Hey everyone. I was just admitted into Dartmouth’s class of 2022. I’m very fortunate to have gotten in (considering that it was one of the few schools that accepted me).
Considering the caliber and offerings of the other schools that I have gotten in to, I am basically defaulting to attending Dartmouth. However, after surfing through countless CC posts, I don’t know if Dartmouth is a good fit for me. I personally enjoy a more urban setting and the Greek Life seems to dominate the campus.
If anyone can provide some insight, I would love some encouragement and praise for the school to alleviate some of my fears. I want to get excited about attending Dartmouth
Among private universities, Dartmouth is among the most undergrad-focused – at roughly 75% undergrad, it is their campus and they are the group that butters the school’s bread.
It combines some of the advantages of bucolic New England LACs with some of the advantages of elite private universities.
I’ve been accepted to 3 other state schools. Dartmouth is the cheapest option for me. I am undecided about my major, but I am most likely in the pre-med track (I heard Dartmouth’s pre-med is excellent).
Dartmouth premed IS excellent. One thing to keep in mind is that the Greek societies are Dartmouth are very open (parties/etc.) rather than being excluding. That’s one of the reasons they are such a big part of the social scene. You don’t have to drink. You don’t have to play beer pong. You can play water pong. And I would not say that the college as a whole is dominated by the Greeks, although they are certainly the major players socially. The school is rural to be sure, but it’s not as though Hanover has nothing to offer, and the absence of late night clubs and dance venues might actually be a blessing if you want to take your undergraduate education seriously (as you definitely should, if med school is your goal).
If Dartmouth is your cheapest option @umboy123, I’d take it and count your blessings.
@AboutTheSame Thank you so much for the reply! This is exactly what I looking for. Yes, I’m very grateful for the opportunity. Just looking for some words of encouragement to hype me up haha
I’ll give you one story just to put my comments in perspective. D was a high school debater on the national circuit and spent her rising senior summer at the Dartmouth debate camps. When she started thinking seriously about colleges, this was what she had to say:
“Dartmouth – I really like the team and coaches but it literally is the middle of nowhere. If I can’t do 8 weeks I can’t do 4 years. Probably a no.”
Uh, guess what school she turned down Harvard for? And we never heard a single complaint about being in the middle of nowhere. And debate (the passion of her life in high school) had nothing to do with it, since she dropped from the team early on and took up rugby. Captain her senior year.
You never know where your life is going to lead you. For my daughter, Dartmouth was the right place to figure out who she was and what she wanted to do. Best of luck to you, ATS
I would encourage you to attend Dimensions if you can, the event for admitted students that is probably taking place very soon. My son was choosing between Dartmouth and another, more urban, Ivy. We visited both and my husband and I were firmly on the side of the other school due to its location. But lo and behold, our son chose Dartmouth and is in his third year now and is loving it! BTW he did join a fraternity in his second year but has dropped out, with apparently no ill effects to his social life!
Dartmouth is not an urban place, but the town of Hanover is large enough to always provide for a bustling sense of activity on and near campus. Regarding Greek life, yes, it is prevalent. However, it is not the type of Greek life that you may think of when you consider that the vast majority of students are involved. There are between 20-30 Greek organizations I believe and this provides for a good range for people of differing social preferences to participate in.
Also, the social scene at Dartmouth is way more open at other places of a similar caliber. Anyone can go to basically any party. You’d be hard pressed to find another Ivy or top school that is so open for anyone to be social
Can you explain a little more about Greek life? My son is very social but not really a partier. He may drink a little here and there but basically studies. He loves the school’s sense of community but I’m worried it’s too “party” for him. Any thoughts ???
He sounds like a perfect Dartmouth match to me. If he doesn’t want to party, he doesn’t have to – and he will have little or no access to frat parties his first year. Then he can play as little or as much as he wants. It’s really not that big of a deal.
@AboutTheSame, I laughed when you described your daughter’s trajectory. my son was also a dedicated high school debater, attended camp at Dartmouth, applied there primarily because he knew the debate coach and team, got in, debated for a year and a half, left competition and is now really finding his groove there.
@umboy123, if you can afford Dartmouth, pre-med there can be excellent, and offers some unique undergrad opportunities that can help you grow professionally.
@umboy123 and @Chestnutmom1, we are not a Greek oriented family at all. We were pretty surprised our son would consider joining a frat. We’ve come to understand that “Greek” life at Dartmouth is different than at less isolated schools, because they are so open. Additionally, there are many other societies, social clubs, extracurriculars and living communities that can provide a sense of belonging. It’s true, that the most visible social events happen most often at frats and sororities. But I really believe that you can be so busy with other activities during the very intense 10 week quarters that you can probably build a great life and community without going Greek. But, do be prepared for a heavy drinking and partying scene and be determined to look beyond that for your peeps.
@Chestnutmom1 perhaps think of Dartmouth as several communities. With 4,000 undergrads, you don’t need to be part of frat life or party heavily to find a community. You just have to not be swayed by the most obvious and visible one.
Don’t come. The administration doesn’t care about students here. Everything they do is to boost ratings and get donations. They constantly make life harder for students to get good press and ignore student feedback. They have full control over the dining system but let the private company slowly serve worse and worse food. They make studying abroad hard to get more money. They also charge for minute details like I.M sports and mandate overpriced meal plans. In short go somewhere else.
