<p>
[quote]
Arcadia- thanks for the stale "stats" but similiar too many other posts- we all know that you in the admissions' office distorts the facts
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Welcome to CC. New here, eh? Funny how you just showed up and started posting, but you seem to have read all my other posts. Your name sounds like mine too! So funny and coincidental. Good luck whereever you end up. I've got to go run and make up some false stats...c ya!</p>
<p>I would go to Dartmouth over Bowdoin, especially if the financial aid package is better too.</p>
<p>well dartmouth is a university..who wants to go to university for their BA...</p>
<p>Yeah, people have just about convinced me that Dartmouth has the most to offer. It is Dartmouth COLLEGE, and the undergrad program functions very much like a liberal arts school. The opportunities that Dartmouth can provide seem ultimately superior to bowdoin midd. and the other schools I was admitted to. I really didn't think i was going to get into Dartmouth, but now that I have, and have looked more closely at the school, Dartmouth seems great. It has everything, the location/town is nice, you can't beat its profs and the facilities are outstanding-- the library, wow. I don't know, Dartmouth seems pretty good. I think it'll be more diverse in many ways, bowdoin and midd. seem very white, with little cultural variety, although they do the best they can. Dartmouth just seems like more of a magnet that can attract more minorities, maybe just because of the name.</p>
<p>"Dartmouth has more cultural variety."</p>
<p>Well international students make up 12% of Midd's student body...compared to only 6% at Dartmouth..and 4% at Bowdoin. </p>
<p>But Dartmouth is definitely more diverse racially and socioeconomically than the other two.</p>
<p>Last I heard, fraternities dominated the social scene at Dartmouth. I know that schools like Bowdoin and Middlebury (and most of the other NESCACs) went to quite a bit of trouble to eliminate the frats from campus a few years ago due to the social stratification and heavy drinking associated with frat life. The frat scene tends to be a tad anachronistic in this day and age. . .</p>
<p>i would rather go to community college than dartmouth.</p>
<p>The educational opportunities at Dartmouth are phenomenol. . .</p>
<p>Dartmouth Ranks as a Top Undergrad in International Relations. - </p>
<p>Dartmouth News > News Releases > 2007 > March > Screen | Print Preview </p>
<p>Foreign Policy ranking places Dartmouth among nation's top ten institutions for undergraduate studies in international relations </p>
<p>A new ranking of the U.S.' strongest colleges and universities for international relations studies, published in the March/April issue of the magazine Foreign Policy, places Dartmouth ninth among those offering such studies at the undergradute level - making Dartmouth the highest-ranked institution offering such studies only at the undergraduate level.</p>
<p>The ranking is based on a survey conducted by researchers at the College of William and Mary. The survey asked more than 1,000 faculty members in the U.S. who work in the field of international relations to rank the nation's 20 best international relations programs.</p>
<p>Michael Mastanduno, associate dean of the faculty for the social sciences and the Nelson Rockefeller Professor of Government, said the ranking reflects Dartmouth's approach to faculty recruiting. "We consciously recruit faculty who care a lot about teaching," said Mastanduno. "Most of the Dartmouth IR faculty can be anywhere they want to be. Those who come here came because they felt that teaching undergraduates, especially smart ones, and being in an environment where people care about teaching as well as high quality research, is more important than being in a graduate program."</p>
<p>yeah, I have two cousins who area at dartmouth right now, as far as the frat thing. Yeah, like 30% of the students are really into frats, but I guess the parties aren't exclusive at all-- although actually becoming a member is quite the task, but all in great fun. I don't think I have interest in joining a frat (although they can be great at dartmouth, very rewarding). But according to my cousins, dartmouth has more nerds than anything else. People from all over the world and the country, representing very diverse backgrounds on many levels-- all very smartt. There are a lot of rich white exeter/andover/st.pauls grads, but those people are usually quite nice and interesting, some of them are very down-to-earth.<br>
Yeah, if you look at the success of dartmouth alum in many fields, it seems like a dartmouth education (connections that can be made) can be a catalyst for success, although you still have to work hard for it-- I'm sure the work load isn't easy.<br>
I think dartmouth college is a better option than community college, for most people.</p>
<p>Apparently more than 50% of Dartmouth students are members of frats or sororities. You might want to check this thread out as it gives a sense of what frat life is really like at Dartmouth (from everything I know from Dartmouth students, frat life really does dominate the social scene):</p>
