<p>Spot-on! I am considering Dartmouth for a math Ph.D! :D</p>
<p>DartDart… my son is a '15 and sounds a lot like yours. He is unbelievably happy at Dartmouth and the students are exactly all of those qualities that you described… do not worry! He is in the River cluster dorms ( substance free) and they get very close to their dorm mates down there. They sometimes go to sporting events together, sometimes play video games, have their own parties with music played by themselves, sometimes go to frat parties or other campus events, dinner in town for birthdays. They are all really close friends in the dorm and all of the students we met are funny, likeable and normal with a variety of interests. It is almost spooky how Dartmouth seems to hand pick these awesome kids.</p>
<p>50%+ of Dartmouth didn’t drink in high school. I know you think your son is different, but he’s probably not. He’ll probably drink underage at Dartmouth.</p>
<p>That said, if he doesn’t want to drink, there is a community, particularly in the substance free dorms, that shares those beliefs, so he won’t feel out of place.</p>
<p>@Hard_Knocks and others: Yes, the meal plan options for the 2011-2012 school year are lousy. But don’t let this affect your decision whether to come to Dartmouth if admitted. The student body has been revolting all year, and I am optimistic that next year’s options will be a bit more student-friendly.</p>
<p>As for the climate: I spent the summer of 2010 in Hanover, and I spent the summer of 2011 in Miami, FL. At times, Hanover was worse than Miami, and at times, Miami was worse than Hanover. The CRUCIAL difference was that my bedroom in Miami was air-conditioned. (I may or may not have spent the majority of sophomore summer sleeping in Fairchild Tower.)</p>
<p>Dartmouth Forever,
Thank you for your wisdom. I know you are correct. He’s not my first son! 
I hope he has FUN at Dartmouth…whatever kind of fun that looks like fun to him! 
:D</p>
<p>Hi DartDart,</p>
<p>First of all, congratulations to your son!</p>
<p>Short answer: Yes, there are many such students as you have described. But the question is, will your son go out of his way to find them? That is for him to decide.</p>
<p>In this respect, the next four years will be a microcosm of the “real world”. Dartmouth has many things to offer: a stellar student body, world class professors, activities and organizations galor. But what use are they if they are not explored? </p>
<p>This is not to say that your son won’t explore, but I would encourage him to continually step outside of his comfort zone and try new things. Not only will he find like-minded peers, but he will learn more about himself. That is the greatest lesson that one can learn.</p>
<p>Could someone get in with one C on their transcript?</p>
<p>Hi musisat, (do you attend Tilton?)</p>
<p>Truth be told, location had little to do with my decision to apply to Dartmouth. I chose it because a relative of mine graduated from Dartmouth many years ago. When it came for me to apply to colleges, I was already enamored by the stories he told and pride that he felt that I knew I didn’t want to attend anywhere else. So, I applied ED and got in.</p>
<p>In hindsight, perhaps I would have enjoyed a campus that was more urban, but that may simply be a case of the grass being greener on the other side. There definitely were times where I felt that the campus was too small, but more often I would describe it as intimate. </p>
<p>Your best bet is to visit campus and see for yourself, but my advice would be to interact with the people (students, faculty, etc.) and get a feel for what they are like (this goes for any school you visit). Don’t prioritize location too much. In my opinion, it’s the people that matter the most.</p>
<p>Hi HonorsCentaur,</p>
<p>I do not mean to trivialize your concerns, and perhaps you have already thought a lot about this, but as someone who will be applying to graduate schools as well and has spoken with many people who are in my intended field, the single most important contributor to your decision to apply ought to be the people that you will be working with. I’ve read that you are going for a Ph.D. In that case, it will be your advisor. The quality of your advisor will make or break your view of that institution and even your field as a whole. I hope you are making sure the schools that you are applying to have faculty members that match your specific interests and that you have spoken to them already!</p>
<p>That being said, I can only speak of Dartmouth from the perspective of an undergraduate. Because the school is very undergraduate focused, living there as an undergraduate was relatively easy. I did not need a car, nor was there a need to look specifically at off-campus housing, both of which you may need to do. </p>
<p>Like any college campus, there are many things to do. However, a big city Hanover is not. If you thrive in an urban setting, perhaps Hanover may not be the best place for you.</p>
<p>I do not have a specific opinion on graduate students simply because I did not interact with many of them. Like arcus1, I took a math course and the graduate students that led the study sessions were competent. My friend was a math major and I remember him taking me to a graduate students’ office where they talked about the Riemann zeta function. Most of it flew over my head, but they seemed to enjoy it. So, I know my friend liked at least one graduate student. But again, I did not have much interaction with them.</p>
<p>I did like the quarter system, but I believe that is because I liked the flexible D-Plan that operated within it.</p>
<p>As for sports, I’ve found that if you’re a football fan, you’ll be a football fan at any school. The same goes for any of the other sports. Sports do not dominate Dartmouth like the D1 or D2 schools, but it all depends on who you ask!</p>
<p>Hope this helped. I’d encourage you to find an actual grad student at Dartmouth and speak with them directly.</p>
<p>Hi lillian16,</p>
<p>If someone chose to let their one C define their entire being, then no, they would not get in. Remember, colleges look at many other factors in addition to grades. Do not neglect your strengths just because you have some weaknesses. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being unique. (Please excuse how pithy this sounds. I just don’t know enough about you.)</p>
<p>What type of ECs do they like?</p>
<p>Hi amorvita,</p>
<p>The question is not what ECs Dartmouth likes, but what ECs YOU like, and why you like them. Any institution worth its salt will admit unique and passionate people. Are you that kind of person? Can you prove it? Can you show me that if I admitted you to my school that you would not just fit in, but make my school better for having you?</p>
<p>Think about it.</p>