Carleton College Admissions

Dacie Moses, a long-time employee at Carleton, was known for inviting students to her house for cookies and conversation. In her will she donated her house, which is still a shared gathering spot. Whether to bake cookies (which must be left for all to enjoy), share brunch, or maybe catch one of the a cappella groups practicing there, this house provides a sense of "home" for many.

Davis Hall is one of the west campus residence halls. Upper floors enjoy a great view of the Bald Spot and the Chapel. It is a part of the "complex" that links Burton Hall, Sevy Hall and Sayles-Hill.

The Druid Circle is a stone circle in the Upper Arboretum. It hosts meetings of the Reformed Druids of North America, a religious group that began at Carleton in 1963 as a protest against a requirement that students attend religious services. Although the College dropped the requirement in 1964, the student organization lives on.

One of two large dining halls on the Carleton Campus, the East Dining Hall offers a wide range of options for every meal--plus a great view of Lyman Lakes. It is more commonly known as the "LDC," or Language and Dining Center, since the language offices and classrooms are located on its upper floors.

Econofoods is a grocery store located on the corner of Division St. and Sixth St. in downtown Northfield.

Faculty Club is a series of three interconnected buildings located at 715-721 East Second Street. As their name implies, they were once used for employee housing, but are now used to house students. It is considered to be an off-campus house and is available to sophomores, juniors and seniors. Faculty Club has 24/7 "Quiet Hours."

Farm House is an off-campus house devoted to sustainable living. Its sister house Parr House is located next door to Farm House, and the two houses join each evening for a community dinner. Each spring term Farm House is the site of Farmstock, a folk music festival and picnic.

Located in the basement of Scoville Hall, The Gender and Sexuality Center offers resources and support for women's, men's and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. The GSC offers a comfortable space on campus where students can drop by anytime to browse through the library, read a magazine, chat with the staff or have a cup of tea.

A Northfield shop offering unique beads and beading classes.

Goodbye Blue Monday is a coffee shop on Division Street in downtown Northfield. It's a great place to study because there's free wireless and coffee close at hand. There's also funky art on the walls and hot cider served in the winter.

Goodhue is a residence hall across the Lyman Lakes from the main campus, next to the Arb and the Rec Center. One of its distinguishing features is its "Superlounge," a converted dining hall with a big-screen television as well as ping pong and billiard tables.

Built in the late 1890s, Goodsell Observatory houses three historic telescopes (all more than 110 years old) as well as modern telescopes used for classes and open houses. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Great Hall is a spacious gathering place in Severance Hall, built in the tradition of the great halls found in English country houses. It is the site of many college gatherings, including Midwinter Ball, lectures, dinners, receptions, and alumni reunions.

Hill House is a Carleton-owned off-campus house located at 205 College St. It has rooms for 25 students and is available to upperclassmen through room draw.

Named for the large oak trees near the center of the fields, the Hill of Three Oaks overlooks a nearly-50-acre playing field that's home to Carleton's Ultimate Frisbee, rugby and lacrosse intercollegiate club teams and to various intramural and recreational activities. It's also a gateway to the upper portion of the Arboretum.

Hogan Brothers on Division Street is famous for its hoagie sandwiches with secret-recipe dressing. Stop by in the summer for an ice cream cone, on a cold winter's day for soup and sandwiches, or on Acoustic Night to hear local bands.

Hulings Hall is a large facility that houses the Biology department. It is one of three buildings that make up the Science Complex, along with Olin Hall (with which it is connected) and Mudd Hall. The first two floors house lab rooms, while the third floor is home to the offices of Biology faculty.

Huntington House is an off-campus house located at 119 College Street. It is student housing and available to 16 upperclassmen during room draw.

Stop by the James Gang for coffee drinks, smoothies, and eats. Named for the group of outlaws led by Jesse James that tried (and failed) to rob the First National Bank of Northfield in 1876.

Carleton's Japanese Garden (the "Garden of Quiet Listening") is a serene setting located behind Watson Hall. It was designed in 1974 by David Slawson, and is frequently recognized as one of the best Japanese Gardens in the country. Many students find the Japanese Garden an ideal place to read and meditate.

Laird Hall includes the President's Office, Dean of the College Office, classrooms, and the English department.

Laird Stadium seats 7,500 for football and outdoor track and field meets, and houses handball/squash courts, a batting cage and a weight room. For football, Laird Stadium features one of the finest natural playing surfaces in the region. The stadium is one of the largest in Division III and the biggest west of the Mississippi. Circling the football field in front of the stadium is an eight-lane, 400-meter all-weather track and field facility, complete with steeplechase water jump.

This building is home to the Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Greek, Latin, French, Russian, and German departments as well as Dining East, one of the two dining halls on campus.

Leighton Hall is a multipurpose building that includes classrooms, academic departments, the Business Office and Off-Campus Studies. It was originally built as the Leighton Hall of Chemistry, an inscription that remains on the building today.

