Carleton College Admissions

Last spring I took a freshman seminar called “The Artist: from Craftsman to Star” taught by Alison Kettering. The first time I went into her office hours I went with the intent of talking with her about my paper. She wanted to talk about so much more. She asked me questions about what I liked to do, what I was passionate about, and what aspects of her class I particularly liked/disliked. She really wanted to get to know me outside of the classroom. I went back many times that term just to talk with her whether or not I had a question. She is one of the main reasons why I am considering an art history major.

Kofi Owusu, who is my advisor and a professor in the English dept., has always been a source of guidance and an accessible resource to me. He can also nudge me to exceed my expectations for myself. I also really enjoyed my Chinese professors, Mark Hansell and Qiquang Zhao, because even though Chinese was one of my most difficult courses, they made learning it fun and engaging. We would always be doing impromptu skits, memorizing Chinese idioms, or watching Chinese TV in addition to more traditional learning exercises.

They would be surprised at how much I've grown up since coming here. I've had to buckle down and hone my study skills, and I've also interacted so closely with my professors that I've had to mature in my speech and in my actions.