th Percentile
ADMISSIONS Q&A
Paul Thiboutot, Carleton College Dean of Admissions
What do you believe is the best preparation for a high school student to attend your institution?
Having chosen a strong curriculum in high school and gotten great grades.
What kinds of activities stand out on students’ applications?
Any and everything. Music, sports, speech, leadership.
What are the other most important things on a students’ application?
We don’t do any kind of percentages so I’m going to say it’s the essays, recommendations, and testing.
What do you think of recent decisions by Smith & Wake Forest to eliminate the SAT and how likely is that at your institution?
At Carleton we still see value in the standardized test as a way of gaining insight in students [to account for] great variations in high school curriculum offerings and courses.
How does your institution attract minority students, and what is it doing to improve diversity efforts?
We do specialized mailings, visits; we work with community based organizations, and national outreach organizations in our minority outreach efforts besides holding some of our own programs. We do lots of different things. Do we do what can be called diversity sensitivity training and workshops and do we have special efforts across all of our employment and recruitment efforts to increase the diversity of our staff and faculty? Yes. We’ve just finished a campus climate survey and we’re awaiting an analysis of that. We have speakers in a variety of topics and we’ve held campus wide discussions almost annually.
Once students are enrolled, what benefits will they receive by being at your school and not its competitors?
We’re a small college so you have a very focused, personalized education and that’s the first
thing we talk about. We’re a liberal arts college so we continue to try to develop your knowledge across a breadth of subjects. We are opening a door onto any future career. Any student leaves Carleton valuing hard work, critical thinking and having developed superb writing skills. I would hope there are many institutions that are trying to achieve the same goal we are. If you’re looking at small national liberal arts colleges like Carleton, students get a little more flavoring across a variety of subjects because of our trimester structure and more students get an opportunity to go abroad. Our being on trimesters is not actually unique but there is a difference in the academic experience.What are parents and students overlooking when they prepare and apply for college?
What I find is that I think some students and parents don’t really understand that financial aid can work to cover most expenses if the family really can’t afford it. That precludes some from looking at expensive places like we are. And there’s both a disbelief and a non-trust. If we admit you, we want to make it possible for you to come. The other thing I think they overlook [is] the value of a small liberal arts college. They get caught up with all the opportunities they see in universities and don’t understand the flipside. There are too many students who don’t understand that they can put their best foot forward and represent that well on an application.