Outdoorsy liberal arts schools?

[Anonymous]

Pepperdine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A hysterical woman on the edge of break down^^ no one speak or she just might explode.

NP. Are you crazy? The Carlton poster sounds reasonable. You sound insane. Weirdo.

[Anonymous]

Wyoming Catholic, if he's interested in a Catholic "Great Books" program. Horsemanship programs, a 21-day freshman expedition, etc.

Deep Springs College isn't what it was, but I believe he can still march to the beat of a different drummer while fixing fenceposts on their ranch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wyoming Catholic, if he's interested in a Catholic "Great Books" program. Horsemanship programs, a 21-day freshman expedition, etc.

Deep Springs College isn't what it was, but I believe he can still march to the beat of a different drummer while fixing fenceposts on their ranch.

Deep springs is the exact same as it’s always been.

[Anonymous]

Our outdoorsy child was completely bored on our Carleton tour and struck it off his list 4 minutes into the tour. No mountains or geography of interest, just flatness for miles. It’s got some nice plants around campus, but nothing to satiate his interests. His now at Middlebury and recently solidified a great internship with optiver. Would highly recommend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our outdoorsy child was completely bored on our Carleton tour and struck it off his list 4 minutes into the tour. No mountains or geography of interest, just flatness for miles. It’s got some nice plants around campus, but nothing to satiate his interests. His now at Middlebury and recently solidified a great internship with optiver. Would highly recommend.

can you say more about Midd? Have an outdoorsy kid who is interested! Is it too alcohol-party-sports heavy?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Carleton. The Cowling Arboretum, Lyman Lakes, and Cannon River are on campus (or run through campus) and make for great hiking, biking, running, and kayaking. In the winter there’s cross country skiing (and downhill skiing at an artificial slope 20 min away) in the Arb and skating on the Bald Spot. Lots of natural beauty!

Hiking in Minnesota is an absolute joke. The coasts are where this student needs to go.

Spoken like someone who has never been. There’s 15 miles of trails on Carleton’s campus, starting about a 1 min walk from the nearest dorm, almost all of which are out of sight of roads. Few if any of the schools you are thinking of can say the same. You have a narrow view of hiking and a the outdoors.

Would you like to elaborate on what schools I’m “thinking of?” Hiking isn’t just walking on flat trails either, and a student whose really outdoorsy would be bored out of their mind in Northfield.

Can’t say I know of others with 15 miles of trails starting at a dorm, but I’m willing to believe some might exist! But it would seem to me the burden of proof falls on those claiming MN has a poor outdoors scene. In fact the below ranking puts it well above average and ahead of all the NE states except Maine. That’s before adding the benefit of a college campus with its own arboretum, lakes, and river access.

https://www.culturalcurrents.institute/insights/best-states-for-nature-lovers

Being a nature lover and being a rock climber are...not the same thing. There is overlap, but they're not the same. DP

I haven’t seen a claim to the contrary. The thread is titled “outdoorsy liberal arts colleges.” There’s quite a bit to outdoorsy life beyond rock climbing. That would certainly involve a road trip if starting from Northfield.

Did you read the OP or just the title?

Sure did. That’s why I pointed out kayaking and not rock climbing as being available right on campus (unless you consider the indoor wall in the rec center!). There’s a lot of space between “Carleton has everything an outdoors lover could ever want right on campus” (which I never said) and “the coasts are where this student needs to go” (which someone else actually did say); unsurprisingly, reality is somewhere in between the extreme statement that wasn’t made and the extreme one that was. OP’s description of their kid sounded like our own, and they loved their time in Minnesota as many other avid outdoorsy types do. That seems more relevant to the thread than people who have never been blathering about how boring their narrowly imagined version of life there is. I think OP’s kid might like it there and a number of other places too. Ok?

Good post. (And there is rock climbing in southern Minnesota for those that want it.)

Where is there rock climbing that’s accessible from Northfield? I guess you’re counting indoor gyms in the Twin cities?

DP. Red Wing is about a 45 min drive from Northfield.

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105812663/red-wing-aka-he-mni-can-barn-bluff

PP was arguing that the outdoors needs to be right at your door, not a “road trip” away.

Re-read. The claim trails and lakes are on campus, but real rock climbing was a road trip. But it’s typical after all the claims there’s no rock climbing in southern Minnesota you would move the goal posts when hearing it’s less than an hour away!

Why are you derangedly screeching for Carleton? It’s in the plains, and the rock climbing there is so-so, not that great for an outdoorsy student.

I’m not. I am trying to offer actual information in response to OP’s query and a litany of misinformation from a small number of people making sweeping generalizations about how the Midwest or plains state schools couldn’t possibly appeal to outdoorsy types like OP’s kid.

