This question has probably been asked many times, but I wanted to as well. My college counselor encouraged me to apply to Dartmouth. He said he likes the unpretentious vibe of the school, and the strong sense of community. However, the concerns I have with applying are this:
I have lived in urban areas for pretty much all my life (the exception being Charlottesville, VA, which is still 4 times as big as Hanover). Hanover seems rather isolated, and it takes, what, 3 hours to get to Boston? Do you feel like the town can be suffocating, or do you like the size?
I could care less about hiking, skiing, and the outdoors in general. How prevalent are these activities on campus, and would I be able to find people that prefer the indoors?
I am not at all interested in joining a fraternity, and although I’m not opposed to drinking, partying all weekend is not my thing.
With all these in mind, do you think someone like me could enjoy spending 4 years at Dartmouth? Have any of you shared some concerns with me before choosing to attend? Thanks in advance.
Not a good fit. Small town. Lot of outdoorsy and athletic peeps. Partying is part of the scene. I would agree with Brown. Cool scene, city life, all kinds of kids. Less frat stuff. Closer to stuff. I have not been to Penn so I can’t give advice there. There are other schools that may match your wants out of the Ivy League you know.
@RightCoaster Thanks. I’m not saying that it’s Ivy League above all, in fact my number 1 right now is Northwestern. I just wanted some thoughts regarding fit solely because my counselor recommended it and I was a bit iffy.
As far as Brown goes, I do like the open curriculum, however I feel that its STEM offerings are somewhat lacking. I’m not a humanities guy. I’ll research Penn a bit more.
I think your counselor is spot on, but so are your concerns.
Sure, there are plenty of kids at D who are not into outdoor activities, plenty who don’t party ALL weekend, etc. There also a lot of kids who choose to pledge a fraternity at D who would never do so at a school with a more stereotypical Greek scene. (D’s is very open and much more casual.) And there is something to be said for living in an idyllic small town setting for a few years. A) You’ll have the rest of your life to live and work in cities, and B) The D plan and comprehensive study abroad program makes it feasible to spend several terms at any time of the year in large cities both in the US and abroad.
You might love the D experience, or you might be better off in a setting near a city, like Evanston. I’d suggest keeping your options open, if possible, and seeing how things shake out. People have made some other good suggestions.
If you prefer to pursue cultural opportunities outside your university, Hanover is not the place for you. However, if you are pursuing multiple extra curriculars along with your academics, you will be plenty busy and engaged and find exciting things to keep you busy at Dartmouth. You should also give some credit to the admissions team, they would not accept you to Dartmouth if they did not believe that you would thrive and contribute, there.
I grew up in an urban area, and I have to say I had the same concerns you do. After visiting, however, I fell in love with Hanover - it’s so quaint, the people are so friendly and there’s actually quite a lot to do. Dartmouth makes certain to host engaging forums, film festivals, concerts and more. Students often come here thinking they’ll be travelling to Boston or NY every month…during the course of the term, most don’t leave New Hampshire.
I’m not keen on Greek Life either (though I could change my mind), but Fraternities/Sororities here are notoriously open. You can attend nearly all events without being a member (after the 6wk Freshman ban, of course). And while there are hookups and dorm-room alcohol binges going on at any given time, the number of people who participate in them regularly is far lower than you’d think. Partying isn’t an integral part of campus culture. You can be who you want to be here. It’s amazing.
As for love of the outdoors: the DOC has evolved in recent years to accommodate people of varying hiking, rafting, etc. experiences, and there’s a lot to do on campus that doesn’t involve skiing or anything of that nature. Nevertheless, if you loathe even being outdoors, Dartmouth is probably not the best fit for you. People love to socialise on the Green, on patios, walk around Occum Pond and in general enjoy the company of other people in a setting that isn’t stuffy or oppressive.
I previously lived in NH and for me, I love the Dartmouth campus. But for you, it does not sound like a fit at all. It is very isolated. Winter is long and I happen to believe you need to love the outdoors and nature to live almost everywhere in NH.
:)) D was a California kid who had been to the snow maybe four times in her life and had little interest in the outdoors. She had spent a summer at the Dartmouth programs for high school debaters and was bored to tears. A direct quote from her college search thinking: “It literally is the middle of nowhere. If I can’t do 8 weeks I can’t do 4 years. Probably a no.” Guess where she ended up applying, accepting and loving it. And, no, she’s still not a skier or a hiker or an outdoorsy type … but she does miss the change of seasons (sometimes).