From One Carleton Parent to Another... by Carleton Alumni Annual Fund

Learning tools for life

2026-06-05 16:22:30 UTC

Encourage your kiddo to problem-solve on their own. Lend a sympathetic ear but prompt them to think through solutions. It will build confidence for life!

Embrace New Perspectives

2026-06-09 13:09:12 UTC

Encourage your student to step outside their comfort zone and explore unfamiliar subjects. One of the greatest benefits of a liberal arts education is the opportunity to discover new passions and unexpected interests. Carleton offers countless avenues for this academic exploration. My daughter was a bio major, yet one of her most memorable and rewarding courses was a Classics class she took simply to fulfill a graduation requirement. My son discovered a deep sense of community and opportunities to develop as a leader through D3 Ultimate Frisbee. Approaching the journey with an open mind and a willingness to take risks can truly unlock the transformative power of the Carleton experience!

2026-06-09 14:29:35 UTC

Carleton - - it’s the people you meet, the books your read, and the places you will go. Encourage your student to meet their dorm janitor, the person who serves them breakfast, lunch, and supper each day, and where to go and who to ask if you they need a scholarship to take that music class. To never hesitate in asking a question, keeping an open mind, taking risks, making friends for life, and not being afraid of making mistakes. Telling your child when they tell you ‘they don’t fit in’ that this is exactly why they do fit in. Along the way they will become better problem solvers and to think critically. And most important - keep a sense of humor, have fun, and call home once in a while.

Ask for help, go downtown, explore the Arb!

2026-06-09 20:28:45 UTC

I'm lucky that both of daughters are Carls, so I think I'm on good footing in saying that your students should

Ask for help from staff and faculty: questions about courses and majors, advice about campus jobs, ideas for places to go, tips for networking.
Go downtown to the coffeeshops, restaurants, art & book shops, etc. Northfielders love Carleton students!
Explore the beautiful, serene, wonderful Arboretum. At least walk around the parts nearest campus, but ideally go deep into the parts that are miles from the dorms! The Arb is spectacular.

Convocation

derekfried — 2026-06-15 15:54:27 UTC

If you can somehow get them to go to Convocation without telling them to go to Convocation (if you do, they probably won't go) then you will have miraculously helped them avoid a regret of many Carleton graduates who never went.

Packing for Carleton and Move-In Day

2026-07-17 17:00:45 UTC

Welcome to Carleton! We hope your experience here will be as wonderful as ours has been! Carleton’s Move-In day for freshmen and transfer students is a well-oiled machine. Each step has been carefully thought through to be supportive and make the process relatively easy. As a family coming from California, we did most of our shopping in Minneapolis because we weren’t sure that the Target in Northfield would be well stocked. It turns out that wasn’t necessary as the local Target had almost everything a college student could need. We also shipped a couple of boxes to Carleton ahead of time and that whole process worked wonderfully. Some especially helpful items were a mattress pad and cover (purchased from Costco), a hamper with wheels, and some extra storage containers to go in the closet or under the bed. We weren’t sure how our Southern California girl would handle the Minnesota winters, but with a long parka we ordered from Quince and some snow boots we bought at Rare Pair in downtown Northfield, she did just fine!