<p>Err, yeah, I did this in the fall and kinda failed at it. But I figured now that acceptances are out and lots of people are trying to choose between schools I'd try to answer questions people considering Dartmouth might have. So ask away!</p>
<ol>
<li>How many courses is required for a major (econ, math, history, govt)? How many courses to double major including distribution requirements?</li>
<li>Do students usually finish 36 (3 per term for 12 trimesters) courses by the time they are done? </li>
<li>How many people apply for the research grant/scholarship thing at the end of freshman year? How hard is it to get research opportunities as a freshman otherwise?</li>
</ol>
<p>Those are good questions. I'll go in order.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The number of courses required for a major varies anywhere from 8 to 12, I believe, plus prereqs (sometimes). In my major, history, you need 10 classes, and no prereqs. Here is a website that has a list of all the undergraduate majors Dartmouth offers and links to a page for each that says what the major requirements are and what courses are offered in the department. Concerning double majors, I'm not sure, as I'm not doing one and haven't even considered it. However, my gut is that it would just be the sum of the two majors you are combining, plus prereqs if applicable (aka a LOT).</p></li>
<li><p>You actually only need 35 credits to graduate (so that in theory you can "relax" with one 2 course term at some point). The answer to your question though is yes. In fact, some people can get done earlier if they get AP credit. For example, I'm a senior next year and I just need to take three classes in the fall, two in the winter, and none in the spring because I got 5 AP credits coming in and have already taken 2 2-course terms. Even if you don't get any AP credits, most people get done within four years, unless they take like a year off to do something. A notable exception to this is if you want to get a BS in Engineering, as that requires a fifth year.</p></li>
<li><p>Beats me, sorry to say. I think there are about 10 that get this grant, and my guess would be no more than 100 apply, maybe less. In general, however, it's pretty easy to get funding, both as a freshman and later. For example, a someone I know wanted to go to China and spend 2 weeks filming a documentary there. She got a total of 4000 dollars from two different campus organizations, which I think was like 1000 bucks more than she'd even asked for. This is one of the perks of going to a school with a multi-billion dollar endowment. And they really encourage you, even as a freshman, to apply to get funding. It doesn't necessarily have to be through a program. You can just go to COSO or the Dickey Center or whatever (obviously depending on what it is you want to do or research) and get money. Or if you hit it off with a professor really well you can work with them on their research. For instance, one of my friends got a Presidential Scholarship to work with an English professor on a book he's writing. So yeah. It's definitely available. Obviously easier to get as later on, as you get to know more profs and become more savvy at applying for funding, but even as a freshman if you are motivated enough it can be done.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Do people at Dartmouth really drink a lot?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Do people at Dartmouth really drink a lot?
[/quote]
Dartmouth people don't drink anymore than regular college students.<br>
Yes. Underage drinking does happen, but it happens at every college.<br>
Contrary to popular belief, people are NOT getting drunk every night and booting all over the place. </p>
<p>as for question three</p>
<p>There are 14 grants available, and about 25 people apply a year.</p>
<p>How is the economics major there? And mathematics?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Is it incredibly difficult to manage four courses in a term, especially if one is a visual arts course?</p></li>
<li><p>How is the Geography department?</p></li>
<li><p>What exactly is the "Faculty in Residence" program (East Wheelock)?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>How difficult and/or competitive is it to get into foreign language houses and what are the requirements for doing so?</p>
<p>I'll answer the ones I can.</p>
<p>1) Four courses. A four course load is difficult, even if the classes are 'easy.' I've done it a few times, and it can be very trying. Still, it can be done. Visual arts classes tend to require a lot of time out of class to do the work. I'm not sure how well that would work out, particularly in your first few years when your work habits aren't fully evolved.</p>
<p>2) The geography department is excellent; it's also the only one in the Ivy League. Their FSP in Prague is very popular among majors, and the faculty are generally top-notch. Since the department is relatively small, majors get a lot of attention.</p>
<p>3) Faculty in residence. Basically, a faculty member (I forget who it is now; last year, it was Tom Luxon and Ivy Schweitzer, two English profs) lives in the 'White House' in front of the East Wheelock cluster, and puts on regular programs for EW residents. This may include meeting visiting artists and lecturers, to wine and cheese parties, to watching various popular television shows.</p>
<p>What's the social life like? How much does Greek life dominate the social scene, and in your judgment, is this good or bad?</p>
<p>
[quote]
How difficult and/or competitive is it to get into foreign language houses and what are the requirements for doing so?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I don't know how competitive the foreign language houses are.
As for requirements,
Freshman aren't allowed to live in the foreign language houses.<br>
Most houses have their own requirements. For example, at the Chinese language house, you have to be taking Chinese. At the Native American House, you have to be stuyding Native American Studies, etc. etc.</p>
<p>Goto <a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Eorl%5B/url%5D">www.dartmouth.edu/~orl</a> for my details.</p>
<p>How much of Tuck's resources do we have access to as undergrads? Can we do research there?</p>
<p>Tuck doesn't have an undergrad division so that would be zero. In addition research in Finance and Economics (what you're probably interested in like most people) doesn't usually require "lab assistants" or much "assistant" help.</p>
<p>You're allowed to audit (e.g., sit in on, with no credit) classes there, but that's about it.</p>
<p>What is the process to finding research work in the sciences/pre-med? Is it difficult?</p>
<p>How competitive is it to get into the keble college exchange program?</p>
<p>hi Blitz</p>
<p>there are a number of ways to get research opportunities.</p>
<p>One is through WISP</p>
<p><a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewisp/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.dartmouth.edu/~wisp/index.html</a></p>
<p>you can find a research job through student employement (on the classification line click research and sort by most recent)</p>
<p>lind to undergraduate research</p>
<p><a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Eugar/undergrad/%5B/url%5D">http://www.dartmouth.edu/~ugar/undergrad/</a></p>
<p>you can also find resources through the nathan smith society</p>
<p><a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Enss/%5B/url%5D">http://www.dartmouth.edu/~nss/</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Eseo/%5B/url%5D">http://www.dartmouth.edu/~seo/</a></p>
<p>
[quote]
How competitive is it to get into the keble college exchange program?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The Keble exchange is a direct student exchange program that only takes a maximum of 4 students per term . The program will primarily serve government and economics majors (one of D's friends, an econ is leaving next week for the spring term). Considering that dartmouth is not at a loss for either Econ or Govt majors it is safe to say that the program is competitive. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.5.</p>
<p>here is more information about the program</p>
<p>I was reading about the advising program, and it says that you choose an interest and then you are matched up with a member of that department's faculty. How hard is it to change this specified field later?</p>
<p>As a parent of a student who initially went to dartmouth as a physics major, then it was classics, history, psychology before settling on her current major, you can chage pretty easily (you don't have to define a major until sophomore year).</p>
<p>here is the listing for pre-major advising</p>
<p><a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Eugar/premajor/%5B/url%5D">http://www.dartmouth.edu/~ugar/premajor/</a></p>
<p>adding ohmadre's link about PAL</p>