Lyman Lakes are two small lakes on campus. They separate Goodhue, the Rec Center and the frisbee fields from the rest of campus. The lakes comprise approximately 8 acres of surface area on the lower Spring Creek watershed. The Lower Lyman Lake is the site of Mai Fete and Stewsie Island.

Mai Fete is one of two islands located on the Lyman Lakes. The island earned its moniker for playing host to the annual Mai Fate pageant, a Carleton tradition that began in 1918. Each Wednesday evening of Spring term, the senior class gathers on Mai Fete to barbecue and celebrate their final term together.

Malt o Meal is a cereal manufacturing plant in Northfield. When the wind is right, it makes the air on campus smell like cookies.

The Math Skills Center provides tutoring for math students.

Mudd Hall is home to the Chemistry and Geology departments, as well as classrooms and labs.

Musser is a student residence hall on the west side of campus. Its tiled hallways are often covered with quotations, poetry, and drawings in dry-erase marker.

Myers Hall is a four-story dormitory on the east side of campus.

Northfield, Minnesota (population 17,000) is a historic Midwestern river town with two colleges: Carleton, of course, and St. Olaf. The notorious Jesse James met his downfall here in 1876, which the Northfielders celebrate every September with the Defeat of Jesse James Days festival.

The Northfield Arts Guild is an arts center in downtown Northfield. It includes an art gallery, dance studio, recital room, art classrooms, gift store and administrative offices

Nourse is a beautiful old residence hall located on the East Side of campus, near the Language and Dining Center. Fourth Nourse, which is reserved for women, is the only non-co-ed floor on campus.

Nutting House, residence of the college President, is also the site of many social gatherings for faculty, staff, students and alumni.

In Olin Hall you'll find the Psychology, Physics and Astronomy departments as well as science classrooms and labs.

Parish House, also known as Language House, is Carleton's largest interest house. It houses students wishing to improve their foreign language skills.

The Post Office is located in Sayles-Hill Campus Center. Every Carleton student receives a mailbox adjacent to the Post Office, although the number of that mailbox changes each term. On Fridays, the mailboxes are often filled with flowers instead of mail, thanks to the Friday Flowers tradition.

Carleton's 80,000 square foot Recreation Center features a 200 meter indoor track, four indoor tennis/basketball courts, racquetball courts, a 5300 square foot fitness center and weight room, an aerobics studio, and a climbing wall.

Rice House is a substance-free off-campus house on College Street. It is available to upperclassmen during room draw and houses 19 students.

Sayles is the heart of student life on campus. It contains the post office, career center, bookstore, and the snack bar, a good place to grab a sandwich. Many Carleton social events take place in the Great Space just outside of the snack bar.

You'll find the distinctive Scoville Hall on the National Register of Historic Buildings--and inside its stone walls you'll find plenty of student support. Scoville houses the Academic Support Center, with tutoring in college-level writing and speaking; the Office of Intercultural Life; and the Gender and Sexuality Center. It's also home to the Cinema and Media Studies department and their media labs.

Severance Hall is a residence hall that also houses a large Tea Room for social gatherings and a number of campus offices including the Office of Residential Life.

The Chapel is the heart of religious and spiritual life at Carleton, serving as a place of worship and interfaith dialogue for both campus and community. In a typical week, the chapel may host a centering prayer and meditation, a Torah study group, a Christian vespers service, Buddhist meditation, a Labyrinth walk, and an interfaith social justice meeting.

St. Olaf College is the other liberal arts college in Northfield, and Carleton's longtime rival.

Stewsie Island is the smaller of the two islands on the Lower Lyman Lake. The island was named in honor of D. Blake Stewart, longtime Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds. Its meditative labyrinth was constructed in 2002.

Stimson House is an off-campus house that's the site of the Multicultural Center. It's also a residence for several students working as intercultural program assistants.

The Student Computing Information Center (SCIC) is housed in the Center for Mathematics and Computing. It provides free computer support to Carleton students.

The Tavern is a cozy restaurant tucked into the lower level of the Archer House, a beautiful 4-story 1877 hotel that's just a stone's throw from campus.

Watson Hall is a student residence hall located on the southeast corner of campus. At seven floors high, it is the tallest building on campus. In the back of Watson Hall is the serene Garden of Quiet Listening, voted one of the best Japanese gardens in the country.

The West Gymnasium houses a 1,240-seat arena that serves as the varsity basketball and volleyball court, a six-lane, 25-yard pool with one- and three-meter diving boards and seating for 350. Adjacent to West Gym are practice soccer fields, a practice football field and two outdoor basketball courts.

Willis Hall, one of Carleton's oldest buildings, was originally completed in 1872 and then rebuilt in 1880 after a fire gutted the interior. Today Willis remains a campus landmark, especially when its clock chimes the hours. Willis houses the political science and economic departments along with the Write Place, the campus writing center.

Carleton's 1.65 megawatt wind turbine began operating in fall 2004, the first utility-grade wind turbine in the country to be owned by a college.

The Write Place is a student-run center providing academic writing help for students at all stages of the writing process.