OP has told us their child wants an LAC with an outdoorsy feel. They indicated an interest in kayaking and rock climbing. Carleton is an LAC with an 800 acre arboretum, 15 miles of outdoor trails, and a river with kayaking, all on campus. It is 45 min from a site with class 5 (technical) climbs graded from easy to very difficult. Are there other schools that can say *all* this? Probably, but not many, and I am sharing what I know about this school cause OP’s kid sounds similar to my own in this regard, and my kid (who came from a very outdoorsy part of the country in SoCal) loved it. I am doing for OP and other parents what I appreciated people doing for me when we did our college search and offering suggestions and information.

Does this mean Carleton is the best school for OP’s kid? No; there are many things that go into a college search. There could be any number of reasons why they might be happier elsewhere. Carleton has cold winters; it’s rural (though not really remote); the trimester system isn’t for everyone; some find it too academic; etc. But in the opinion of all those I’ve personally known who have visited, it has a ton of nature and appeals to those who like to be immersed in it. It also has easy access to the very activities mentioned by OP.

There is no one school that’s right for everyone. Carleton definitely isn’t an exception. But I strongly disagree
with claims that it can’t appeal to those who want to participate (rather than observe) lots of outdoor activities. Will it not appeal to some outdoorsy types? Of course! I never stated otherwise. But a few posters seem heck-bent on pushing the narrative that no outdoorsy kid would love a rural college in MN or other plains-state school. That’s simply not true generally, even if it’s true for some.

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NP here, thank you for this information, it's helpful. I have no idea why your posts triggered such weird responses. Some of us do appreciate them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our outdoorsy child was completely bored on our Carleton tour and struck it off his list 4 minutes into the tour. No mountains or geography of interest, just flatness for miles. It’s got some nice plants around campus, but nothing to satiate his interests. His now at Middlebury and recently solidified a great internship with optiver. Would highly recommend.

can you say more about Midd? Have an outdoorsy kid who is interested! Is it too alcohol-party-sports heavy?

Midd is fantastic! The area is gorgeous and the academics are intense, but I haven’t heard of the “Dartmouth-like” stereotype that Midd gets from dc and we have a pretty honest relationship. He has gone to a few parties and there is alcohol around, but students also have a ton of get togethers and planned events!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our outdoorsy child was completely bored on our Carleton tour and struck it off his list 4 minutes into the tour. No mountains or geography of interest, just flatness for miles. It’s got some nice plants around campus, but nothing to satiate his interests. His now at Middlebury and recently solidified a great internship with optiver. Would highly recommend.

can you say more about Midd? Have an outdoorsy kid who is interested! Is it too alcohol-party-sports heavy?

A smaller percentage of Middlebury students are NCAA athletes compared to peers due to its size--about 700-800 more kids than Bowdoin, Amherst, Hamilton, etc. For the most part, they all field the same number of teams.

[Anonymous]

Colorado College

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our outdoorsy child was completely bored on our Carleton tour and struck it off his list 4 minutes into the tour. No mountains or geography of interest, just flatness for miles. It’s got some nice plants around campus, but nothing to satiate his interests. His now at Middlebury and recently solidified a great internship with optiver. Would highly recommend.

The tour does not enter the arb. It’s too large, so they recommend it to explore on your own. Some families skip it and never know what they missed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our outdoorsy child was completely bored on our Carleton tour and struck it off his list 4 minutes into the tour. No mountains or geography of interest, just flatness for miles. It’s got some nice plants around campus, but nothing to satiate his interests. His now at Middlebury and recently solidified a great internship with optiver. Would highly recommend.

The tour does not enter the arb. It’s too large, so they recommend it to explore on your own. Some families skip it and never know what they missed.

We went. It’s nothing interesting or important. The school should honestly use it to expand. I guess it’s cool if you’ve never been in a forest before, but our family is from San Francisco and it just bored us.

[Anonymous]

Whitman

[Anonymous]

Colorado College if you like hiking/biking with a Rockies vibe. Also skiing.

Sewanee if you like hiking/biking with a Southern vibe. There's also whitewater rafting and a couple of very pathetic ski slopes within an hour or two.

St. Lawrence if you like skiing and outdoorsy cold shit.

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Anonymous wrote:Carleton. The Cowling Arboretum, Lyman Lakes, and Cannon River are on campus (or run through campus) and make for great hiking, biking, running, and kayaking. In the winter there’s cross country skiing (and downhill skiing at an artificial slope 20 min away) in the Arb and skating on the Bald Spot. Lots of natural beauty!

Hiking in Minnesota is an absolute joke. The coasts are where this student needs to go.

