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Consolation
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| Joined: | Mon Apr 9th, 2007 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 488 |
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Posted: Fri May 30th, 2008 07:22 pm |
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I'd suggest it is a question of "the wrong school," period. Large or small probably makes little difference.
I went to a 1400-student LAC (Wellesley) about 30 years ago. My observation is that there was a wide variety of students at the school, and that virtually anyone could find congenial friends, with or without similar life experiences. The student body included people from all over the country and the world. Just off the top of my head, I recall that the student body during my time included the daughter of the then-dictator of Nicaragua; a number of Iranians (One of whom exclaimed when we were watching a news peice about the Empress "Oh, there's my brother-in-law!" He was the oil minister.); many Taiwanese; Israelis; French students; at least one African; several people from Cuban exile families; numerous people who had lived or gone to school abroad; people whose families lived abroad, including those in the Foreign Service; Karen from the Mouseketeers; rich kids and poor kids...and yes, a whole lot of middle and upper-middle class kids from public and private high schools across the nation.
Of course, my school was located right outside Boston/Cambridge, with easy access via a free bus many times per day. We interacted with the student bodies of several other institutions on a regular basis not only because we had cross-registration, but because we were a women's college and so naturally looked outside our own school for some of our social life.
Carleton, as great as it is, is located in a small town in Minnesota. I had graduate school friends who went there, and the image they conveyed to me was that of a fairly insular community. And at that time, the student body was probably drawn more from the region than it is now, which would also be a factor.
Oh, and btw it is Outwest's nephew, not Descartes'. 
Last edited on Fri May 30th, 2008 07:22 pm by Consolation
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CardinalFang
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| Joined: | Mon Mar 17th, 2008 |
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| Posts: | 145 |
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Posted: Fri May 30th, 2008 08:07 pm |
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Consolation wrote:
Carleton, as great as it is, is located in a small town in Minnesota. I had graduate school friends who went there, and the image they conveyed to me was that of a fairly insular community. And at that time, the student body was probably drawn more from the region than it is now, which would also be a factor.
According to their web page, Carleton currently has 107 international students, about 5% of their student body. Presumably they also enroll a number of American students from abroad. Consolation is right-- Carleton is not the same as the regional college of thirty years ago.
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Mrs. Aardvark
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| Joined: | Thu Jan 31st, 2008 |
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| Posts: | 71 |
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Posted: Fri May 30th, 2008 08:15 pm |
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Actually I knew plenty of out-of-state students when I was a student there.
I decided to attend Carleton because of its intellectual reputation. It wasn't what I thought it would be. It's important to somehow get a bead on a school, as your experience of it may not match its reputation.
One often reads that a student visited a campus and found his/her people. I'm a believer that schools, especially small ones, have a specific atmosphere that make it a great fit for most students but can leave others feeling like a fish out of water.
That's all I'm trying to caution about.
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outwest
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| Joined: | Sun Mar 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | CA |
| Posts: | 595 |
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Posted: Sat May 31st, 2008 04:22 am |
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The things that Aardvark brings up are exactly the concerns my Nephew and his parents have shared. My sister had the opportunity to choose either Washington DC or Berlin this last time. She and her husband decided to let my Nephew and his sister (one year younger) have a say in where they went since it would be their last post as children of diplomats. They begged not to go to an American high school where everyone had known each other for their whole lives. International schools are full of kids who have spent a lifetime making and losing friends over and over and over. They were used to that. They visited my daughers high school for a few days in a row and were overwhelmed.
Anyway, Cambridge is on there because he did a math competition there and loved the place. What he wants is somewhere he will be safe away from his family. That's why he liked the smaller schools with the smaller classes in the US. England feels European and homey to him, so a large University isn't a big deal in Europe, but it would be here. I guess it is hard to explain. He is outgoing and confident, but moving to the US makes him worry, even though he has been here many, many times for visits. He isn't really an American teen, but a European teen. I guess that is the difference.
You have made some excellent suggestions!
