Dartmouth is a bit more isolated, it’s true, but there are certainly more diffs between Dartmouth and Amherst!
First off, if you are considering Bio, Biology is actually quite strong at Dartmouth. We have devoted a lot of resources to our STEM programs in recent years, so they have become quite good. I know a number of bio majors who chose our school because of the BIology program here. Check out the course offerings in our Bio department, they are actually quite varied and imo super interesting.
The main difference, I would say, is that Amherst is a liberal arts college, whereas Dartmouth is an undergraduate focused research university with a liberal arts curriculum.
The difference is that while Dartmouth prioritizes undergraduate teaching, we also have a large focus on research. As a result, we have a significantly higher research presence than the LACs. While I’m sure you can also take part in high quality research at Amherst, the breadth of your opportunities are higher here.
And due to our undergrad focus, most research positions are open to undergraduates, and in fact prioritize undergrads over grad students. Of course the same can be said for Amherst, for this point.
While the D-plan does occasionally separate one from one’s friends for some time, it also provides an opportunity to meet new people. Also, lots of people here arrange their D-plans with their friends to stay together.
Also, there are certain terms (freshman first three quarters, sophomore summer.) where everyone in your class will be on, and so there will be times where you are certain to meet them. As you yourself said, this also allows you to take advantage of competitive internship opportunities at times when they are less competitive.
Also, due to the D-plan, we have a much larger and varied list of foreign study options. Many people go off-campus for more than one term, taking advantage of more than one foreign study opportunity,. For bio, there’s a a great one in the Caribbean, where you study tropical forest and coral ecosystems for a term.
Plus, you aren’t limited to foreign studies related to your major. There’s a huge variety to explore. Check the Guarini center website.
As to social divide between rich and everyone else, I don’t know where you heard that but that’s not true, at least in my experience. I’m middle income myself, and from India, and I have friends across the income spectrum and from all over the world and the USA. The same kind of social network can be said of everyone I know.
We are actually a pretty tight-knit community here, and everyone is collaborative and supportive rather than cutthroat competitive with each other.
As to the greek thing? The name “greek” shouldn’t really apply to much of what we have here. There are some party-hard societies, but there’s a variety. Some are more social-justice oriented, one just plays board games and holds milk and cookie nights all the time etc.
Not to mention, a few things separate our greek societies from those at most places. One is that events are open. That means, in the vast majority of occasions, you only need your Dartmouth id to get into events held at greek societies. That means that the typical frat boy atmosphere isn’t really present anywhere, with a diverse set of people at every event.
Also, a number of our societies are gender neutral. That also really changes the vibe, and makes these spaces more inclusive, even among the membership.
Furthermore, for most people, their greek involvement is a casual commitment. Most sophomores, juniors and seniors still live on campus despite many of them being in greek societies, for example. And their social life involves far more than just their society,
I do not plan to rush, and I am fine with that. I know I am not restricting myself socially, and will still have access to events and parties at these societies should I choose to participate.
Of course, in the end of the day, the choice is yours, and you should go where you feel you would be happier. Dartmouth may be a bit more prestigious, but Amherst more than holds its own, and so you should NOT make a decision based on prestige in this case. I just wanted to clear up your concerns and make sure you saw all the relevant factors before you made your choice.
Good luck. If you have any other Dartmouth-related queries, feel free to ask me.