To Love Carthage
1. Our Liberal Arts Foundation
Well-rounded. Resourceful. Insightful. Prepared. A Carthage education goes beyond career preparation to empower you to deal with complexity and change. Just ask Christina (Wright) Bruff, a 2004 Carthage graduate who is now working for the U.S. State Department, in its Bureau of African Affairs. “Carthage provided me with the foundation to move forward in an international career,” Ms. Bruff says.
Learn more about the liberal arts at Carthage
Hear what graduates have to say
2. Small Classes
With an average class size of 17, you will get all the personal attention you need. “Carthage allows students to develop a close relationship with their professors, as the class sizes are usually small,” said Miranda Paikowski ’20, an English and French major. “My first year at Carthage, I had one class, Advanced Jazz, in which there were only six students and another class, Advanced French, which only contained eight students. Carthage is a great place for students to feel a sense of community as they continue their studies.”
3. Devoted Faculty
“The relationships I developed with my professors are incredible,” said 2017 graduate Andrew Pipik. “They not only helped shape me as a student, but they took a genuine interest in me as a person, which set them above the rest. College is often viewed as an intimidating time in one’s life, but the professors at Carthage do an exceptional job at making you feel welcome and comfortable.”
4. Top Facilities
Things look new at Carthage because they are. The athletic center, library, student union, and many residence halls have all been constructed or renovated in the last 12 years. A new science center opened in 2015. The new Tower Residence Hall opened in Fall 2018.
5. January Term
At Carthage, this page of the calendar is devoted entirely to whatever you’re wild about. “J-Term classes are some of the most interesting courses at Carthage,” says Adwoa Kankam ’19. “There is also the chance to travel abroad for a J-Term class and experience the world in the span of a month.”
6. Focus on Real Learning
“Professor Colleen O’Brien came into the classroom everyday excited about what she was going to teach,” says Hannah Mack ’18, a marketing and management major. “She also had so many stories of when she worked for other companies that related so well to the material we were learning in class.”
7. Research Opportunities
Carthage places a major emphasis on undergraduate research, scholarship and creativity. Early and often, students are challenged to perform original research under the close guidance of experienced faculty.
8. You Might Go Weightless!
Carthage has one of the most successful Microgravity Teams in the country. “I never would have thought in a million years I would get to work in conjunction with NASA, let alone my freshman year of college,” said Daisy Bower.
9. Western Heritage
“This course allowed me to express big ideas in class discussions and I explore some philosophy along the way, which I might even add as a minor,” says Sidney Burke ’18, a psychology major. “I took Western Heritage and Understandings of Religion at the same time, and this allowed me to connect ideas between classes. That ‘aha’ moment came to me more than a few times while taking Western Heritage, which is something every student loves to experience. Western Heritage encourages intellectual discussions within the classroom and allows students to analyze text in ways they may not have in high school!”
10. 120+ Student Organizations
With more than 120 student clubs, you will need one really big excuse not to get involved. “The biggest surprise for me was how easy it was to make new friends,” said Mitch Ducett ’15.
11. CAB
The Carthage Activities Board hosts events for students every weekend: hypnotists, bands, comedians, free movies, illusionists, you name it. “Stay on campus during the weekends! It’s how you meet new people,” said Macy Anderson ’16.
12. Be a Student and an Athlete
“I think a lot of people forget that ‘student’ comes first in ‘student-athlete,’” said Stephanie Kuzmanic, who graduated in 2014 as Capital One’s Academic All-American Player of the Year. Not at Carthage. Professors and coaches work together to help student athletes succeed in class and on the court. “Carthage has a lot of professors who are very willing to help you outside of the classroom. They helped me and my teammates be successful.”
13. Intellectual Cross-Training
Don’t give up anything you love learning about. We have students who major in chemistry and theatre, or earn a dance minor with their education major. “It wasn’t easy to find a college that had Mandarin, Chinese, dance, and chemistry all in one! When I visited Carthage, I fell in love with the campus, and the welcoming professors, staff, and students I met made me feel right at home,” recalls Grace Kozisek ’20, a Chinese and chemistry major. “I was reassured this was the place for me when I looked into the Chinese, dance, and chemistry programs. The professors were very engaging and enthusiastic about the subjects they taught.”
14. Summer School!
Carthage takes summer school to a whole new level. The Summer Undergraduate Research Experience pairs selected students with faculty for full-time summer research. 10 weeks. One-on-one mentoring. Countless doors opened.
15. Big Names. Big Stage.
Carthage theatre students work with world-renowned writers like Keith Huff from “Mad Men” and “House of Cards.” They don’t just come to campus for a lecture; they spend months working closely with our students on a brand new play.
16. Events like Christmas Festival
“The atmosphere on campus is incredible, and seeing the combined talent of all our musical ensembles and choral groups is incredibly powerful,” recalls Alexander Karcher ’16.
17. The Senior Thesis
Carthage is one of the few colleges in the country to require its seniors to complete a thesis. There’s no answer key for this one. No one telling you what chapters to study. This is your chance to build, perform, and explore a topic of your choice.
“The amount of research and writing can seem daunting, but talking with professors in the department and getting feedback from classmates really made the stress of writing a 20+ page paper much easier!” says Spanish major Taylor Guy ’18. “I really enjoyed researching my topic and once finished, I have something really special to look back on and use for future graduate school applications!”
18. Late Night Breakfast
On the weekend before finals, Carthage faculty, staff, and even our President serve students a late-night breakfast in the Caf. Nothing relieves stress like your college president personally serving you scrambled eggs.
19. Our Location
The views? Breathtaking. But our campus isn’t just beautiful. It’s also ideally located between Chicago and Milwaukee, giving you big-city opportunities.
“The location between Milwaukee and Chicago definitely caught my attention,” remembers Hailey Morgan ’18, a history major. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I entered college, but I knew that having access to those cities would lead me to possible jobs, internships, or research opportunities in any field.”
20. Lake Views from Your Dorm Room
“It’s always really relaxing to hear the waves crashing against the shore,” said elementary education major Caitlin Reynolds ’18.
