A: Carleton was the only one of my top-choice colleges to offer me any financial aid. They gave me enough aid to make coming here manageable. I was thrilled.

A: Reed, Bard, Middlebury, Colorado College, Beloit.

A: I was expecting people to separate into social groups the way they did in high school, but this hasn't been the case at all so far. I can talk to anyone, and I couldn't point out any groups or label them with what they do or enjoy if I were asked.

A: Carleton offered every subject I might have wanted to study, which is a lot of subjects – the major deciding ones were archaeology and film, which weren't offered at several of the other colleges I looked at. The atmosphere also seemed fun and down-to-earth, and I wanted to experience a different part of the country after growing up in New England.

A: I write, play the flute and saxophone, and read and watch movies a lot. I also love wandering around and exploring places (Northfield, the Arb), and I try to sing and dance as much as possible.

A: I'm much louder and friendlier. There's a friendly atmosphere on campus that's brought out that side of me.

A: I blog for Carleton admissions: http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/blogs/claireweinberg/

A: When I looked at Carleton at first, I was sure I wouldn't get in. The students featured in the admissions materials seemed intimidatingly amazing. Don't limit yourself to those colleges where you think you'll get in easily, because you might be pleasantly surprised. Also, apply to schools that seem interesting to you regardless of how well-known they are – none of my friends had ever heard of Carleton, but now that I'm here, I can't imagine going to an East Coast school that everyone at home would have recognized.

A: I’m a writer for the web team (I write articles for the web magazine, Shout, and blog for Admissions). I think it’s an incredible job, because I thought I would have to wait until after graduation to make money writing. I’m getting to improve my journalistic writing, which I’d never done before, and write for a blog that’s read by people other than my friends.

A: I love the Bald Spot, especially lying in the grass at night and looking at the stars. I’ve done this quite a bit and it never gets old (where I’m from, there’s too much light pollution to see any stars). I’m also fond of the LDC (Language and Dining Center), because it’s where I get to see my friends at the end of the day, and sit around for way too long drinking tea and laughing (hopefully not at the same time).

A: I remember the brochures stressing the humility of Carleton students, which I think I didn’t believe, because it’s sort of an oxymoron to declare in an admissions brochure that students are humble. I’d just like to say that I’ve found this to be 100 percent true. No one brags about their accomplishments or tries to one-up anyone else in terms of how hard their classes are or how much stuff they’re doing (which I saw in high school all the time). Even when people have genuinely amazing skills, they tend to downplay them. The result is that you feel like you’re going to a school full of perfectly normal people who just happen to do really impressive things.

A: I’ve seen Schiller (or at least the backs of the masked people running away with Schiller) twice, and that’s always a lot of fun, with everyone jumping up and trying like crazy to catch a glimpse of him.

A: It’s fairly laid-back – people have a lot of activities and work, but they don’t run around like chickens with their heads cut off. The dorms are all very nice, and people tend to form close relationships with their floors. The food is variable but mainly good. People are always looking to have fun, whatever that may mean for them. I love how the small campus makes it so that you see your friends multiple times a day, even if you don’t have classes together or live near each other.

A: I honestly have not seen anyone rejected or treated badly in a social situation. The only way you wouldn't fit in is if you were intentionally offensive or unfriendly. The student body seems very funny, relaxed, and open.

A: People take their academics very seriously here, and everyone has at least one subject that they really love. People are generally very engaged – there’s no one taking the class “just” to fulfill a requirement.