When I visited Carleton for the first time my junior year of high school, my mind was racing with comparisons to other small liberal arts colleges, questions to ask my tour guides and an astounding amount of nerves. There isn’t much that I remember from that first campus visit, since everything else seemed to get wrapped up in my anxious thoughts, except for one thing that was mentioned. As we were standing in a Hasenstab classroom, one of the tour guides proudly stated that Carleton is known for its ranking as the “number one in best undergraduate teaching” among all liberal arts colleges. I didn’t quite understand the extent to which that meant at the time, but I knew that it mattered and I wanted to be in a place that was recognized for such meaningful values.

This statistic stood out to me so immensely because it was my number one criterion for the colleges that I was visiting. I knew that I wanted to go to a liberal arts school, and specifically, one with especially small class sizes, opportunities for undergraduate research and strong student-professor relationships. When my tour guides had mentioned that Carleton was known for its undergraduate teaching, the college jumped to the top of my list and stayed there, convincing me to choose to apply early decision and ultimately commit to the school. 

Upon later reflection, and when I began working in Carleton’s Office of Admissions myself, I found out that this statistic is one that is not to be understated. U.S. News and World Report is a reputable magazine that is known for its ranking of colleges and universities. It’s often what is referenced when people are debating the “best” schools. The magazine has ranked Carleton as the “number one in best undergraduate teaching” for more than fifteen years, which has consistently placed Carleton above our other peer institutions and champions the way that our professors teach on campus. 

.S. News and World Report bases their methodology solely on a peer assessment survey that they send out to college administrators, deans and provosts. Schools are then ranked based on professors’ commitment to high-quality education and engaging classrooms over the alternative: distance and a sole focus on research. To not only be ranked number one for undergraduate teaching, but in a category specific for liberal arts schools is quite the accomplishment. 

As I bring up and mull over exactly what this statistic means, I reflect on my past (almost) two years at Carleton and the hundreds of hours I’ve spent in our classrooms with the professors on campus. I have found that the willingness that all our professors have to not only know us as students in these classrooms, but know us as people outside of them, is what makes Carleton so special.My professors care about both my growth as a student and  my personal interests. 

For example, I speak often about my love for the newspaper as both an editor and writer, and my overall passion for journalism.When I asked my Spanish professor if I could cover a Spanish Department event and interview him afterwards, he instead offered for me to interview all four professors involved in the event. On the day of the event, they all happily agreed to hop on a Zoom call with me and we talked for over an hour. Even though this was for a newspaper article and wasn’t an assignment for class, not only my own professor, but several others in the department were invested. This is just one example out of many where professors at Carleton support students’ extracurricular engagement to an immense degree.  

One of my professors in the Political Science department also understands my love for journalism and often follows up on my articles. He had mentioned to me that the Convocation speaker coming to campus this Friday is a world renowned journalist and that I should write an article about his visit. I enthusiastically agreed to attend the breakfast with the speaker that the department was hosting and meet the speaker. Additionally, my professor followed up and asked if I would like to have the honor of introducing the speaker at Convocation. This is an opportunity that most Carleton students don’t get to have, and one that I am immensely grateful for. 

Both of these examples demonstrate the way that professors at Carleton support students outside of the classroom. I further the U.S. News and World Report’s methodology and interpret it to include experiences like these as well. The “high-quality” teaching that the magazine mentions, includes support in the way that my professors have demonstrated. I get more excited to engage in class everyday because I know that my professors care about me just as much, if not more than, as I care about the class material. 

The reason that I chose to work for the Office of Admissions at Carleton is because of these principles. The positive experience that I have had at Carleton is made by the people here on campus. Statistics like these may show up in brochures or are emphasized on campus tours, but it isn’t until you are on campus and actually immersed in the classes that you understand what they truly mean. 

This title is one that I am proud to boast because I see its elements in practice every single day. Carleton provides such a collaborative, engaged and supportive community in such a unique way. As I now tour prospective students and families around campus, I always conclude with an explanation as to why I chose Carleton–and why I would choose it again. 

Simply put, it’s the people. From the professors to the administrators to the staff to the students. The people here make Carleton what it is. And Carleton makes the people who they are.