<p>Frat life is a culture, which happens to have much history. I have relatives and family friends who have been in those same frats mentioned on that site. The things that go on there are a bit extreme (although that article pushed its assumptions). Dartmouth accepts and graduates some of the nation's best minds. Graduates go on to do great things. Did you know Dartmouth has the highest percentage of grads go into the Peace Corps of any college or university in the country? You have to understand, where ever you go, things will happen that might be shocking, at first sight. Some people have had more high school experiences than others, but you'll find the culture at bowdoin/midd. is very similar to Dartmouth, in terms of crazy weekend nights. I don't know if you saw it, but one post on that blog (witch btw isn't reliable, although this next facts is true...) Robert Frost was a member of Theta Delt, which is known to be the most outrageous frat at Dartmouth, football basketball lacrosse (huge at Dartmouth) frat. He turned out to be a pretty sensitive guy, as many other former brothers have. If you want to gain a real understanding of frat life at Dartmouth you should read Hoyt Alverson's 2005 study of drinking culture at Dartmouth. BTW, you don't have to be involved in this culture the tiniest bit, plenty of people aren't into it.<br>
Besides the frat option, Dartmouth has sooo much to offer.</p>
<p>it's not like we're saying dartmouth doesn't accept and graduate some of the nation's best minds. and drinking is real bad at small colleges too. i would just reather go to a nice small environment and then go ivies for grad school.</p>
<p>I like the small environment at dartmouth, but the slightly larger size allows for some great resources. Your four-year undergraduate experience will be a significant college experience, besides just the academics. Graduate school, if you end up actually going through with it, is a far different game (you're usually working simultaneously etc.) I think I've decided let my undergrad experience to be at the BIG GREEN.</p>
<p>Although I do not have seen 2007 class profiles, I noticed that recent management changes at Middlebury have had positive results on the overall stats so I think this is an interesting evolving situation. I have heard that applications for this year are just under 6000 for Bowdoin as opposed to over 7000 at Midd. Bowdoin apparently decreased their admission percentage significantly (waiting for the official numbers but heard 18% overall RD &ED combined?/from 24%???). Apps up 13% at Midd last year. (don't know yet admission rate). Midd jumped from 11 to 8 to 5 in US News in 3 years + new reporting formula on their SAT average (more accurate). Personally, I would pick Midd over Bowdoin just for the campus. I think they are academically comparable with good placement office I know at Midd. Just more internationals at Midd. too. Strong endowment at Midd (over $800MM & good returns) but class is slightly larger. I think Midd wins because of the past few years overall events, confirmed in US News ranking.</p>
<p>Although I do not have seen 2007 class profiles, I noticed that recent management changes at Middlebury have had positive results on the overall stats so I think this is an interesting evolving situation. I have heard that applications for this year are just under 6000 for Bowdoin as opposed to over 7000 at Midd. Bowdoin apparently decreased their admission percentage significantly (waiting for the official numbers but heard 18% overall RD &ED combined?/from 24%???). Apps up 13% at Midd last year. (don't know yet admission rate). Midd jumped from 11 to 8 to 5 in US News in 3 years + new reporting formula on their SAT average (more accurate). Personally, I would pick Midd over Bowdoin just for the campus. I think they are academically comparable with good placement office I know at Midd. Just more internationals at Midd. too. Strong endowment at Midd (over $800MM & good returns) but class is slightly larger. I think Midd wins because of the past few years overall events, confirmed in US News ranking.</p>
<p>Actually the Bowdoin endowment is larger on a per-student basis than is the Middlebury endowment (something like $404K versus $340K per student)</p>
<p>..."but class is slightly larger". thanks for the computation anyway</p>
<p>Bowdoin; East Berlin (student residence) meets with mini Gothic "Ivy" tower and "little ivy" buildings bordering a yard obscured by conifers and a ground covered with thorns. Some orphenage-style residences (Freshmen). Vintage couches and boat reproductions in admission reception. Burger with shoe string fries and mayo.
Midd: Stoned walls, wooden bell towers & large dark blue armchairs for students to contemplate through bay windows an everchanging forest (Bicentennial & Library). Ski bowl, golf course, olympic size pool. salad bar & Vermont ice cream.</p>
<p>sambuoc, what are you talking about? i've been staying out of this, because i'm definitely biased (toward bowdoin) - but your representation of bowdoin is ridiculous and kind of pathetic.</p>
<p>both are great schools. both have some different, major strengths, and some very similar failings. the best way to decide is by visiting. end of story.</p>
<p>Allison said it the best. I'm going to Middlebury, but I'd have no problem going to Bowdoin either. Very comparable schools, you really can't make a wrong choice. I decided on Midd just because of the size. I'd rather have the 700 more students, but that's just a matter of preference. Dartmouth is also a terrific school, and I wouldn't worry about it lacking a sense of community. It is, as you said, "Dartmouth College", not Dartmouth University (even though it does enroll a small number of graduate students, hopefully I'll be there at Tuck in a number of years...). If I had to pick any Ivy, it would be Dartmouth hands down.</p>