There are rental fees but it’s discounted for students. I do believe there are some “open” sailing times though.
It sounds as though your daughter is leaning more towards Dartmouth in general even if it means undertaking a slight sacrifice in terms of academic fit. I understand this sentiment and I empathize (I faced a similar choice, too, indeed). But remember - It is in hindsight, having gone through it all, that I recommend putting the value of a tight career/academic fit over perceived cachet.
That said, my initial advice assumed that she had no preference. If she’s leaning towards Dartmouth, what I’m saying about future careers and all that might not resonate with her at this point in her life, and it’s not my place to impose anything.
My advice is this: Arrange appointments with a few Professors at both schools to talk about her careers goals and interests. This shouldn’t be hard to do since she is a prospective student. This is the best, and actually the only way to get a real sense of her choices. If she can visit them in person, even better, and she could sit in on a few classes as well. Do this, and reassess with real data before making your final decision.
@Junerain - 2 great options. Congratulations! I think it comes down to personal fit but my choice would be Northwestern. They are peer schools but Northwestern’s momentum is definitely stronger than Dartmouth’s right now. Let’s look at objective stats - Northwestern is ranked higher in US News (#10) compared to Dartmouth (#12). Northwestern’s acceptance rate is lower (8% vs 9-10%) and its ACT range / SAT range is higher too.
On a university level (I know it’s not apples to apples), Northwestern’s law school is top 10, business school (Kellogg) is consistently 4-6), and medical school is consistently top 20. Dartmouth has a fine business school (ranked #11-12) but no law school combined with a mediocre medical school. Both are excellent undergrad schools that will provide amazing opportunities but I think Northwestern is here to stay in the top 10 and Dartmouth will probably stay in the 11-13 range for the foreseeable future. Part of this is because Dartmouth cannot compete with the likes of Northwestern (top 10 in university endowments) on the financial side. Northwestern’s endowment is $11 billion compared to $5.5 billion for Dartmouth). This allows Northwestern to hire / retain the best faculty, offer top financial aid for students to compete for the best students, build beautiful new buildings, etc. $11 billion endowment vs $5.5 billion endowment is a HUGE difference. My guess is that Northwestern will continue to outperform Dartmouth in the long-term (undergrad and grad).
Lastly, Northwestern offers an incredible balance with Big 10 Athletics, a beautiful campus within 30 minutes of Chicago (one of the world’s greatest cities), and strong academics across the board. NU’s academic programs are stronger across the board than Dartmouth’s, from engineering, physics, economics, political science, math to journalism, communications and music. I hear that Hanover is nice but it is a bit remote for many. Congrats again on 2 wonderful options.
Endowment Rankings: https://www.nacubo.org/Research/2019/Public-NTSE-Tables
Lowest Acceptance Rates: https://premium.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/lowest-acceptance-rate
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Thank you all so much for investing your time providing valuable insights to this request. As a conclusion, I feel obligated to announce my daughter’s final decision here – she has decided to join Dartmouth.
This was a very tough decision. She only reached the decision after visiting the school. The decision was not based on the quality of the programs (because both are great even though one may emphasize one aspect over another) or the location of the schools (though they are quite different but she loves both). It was very much based on the students she met and felt. To her, Dartmouth is more like a home and peer admitted students around her are more like minded.
Congrats to your daughter and thanks for circling back to tell us her decision!
Congratulations! I also think there is something to be said for trying out living in another part of the country, especially if you might like to live there later. It let’s you try it out in a low stakes way (unlike pulling up stakes and changing jobs later in life)
Congratulations! I always think that fit is one of the most important factors in success in college, so I think that your D’s decision to go with fit is an excellent one.
Awesome !!
Congratulations to your daughter!
I’m glad your daughter had a chance to visit, and it seems like she made a thoughtful decision. I have no doubt she will love her time at Dartmouth. Congratulations!
If you wants career in NE Dartmouth. If Midwest then NW.