Spoken like someone who has never been. There’s 15 miles of trails on Carleton’s campus, starting about a 1 min walk from the nearest dorm, almost all of which are out of sight of roads. Few if any of the schools you are thinking of can say the same. You have a narrow view of hiking and a the outdoors.

Would you like to elaborate on what schools I’m “thinking of?” Hiking isn’t just walking on flat trails either, and a student whose really outdoorsy would be bored out of their mind in Northfield.

Can’t say I know of others with 15 miles of trails starting at a dorm, but I’m willing to believe some might exist! But it would seem to me the burden of proof falls on those claiming MN has a poor outdoors scene. In fact the below ranking puts it well above average and ahead of all the NE states except Maine. That’s before adding the benefit of a college campus with its own arboretum, lakes, and river access.

https://www.culturalcurrents.institute/insights/best-states-for-nature-lovers

Being a nature lover and being a rock climber are...not the same thing. There is overlap, but they're not the same. DP

I haven’t seen a claim to the contrary. The thread is titled “outdoorsy liberal arts colleges.” There’s quite a bit to outdoorsy life beyond rock climbing. That would certainly involve a road trip if starting from Northfield.

Did you read the OP or just the title?

Sure did. That’s why I pointed out kayaking and not rock climbing as being available right on campus (unless you consider the indoor wall in the rec center!). There’s a lot of space between “Carleton has everything an outdoors lover could ever want right on campus” (which I never said) and “the coasts are where this student needs to go” (which someone else actually did say); unsurprisingly, reality is somewhere in between the extreme statement that wasn’t made and the extreme one that was. OP’s description of their kid sounded like our own, and they loved their time in Minnesota as many other avid outdoorsy types do. That seems more relevant to the thread than people who have never been blathering about how boring their narrowly imagined version of life there is. I think OP’s kid might like it there and a number of other places too. Ok?

Good post. (And there is rock climbing in southern Minnesota for those that want it.)

Where is there rock climbing that’s accessible from Northfield? I guess you’re counting indoor gyms in the Twin cities?

DP. Red Wing is about a 45 min drive from Northfield.

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105812663/red-wing-aka-he-mni-can-barn-bluff

PP was arguing that the outdoors needs to be right at your door, not a “road trip” away.

Re-read. The claim trails and lakes are on campus, but real rock climbing was a road trip. But it’s typical after all the claims there’s no rock climbing in southern Minnesota you would move the goal posts when hearing it’s less than an hour away!

Why are you derangedly screeching for Carleton? It’s in the plains, and the rock climbing there is so-so, not that great for an outdoorsy student.

I’m not. I am trying to offer actual information in response to OP’s query and a litany of misinformation from a small number of people making sweeping generalizations about how the Midwest or plains state schools couldn’t possibly appeal to outdoorsy types like OP’s kid.

OP has told us their child wants an LAC with an outdoorsy feel. They indicated an interest in kayaking and rock climbing. Carleton is an LAC with an 800 acre arboretum, 15 miles of outdoor trails, and a river with kayaking, all on campus. It is 45 min from a site with class 5 (technical) climbs graded from easy to very difficult. Are there other schools that can say *all* this? Probably, but not many, and I am sharing what I know about this school cause OP’s kid sounds similar to my own in this regard, and my kid (who came from a very outdoorsy part of the country in SoCal) loved it. I am doing for OP and other parents what I appreciated people doing for me when we did our college search and offering suggestions and information.

Does this mean Carleton is the best school for OP’s kid? No; there are many things that go into a college search. There could be any number of reasons why they might be happier elsewhere. Carleton has cold winters; it’s rural (though not really remote); the trimester system isn’t for everyone; some find it too academic; etc. But in the opinion of all those I’ve personally known who have visited, it has a ton of nature and appeals to those who like to be immersed in it. It also has easy access to the very activities mentioned by OP.

There is no one school that’s right for everyone. Carleton definitely isn’t an exception. But I strongly disagree
with claims that it can’t appeal to those who want to participate (rather than observe) lots of outdoor activities. Will it not appeal to some outdoorsy types? Of course! I never stated otherwise. But a few posters seem heck-bent on pushing the narrative that no outdoorsy kid would love a rural college in MN or other plains-state school. That’s simply not true generally, even if it’s true for some.

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NP here, thank you for this information, it's helpful. I have no idea why your posts triggered such weird responses. Some of us do appreciate them!

Re - Carleton/outdoorsy kids, my sister was there in the 90s and was classmates with Jimmy Chin ( climber/filmmaker if Meru, Free Solo etc). Apparently he was off climbing every weekend and discovered his love for it in college so the outdoorsy climbing kids seem to have some great resources if they know where to look