And, Warbles, I am sorry.  The South has a different flavor then much of the country. I am going to be honest here. With the conservative values, the racial divides, the bible belt mentality and humidity he felt he wouldn't fit in. I think the South holds a lot of stereotypes that are not entirely true and it is too bad because the South is a beautiful part of the country. If it makes you feel any better, nonCalifornians love to say how much they dislike California, even when they have never been here. 
PS I forgot one school that he is probably going to apply to: Olin, although he doesn't really want a science/math school so much anymore. He has also been looking at Davidson. He visited Cal Tech and liked Harvey Mudd 10 times better.
Last edited on Sat May 31st, 2008 04:34 am by outwest
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Deja
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| Joined: | Thu Apr 13th, 2006 |
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Posted: Sat May 31st, 2008 10:50 am |
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| If he doesn't want the South, then why is he looking at Davidson? From what you've posted, it doesn't sound like he would fit in at all...?
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warblers
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Posted: Sat May 31st, 2008 03:16 pm |
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If he doesn't want the South, then why is he looking at Davidson? From what you've posted, it doesn't sound like he would fit in at all...?
I wouldn't say that he wouldn't fit in, but I agree that there are other schools that might fit him a bit better. Davidson has a rather good physics department with a strong emphasis on undergraduate research (I've worked in their chem department), and the school is very supportive (e.g. the physics department stores soft drinks for student use during exam weeks). The school recently went loan-free, which would help financially. Davidson has a very nice pool and a lake "campus" on nearby Lake Norman for water sports. On the flip side, drinking and the Greek scene are fairly big and athletics are popular (although other activities like music and theater are too). Charlotte is too far away for students without a car, and it's definitely not the best college town.
I have a friend at Davidson who attended after being educated in German-immersion schools and spending a year in Germany with the Congress Bundestag program, though, and she LOVES the school. If he has specific questions, I strongly recommend advising Davidson profs directly; they're usually great about responding to prospective students. Scott Denham in the German department (scdenham @ davidson.edu) would be a good place to start.
outwest- Yeah, I understand the hesitations people have about the South. I just hate to see students rule out a big section of the country and some great schools. Some of the schools in NC are actually quite liberal (schools in AL or MS might be less so  ).
Last edited on Mon Jun 2nd, 2008 01:25 pm by warblers
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outwest
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| Joined: | Sun Mar 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | CA |
| Posts: | 595 |
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Posted: Sat May 31st, 2008 03:24 pm |
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Obviously, it isn't Davidson. It is in Ohio, as I recall. What school is in Ohio that sounds like Davidson? Oh, yah! Denison, I think it is. They have big merit scholarships and an honors program is what he said. Sorry about that! I don't know anything about those schools, but Davidson does sound pretty good. Maybe i will suggest that one!
Last edited on Sat May 31st, 2008 03:25 pm by outwest
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CarolynLawrence
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| Joined: | Sun Mar 5th, 2006 |
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Posted: Mon Jun 2nd, 2008 05:50 pm |
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I've worked with a number of "third culture" kids (American kids who have grown up overseas), including several from Germany. I agree with Mrs. A -- sometimes these kids do better at a slightly larger school. I'd suggest Duke, Emory, Northeastern, Tufts, UMiami, and possibly Syracuse. USC and Boston U might be too large, but from the way you are describing him, he may be pleasantly surprised.
If he didn't like the vibe at Brown or U of Chicago, he may not like Reed much either. Macalester might be worth a look, but has the same kind of off-beat vibe in some ways as Brown and Reed.
As for Carleton, it has always drawn a fairly national student body for a mid-western school. The town of Northfield is small, but fairly cosmopolitan and upscale as mid-west towns go. With St. Olaf there, it has a real college feel. My son felt he could be quite comfortable in Northfield. He felt completely the opposite about the town of Grinnell, even though he liked the college of Grinnell. Other LACs that he might take a look at as possible foundation schools: Franklin & Marshall, Trinity U (in Texas), and Dickinson. Occidental is a nice suggestion as well. Whitman, while not in a metropolitan area, would be a very welcoming place. From your description, Haverford, although not a sure bet, might be a nice option to consider as well. Wesleyan and Vassar might be as well.
Last edited on Mon Jun 2nd, 2008 05:54 pm by CarolynLawrence
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