<p>actually, these messages ARE changing my impression on dartmouth…
i don’t know, i wouldn’t want to go to a college with a student body whose social life is built solely around a superficial frat scene…</p>
<p>hahahah !! u haveto be kidding me ! On the internet they’ll tell u that noone evr went on the moon and its all a biiig hush hush conspiracy !</p>
<p>Well, as much as this may be people’s opinions, it’s not incredibly hard to distinguish real facts from just a negative rave. Girlforever101, you actually had some really relevant points, and I welcome your criticisms. I wouldn’t say you’ve turned me away from Dartmouth, but you’ve made me feel less certain that it’s my first choice. </p>
<p>Again, I welcome both positive and negative reviews of the school, since both often have information that the admissions office won’t tell you. Cr_freak, they are opinions, but they do create a better representation of the school from the STUDENTS’ points of view, which I find far more important than anything you’d find in an admissions brochure.</p>
<p>The social scene is very frat/drinking centered, and it is hard to find campus alternatives (films, shows) that don’t end a bit earlier that one would like on a Sat. night. A lot of the alternatives really consist of small groups of friends hanging out together and if you haven’t established those types of connections, you might be by yourself. As for the basement, I realize that no one will make you drink if you don’t want to, but who wants to hang out with a bunch of drunk people when you’re sober? Probably better to find another place to be then the basement. I absolutely agree with forevergirl on the way that woman are treated. Girls are objectified for sure at Dartmouth. I would suggest to freshmen that they really try to find an interest /club and connect themselves to it. (you must have one, you got into Dartmouth, right?) It will provide a place to be over the years, friends with common interests and an opportunity to do something besides academics. Or look for an on campus internship. Also, for girls, look at the sororities, be open minded as to which one, you never know, you might find a group who are more welcoming then you expected.</p>
<p>Part of the problem here is that these “stay away from Dartmouth” warnings serve to perpetuate the status quo. If you’re a Dartmouth student and you don’t like an atmosphere dominated by frat boy drinking and behavior then you should be encouraging people like yourself and unlike the frat boys to come to Dartmouth and help you create the critical mass needed to provide an alternative social scene. </p>
<p>The message in these warnings is stay away if you are not part of the party-till-you-puke crowd. You won’t be happy. A better message would be there are some great things here, and if you have interests and things to offer beyond shallowness, sex, and substance abuse then come join us and it will be even better.</p>
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<p>That is definitely a better message, but if the vast majority of students are in the party-till-you-puke crowd, if the Greeks predominate, why spend $60k to fight the social scene? It would be one thing if D wanted to change. It does not. Thus, non-drinkers probably are better off socially somewhere else.</p>
<p>^I’m sure the frats don’t want to change, but I think Dartmouth College as an organization does want to change. I doubt they’d ever get rid of the Greeks, but I’m thinking they’d like to be a lot more than that. Looking at the school’s website and literature I don’t see them selling themselves as a party school. I don’t think they hired Dr. Kim based on some reputation for frat boy thinking and frat boy drinking. I bet they were thinking more along the lines of Mountains Beyond Mountains and high level scholarship.</p>
<p>I’m not saying fight the social scene so much as expand it. The frats and their drinking will always be there, but there can be a lot more as well. I don’t know what the critical mass number of non-party animals is, but there is a tipping point out there somewhere, a tipping point beyond which the overall social vibe of the campus changes. And it may be a lot lower than you think.</p>
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<p>With 50% of the non-Frosh active in Greek, the culture is embedded within D. The Admin might wish upon a star, but that won’t make it come true without active plans and involvement. Dr. Wright tried to move the College in a new direction and the alums revolted. Heck, D doesn’t even enforce sub-free in the sub-free housing! </p>
<p>Dr. Kim can strive for greater academic scholarship (which is already pretty high for a Uni with few grad programs), but that does not necessarily change the social climate. But allowing the Beta’s back on campus does? Dartmouth will never become a Brown (Dr. Kim’s alma mater). </p>
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<p>And neither do they take any active role to change it. Even simple stuff. For example, the sub-free Soph housing is in an old building. What kind of message does that send? :rolleyes:</p>
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<p>It doesn’t need to be a Brown. But it can be a better Dartmouth.</p>
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<p>Nearly the same percentage of Greeks as MIT, yet MIT manages to achieve a rather different culture. Why? Because of the type of students that enroll there. </p>
<p>Of course Dartmouth culture will never change as long as everyone sits back and says nothing can be done or waits for others to change it. The culture changes one student at a time. And one simple way the school can be more welcoming to students not interested in the joining the cult of alcohol and vomit is to actually welcome them instead of warn them away.</p>
<p>Amen, coureur. If I am accepted, I intend to focus much more on making true friends outside the alcoholic/vomiting scene that in it.</p>
<p>MIT??? According to a popular college website and as you note: “The Greek system at MIT is unlike what most people would expect at other schools…” And, of course, like all urban colleges, MIT has a Big City in its backyard…there are a gazillion other options to a sticky basement floor on a Thursday-Saturday nights!</p>
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<p>Bingo, my point exactly, and that will require leadership and active policies from the Administration. I would suggest that the D Admin would have to MAKE the Greek system in Hanover different – it cannot happen one student at a time, IMO.</p>
<p>To-date they have done “nothing, nothing” (to paraphrase Sgt. Schultz). :)</p>
<p>The most out of control students at Dartmouth in terms of binge drinking are the underclassmen. So if you get in, and I hope you all do, remember that you said you wouldn’t , and don’t.</p>
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<p>That would certainly be nice, but organizations can also change from the bottom up. And it could start with the relatively sober students thinking “Hey, we could use a few more like ourselves. Let’s invite them to come to Dartmouth and make them feel welcome instead of warning them to go elsewhere. Maybe then we can begin having a lot of social events where alcohol is merely a side dish instead of the main course.”</p>
<p>its funny how a lot of people said this thread made them reconsider or at least think about how great Dartmouth is, while for me, it has bumped dartmouth up in my list of colleges and made me really want to go there. Honestly, just from reading this thread, it is now tied with my number one choice. I just have one question. How accepted are blacks and hispanics in the frat scene?</p>
<p>Man I love Dartmouth and am going to be a '14 but I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty worried. I mean I love to party/drink and have a good time, but I’m not one of those drink everyday till you puke type kids.</p>
<p>^Don’t worry. There are all types of kids at Dartmouth. My daughter doesn’t drink at all. She was lonely for about the first week, but then she started connecting with “her people.” Not necessarily all total non-drinkers, but like you, not the party every day and drink yourself blind crowd. She is now part of a good group of like-minded friends and they are having a lot of fun. She loves Dartmouth. She is having a great time there.</p>
<p>ummmm just a question, did anyone think this is a ■■■■■ when u first read the thread??
come on… it’s not like other schools are perfect. if we start listing how harvard sucks, i bet the list may never actually end…
but at the same time there r people who like dartmouth and dream to go there
ofc everyone has his right of talking his own opinions but seriously, this coming from a dartmouth student??
and to quote something that someone said before
" why r we giving so much attention to this again?" hehe</p>
<p>It very well could be, but it still raises questions we all find interesting.</p>
<p>hmmmmmmmmmmm k then hehe
fair enough</p>
<p>Haha yup- it’s just nice for prospective students to see the whole picture. Even though the guy who started the thread wasn’t incredibly helpful in his criticisms, the comments since have been much more illuminating.</p>