<p>I filled out Dartmouth's pre-application a couple days ago, and I can't decide whether to send it in or not. I'm not sure if I want to apply because although it's a great school, it just seems too sportsy and hippieish, and not as academically focused as some other top schools. </p>
<p>When I visited, all of my preconceived notion were confirmed. The school was in the middle of nowhere, and the social events that my tour guide highlighted were things like the Polar Bear freeze thing, where you jump into a frozen lake (fun...?) and sitting around a campfire or fly-fishing. Is this really what people do for entertainment? Because it doesn't seem like there's much else going on in the town. </p>
<p>Also it was exam week when I visited, and everyone seemed strangely at-ease. As bizarre as it may sound, I prefer a more high-strung environment. </p>
<p>I also didn't like the academic calendar. I think it's called the D system (correct me if I'm wrong), where you may end up going to school during the summer and taking a different term off.</p>
<p>Yes, every night the students go polar bear swimming and then the next morning they fly fish. But they don’t even have fun doing it, they just like to concentrate on nature. It’s very bizarre.</p>
<p>Students are at ease during finals period because they don’t take finals. Dartmouth is even less academically focused then you may believe, classes are essentially optional.</p>
<p>There’s plenty to do on campus. People do the polar bear swim because it’s unique and so they can say they did it… a badge of honor of sorts. It also makes a great facebook profile picture.</p>
<p>I don’t know anything about sitting around a campfire or fly-fishing. Your tour guide might have been talking about the tradition of running around the bonfire, which is a Homecoming tradition. Maybe fly-fishing was mentioned as an option for satisfying the PE requirement?</p>
<p>I’m not a very outdoorsy person out all, and I still found plenty to do on campus. The main source of entertainment for most is raging at the frats. There are also movies on and off campus and guest performers at the Hop. Campus activities are also pretty big.</p>
<p>As for people not seeming-stressed out during finals… I know that I, personally, was very stressed during finals. Most people are but try to mask it. If you saw people seeming very relaxed, it could be that they had no finals (and only final papers) or were done with their exams. People also tend to relax for a little right after coming out of an exam. If you came during reading period, you probably saw people procrastinating.</p>
<p>The D-Plan is unique. Yes, you do end up spending a summer taking classes on campus, but it means that you can go after an internship during a different season when there’s less competition. Also, I’ve heard summer on campus is great (“Camp Dartmouth”).</p>
<p>Feel free to p-m me if you have any other questions.</p>
<p>I felt the same way about Dartmouth in my freshman year. I had not visited the school before enrolling, and was rather taken aback by the anti-intellectual environment. But later on I discovered that 1) behind this exterior rank of party animals is a quieter, less obvious bunch of “intellectuals” which is 2) big enough to sustain your intellectual needs, but 3) if for some reason you can’t find or befriend them, the professors here, who are exceptionally amicable, can be your best friends and 4) you don’t need a strongly intellectual atmosphere to remain an intellectual yourself. Sure, I still wish that the student body were more intellectual than it is, but it’s not as if the school defines you or as if you can’t be what you want to be.</p>
<p>Regarding the tour guide, look at it this way: If I were a tour guide, I’d advertise a completely different set of social events. I would have absolutely no idea what to say about the Polar Bear swim or fly fishing or sitting around a campfire or frat-hopping because I have never done any of them. Judging the school based on what your tour guide has to say isn’t right. (Btw, the Polar Bear freeze thing is more like a unique aspect of the school rather than something you go do for your daily entertainment needs.)</p>
<p>Regarding finals week stress, it does seem to me that students are laid back too, until I stroll down the deeper reaches of the library or peep my head into dorm rooms. And are you sure you didn’t visit halfway through finals week, when half the students are done?</p>