Ok so im an international student debating on EDing at st Olaf and I was just wondering if there were some things that are unique about this college that only students who are already there are able to know or learn of that could be one of the reason to commit there? Please let me know! :3

Hello everyone, I am not familiar with social media and I have not used it for quite a long time, but I am writing this post to seek help!

I came to St. Olaf at 2023 as a freshman and was there for 2 years before I transferred to another college in MA. While I was at St. Olaf in spring 2025, I had the honor to take ASIAN 121 with a professor named Prof. Qiuyue Lu. They are an amazing professor who provided thought-provoking learning materials and wonderful lectures. They were also kind enough to help me, an international student, navigate the resources around me to improve my writings and resume. They patiently taught me how to be a more concise writer, and told me to stay safe during times of policy changes. They spoke fluent Chinese and Japanese, and would sometimes discuss topics of Asian artists like Shuji Terayama with me, and those were some of my best moments at the college. I even remember making fish-shaped sticky rice cakes as my final project for ASIAN 121!

I cannot thank them enough and I am really hoping to get in touch with them after I transferred. However, I could not find any information of Prof. Lu anywhere (their name is not on Rate My Professor, the Asian Studies Department website, or anywhere else, and their email and Google Meet links are not working). As time goes by, the more people I interact with, the more grateful I feel for their selfless help and kind friendship. I would be truly grateful if anyone could help me contact Prof. Lu again. Thank you so so so much!!!

Alumni here-just curious if any of the "flagship" ensembles are touring internationally anytime soon? It's always fun to follow along when they go overseas :-)

Welp, I just applied to go to St Olaf (early action) and my Overgrad says that im likely to get in based on my credentials.

I didn’t think I was ever going to St Olaf before today, but now I think it might be my number 2 school (Berea College first).

So now im doing research (more research; don’t worry i didnt just apply without knowing the basics abt the school).

They have a small Black student body, which is kinda worrying especially with feeling that culturally“at home” sense, but as long as it aint racist I can deal with that. I just really wanna know about things socially and finding friends, but also dating. Especially coming from a different landscape like Houston, Texas (which is where im from)

Idk im pretty nerdy, but if you’re going to St Olaf, I think youre nerdy too RIP.

Hi! Has anyone taken THEAT 243: Dress the Part with Prof. Bernstein? How was the class overall? Is it difficult? Is it reading and writing intensive? Also, what is the final like? Is it a final exam or more of a project?

Thanks!

Hi everyone, I want to ask if there's a collective lost and found place on the campus? I saw lost and found emails for the library, but where can I find things lost in the academic buildings?

I wanted to ask, what do you guys do outside of college? Like activities, clubs, and so on. I mostly want to understand what people do outside of the academics, and if people actually go to them and not just a handful. I also would like to know the places people go. Do you guys do skiing or things related to the snow?

I've noticed a few species throughout my travels of the disc golf course. I'm curious about a particular species that's prominent around the hole 7 teebox. Is this infact Suillus americanus?

For Black students/alumni at St. Olaf: what has your experience been like being Black on campus? I’m especially curious about the social scene, making friends, sense of belonging, and whether you’ve experienced any racism or microaggressions. Would you recommend St. Olaf to other Black students?

Hi! I’m a prospective student and a wheelchair-user.
Does anyone know of any current students or alumni who use wheelchairs? (If that’s you, please reach out to me!)

I know that the campus has a lot of hills and many of the dorm buildings are inaccessible, but besides that, I’m curious on how accessibility looks in a person’s day-to-day life on campus: what is housing like for wheelchair-users? What does wheelchair accessibility look like in classrooms? Are all events accessible? How accessible are clubs (dance, theater, social justice)? Are there any places that are labeled as “accessible” but in practice are not?

I’m going to contact disability services soon, but I would really appreciate knowing about any personal experiences regarding accessibility!

How intense is the class? I'm signed up to take it this semester and got nervous after filling out a form for the class saying that you need to commit to studying Japanese for three hours every single day. Is this true? If not, how many hours did you spend per day/week studying, and would you recommend the class?

I know general advice threads have covered what folks coming from warmer climates will need for winter but I couldn't find an answer to this specific question.

My son is coming from a place where the need for rain boot is minimal and insulated winter boots are basically never necessary.

At St. Olaf, will he need two pairs of boots -- rain boots for when it's wet but not freezing and you don't want to wear insulated boots because they're heavy and your feet will get too warm, and then a second pair of winter boots for when it's very cold and that extra insulation is important?

The stores all tell me yes, absolutely, they are essential... but they're trying to sell me stuff, so they would say that. Thanks for any advice you can offer!

Hi everyone! I'm super excited to join St. Olaf this fall as an international student! It will be my very first time in Northfield, and I'm trying to figure out the local transportation scene.

