Whew! I've just returned to the office after a whirlwind of traveling for the college -- first it was off to Maryland to meet with juniors, help out with some mock college interviews, and touch base with some alums in the MD/DC area. Lather, rinse, repeat, and I was on my way to New England for some more college fairs, school visits, mock interviews, and alums. Finally, I hopped down to Chattanooga for a fantastic program with students from the greater 'Nooga area, and now I'm back on campus, just in time for the glorious spring weather we've been waiting for since February. Current temp? 83°F. Feels pretty good to me. (Edit #1: we got up to 92°F later in the day... a little toasty for May!)
Throughout my travels, lots of students and parents and counselors dubiously asked the same question: So, Carleton is in Minnesota, huh? to which I proudly responded, oh fer sure, you betcha!
Number one reason I love living in Minnesota? It's the most hipster state in the USA. Okay, just kidding... kind of. Let me be honest with you: I grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore, a pretty great city. As a freshman, I thought it would take a lot to top my love for Maryland, known for its crab cakes, sailing, great state flag, and jousting as the state sport. Much to my surprise, though, it didn't take long before I fell in love with Minnesota, aka the North Star State. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what's different about living here... is it the four distinct seasons for sunshine, snow, flowers, swimming, skiing? the laid-back Minnesota nice attitude? the incredible support for all sorts of arts? the farm lands that allow us to harvest corn and wind? the dynamic political environment? (Fun fact: MN is home to both the late Senator Paul Wellstone, who taught at Carleton, as well as current Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. How do ya like that?) It took me about 6 seconds to come up with this list, and I could happily share more reasons that Minnesota is awesome.*
Yes, it's true we get a lot of snow in the winter. Well, guess what: we're sunny more often than not, more than some of the warm cities on Guam, American Samoa, and Hawaii. Plus, the prolonged low temperatures and snow in the wintertime mean students get to take a break from studying by snow shoeing, cross country skiing, skating, or playing broomball.
And you know what? Don't be fooled by the bucolic setting of Northfield, MN. Sure, it's a quintessential rural college town, but we're actually within an hour's drive of Minneapolis and St. Paul, as well as one of the busiest airports in the country. That means our students can easily come to us from all over the country and the world without major hassle... and they do! Only about 20% of our students come from Minnesota.
Obviously, a college is much more than just the state where it's located... but if you're choosing based on the state, I hope you're looking at Carleton. Just like Geology, Minnesota rocks!
- Jaime Anthony '06
*Edit #2: another reason to love Minnesota! and a Carleton alumna wrote the article!
Comments
I'm biased (because I grew up in Duluth), but Minnesota IS a great state. I work at a high school now (a bit outside of Baltimore) and it's always a hard-sell to convince these mid-Atlantic kids to consider moving to the great state of Minnesota. I may pass this on to our college counselors. I'm glad you like my state (and good choice of colleges!)
I'm a Carl prospie, and its nice to know that MN's weather is tolerable. Most of the NY state colleges see the harshest winters, so it can get depressing. Originally though, I didn't think that MN had anything to offer beyond nice farms and warm summer sun. However, I discover something new everyday.
After spending my high school exchange year in Minnesota, I really fell in love with the state. Coming from Taiwan, a warm country, any winter below 10C is pretty hard for me, but I've survived and it wasn't that bad. What I love about Minnesota is the people. My host family and all the other people I met were really friendly and welcomed me into their lives. I have so much going on that I don't feel the need to go to the cities often. Now I am home I really miss the laid-back atmosphere. I feel like Minnesota is a great place to spend the four years of college since the twin cities offers city life without the high pressure and pace while small town Minnsota is friendly and intimate. Anyways, hopefully I would be able to spend my college life in MN. :)