@dartmouth2023plz http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/profile/environed
??? His/her most recent comment says “As a current Dartmouth student” @Milo321
@dartmouth2023plz she didn’t get an email or an email but she still got accepted. So it’s indication that they don’t correlate
Well I guess we will see Wednesday @Milo321 looks like she’s an outlier though
Honestly gonna be a miracle if I even get deferred. I’m expecting a full on reject tbh.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
It means nothing
I guess we will see on Wednesday
To get our minds off of this whole date change mess… why did you guys decide to apply early to Dartmouth? For me it was about the undergrad focus, the collaborative culture + the nice community vibe, and the amazing, amazing connections/opportunities that Dartmouth has for government and public policy. I remember being on a Cornell campus tour and just daydreaming about Dartmouth the entire time :)) no bad feelings toward Cornell though!
I applied because Immediately when I stepped on campus, I fell in love with the school and could never look back. I love the enviorment, the earthy feel, the outing club and The Thayer School of Engineering sold me completely. I also love how small Dartmouth is, I want to be able to walk around and see familiar faces.
I found that Dartmouth was the most welcoming college I visited – which is saying quite a lot, since I visited many colleges that were supposed to have “incredible communities” and be “entirely collaborative,” but still only felt these things at Dartmouth. Not to mention everyone there was just in love with the school! Apart from the atmosphere, I was really impressed with Dartmouth’s linguistics program, as well as their focus on sustainability. Everything sort of fit perfectly.
Is anyone concerned about the drinking culture?
@Homerdog Yes, as well as the prevalence of Greek Life more generally. But I realized after some research into the other ivies (and ivy-type schools) that it’s not very unusual, and at least Dartmouth is aware of it and there is more of an open dialogue. It often feels like other schools really try to cover it up.
Then again, maybe Dartmouth’s tried to cover it up and it’s just so bad that they can’t lol. Idk.
Did any of you do an overnight to fess out the social scene? The two kids we know going to Dartmouth from this class so far are recruited athletes, very bright, and big partiers!
The school is a very social school. Smart but social. My sense is upwards of 80% of the students join a frat or sorority, but unlike some schools the Greek system is very open and accessible.
From what I have heard directly from someone who attends, there is Greek life and there are parties. So yes, there is drinking. I have also heard that if you don’t want to drink often and a lot, you certainly don’t have to. Let’s remember that most of the students going to Dartmouth are bright, responsible kids. We have to trust that they will make good choices. That said, there is drinking at every college. Just because it is available, doesn’t mean it dominates the culture…
I don’t consider myself to be a hardcore party-er, so yes, the drinking culture and Greek life at Dartmouth were definitely two factors that I had to consider before EDing to Dartmouth. And yes, the statistic is that about 60% of students are members of Greek organizations. With that being said, the fact that a majority of the students partake in Greek life means that Greek life at Dartmouth lacks most of the exclusivity and stereotypical-ness that may be prevalent at other Ivy/Ivy-like schools. Plus, Dartmouth students actually aren’t allowed to rush until their sophomore year, so freshman year is a time for students to bond with each other and build a larger community without any pressure to join a sorority/fraternity, which is nice. I don’t think the drinking culture at Dartmouth is excessive enough for a non-drinking student to struggle to fit in.
Just want to chime in as an alum- mind you, I was there in the late 80s so obviously things have changed, but I have gone back for every reunion and have friends whose kids attend now. The atmosphere has always been “work hard, play hard” and I suspect that exists today. I was actually surprised when my D announced she was applying here ED because she is definitely not a party girl (and I am not being naive, I am pretty aware that she is at our kitchen table doing homework most nights) and I thought the Greek scene may be too intense for her. Upon further reflection and looking at other schools, what I have realized is that, while the Greek system is still very pervasive (67% of eligible students are part of Greek life),it has also always been very open. All campus parties were/still are open to everyone. We used to map out our route of which parties we would attend, and there were always multiple options. I have a D at Middlebury and there are no real frats but parties are held by organizations and are therefore closed so actually more exclusive. One big change at Dartmouth in recent years is hard alcohol has been banned on campus, which probably calms things down a bit; I believe weed is more pervasive (everywhere) these days as well. I also had lots of friends who never drank and still went out to dance, play pong, etc. I think drinking is everywhere on college campuses nationwide and I agree that Dartmouth has worked hard to offer alternatives and keep students safe.
@moomom2 – I agree completely. We were originally thinking greek-free liberal arts college for our D, but soon came to learn in meeting with kids on campus, family friends, etc., that the sports teams at many of these LACs took the place of a greek system, but were in fact even more exclusive because you were either on the team or not. Middlebury was a good example of this reality. We’ve heard the same about other LACs such as Williams. After thinking about it more, our D found the presence of an open greek system somewhat reassuring.
S is a '22. Just completed his first quarter. There wasn’t a time outside Friday/Saturday nights when he wasn’t studying, either alone or in groups. Work hard. On the other hand, there was rarely a Friday or Saturday night when he and his friends were appropriately social. Frat attendance is impermissible for the first approximately 2 months of Freshman year. At least my S and his friends congregated in rooms, thus enhancing friendships. Others may have had a more energetic social experience, but not if your grades are important to you. Dartmouth is a serious school, whose professors expect serious work performed on an expedited basis. Each term is only approximately 9 weeks. So, you are digesting a semester’s work into that shortened period of time.
You say that like it’s a bad thing. 
Some students drink at Dartmouth;some students don’t. Replace “Dartmouth” with almost any college’s name and the statement will still hold true.