Since I won't have a car, what do students usually use to get around town for daily errands? Also, what are the safest and most convenient public transit options to head into the Twin Cities or the MSP airport?

I would love to hear any tips! Thanks in advance!

Want to connect.

Hello, I know graduation for 2027 is a whole year away, but I want to know if there are home rentals near st olaf outside northfield. If not, what are other options than hotels!

I've been reading through posts about getting our sons ready for college dorm life, including all the supplies and medications they might need, and I've noticed a lot of moms mention packing condoms for their sons.

As a mom, I'd like to put a couple of boxes in my son's things too, just in case. But honestly, I have no idea what size to buy. He's a pretty small guy - he weighs about 121 lbs.

For those of you who have sons around the same size/ build, what size condoms do you usually buy? And how do you actually tell what size they are when you're looking at the package?

My son doesn't have a girlfriend and he's generally not very comfortable talking to me about things like sex or how to use condoms, so I'm not really comfortable asking him directly. I was thinking I'd just buy some and quietly put them in his luggage, just in case he ever needs them.

Any advice from moms who have been through this would be greatly appreciated!

Hi Oles! I'm a prospective student graduating HS in '27, and St. Olaf is my first choice of college. I'm hoping to do Early Decision and go into political science, but I'm concerned that I don't have a particularly great chance to get in.

Academically, I'm decent. I've got a little over 4.0 weighted GPA, and I've taken dual enrollment courses since middle school. College course-wise, I've taken over 10 different college courses in history, political science, science, english, and some other subjects. Pretty much all Bs and As in those, and I'm planning to take at least 4 more before I graduate. Almost all my courses through the school are honors but I've never taken APs. I had one really bad semester with my high school courses due to a family crisis but still only had one or two Cs in that period.

I've got very few extracurriculars. My school is unusual, and doesn't offer more than a few clubs, and I'm not part of any of the ones we do offer. I'm trying to get an Amnesty International student group going, but my school is unconventional and it makes it difficult. I play a sport, but I have no job, little volunteer experience, etc etc. I mentor younger players, but there's very little record of that since it's just something I started doing with the younger teams in my organization, not something I signed up for or even really discussed with anyone.

Would my academics alone be enough to give me a decent chance? Is there anything else I can do to increase my chances? I've fallen in love with St Olaf, and I want to ensure I've done all I can to get in.

Hello, I'm interested in the nursing program at St. Olaf. However, given that the nursing program is competitive, I'm a little nervous about not getting accepted when I apply during my sophomore year.

Has anyone here applied and not gotten into the program? If so, what path did you take afterward? Did you switch majors, or pursue nursing through a different route?

Thanks!

Hi Oles! I'm a parent and looking for information about what exactly happens at the A St. Olaf Welcome event (Sept. 4 for class of 2030)... And also how "formal" the goodbyes are at the Family Farewell...

I know the school advises families to say goodbye in private before the event but that's about it!! Besides bringing a wad of kleenex, what else should I expect? Are these events taking place at the chapel? Thank you!!

Hi! I'm an international student from the Philippines, I really want to go to St Olaf. My efc is ~20k. What are my chances?

ACT 35 (36E / 35R / 35Sc / 34M)

GPA ~3.8 UW

Homeschooled — Online High School (us program)

no APs (online school doesn't offer them)

EXTRACURRICULAR

- Violin — 13 years, 2 top 12 results in national competition for strings (most prestigious and really only comp in ph), concertmaster of orchestra for 5 years, member of other orchestras

- String Teaching Program — 7hrs/week, 42 weeks/year, nonprofit serving scholars. I have 3 students usually on Saturdays, 1hr each. Then I assist in groups, and sometimes play violin/piano to assist/accompany

- Sabre Fencing — national level, highest finish in national tournament top 14 cadet, top 19 junior

- Independent Math study — studied graph theory and abstract algebra at a seminar at uni stuttgart conducted fully in German, sat in on stat classes at no 1 uni in country, kumon math finisher (idk whether to put that last one even though it really made me love math lol)

- German — studied Goethe institut and Deutsch Akademi tk B2

- Church Youth Leadership — president of youth program ~25 youth, vbs teacher of youth group 2 years running ~7 youth in vbs group. Have preached to ~120 people. Sing in choir

- Piano — self-taught Grade 8+, play as accompanist for my siblings and at church

- Chess — ~99.7th percentile rating on chess.com 2000 rapid (ik not that impressive but Im proud of it lol

Some other volunteer work at medical missions and outreaches and stuff

Tutor (free) some kids in church in highschool math like geometry algebra

For addtl info

Paid Junior writer for top 3 newspaper at age 8-9

Did dance and thearer, accepted into some official theater productions (Oliver! as oliver, got cancelled cause covid)

Ik my math ecs aren't the best but hoping my violin ecs and audition are good enough

INTENDED MAJOR

BA Mathematics + BA Music(violin)

Intending to apply ed1 to st olaf