<p>I know Dartmouth is a larger school, but how else are they different?</p>
<p>At which school do you develop a really tight-knit group of friends?</p>
<p>Social life?</p>
<p>Im interested in Yale's Residential College System for making friends fast. Williams has those entries things. What does Dartmouth have?</p>
<p>Thanks, Joe</p>
<p>Dartmouth is awesome... hard to pick apart every individual reason...</p>
<p>Dartmouth is larger... there are definitely lots of people to meet and things to do. Williams has 2000 students to Dartmouth's 4000. Williams is rather remote... from what I witnessed, moreso than Dartmouth feels. </p>
<p>Dartmouth has a very long period of Orientation, plus DOC (Dartmouth Outing Club) Trips that will ensure you have a TON of friends by the time classes start. I can't speak for Williams, but I have a great network of good friends even only being at college for a month.</p>
<p>Social life at Dartmouth is diverse, but involves drinking/frats to a degree... you can avoid it easily (there's a lot to do... check my post at <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=132%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=132</a>) but it adds a great deal to the experience. Plus, there is skiing/snowboarding less than 15 minutes away. Williams I think has a similar proximity to the outdoors... a great plus to both schools.</p>
<p>I have Yale friends who came to Dmouth and were really impressed with how much fun and party is to be had. What I heard is that Yale fosters a sense of community with the colleges, but generally their social life is a bit more "tame" than at Dartmouth. We work hard and play hard.</p>
<p>Best advice is VISIT the school during the week (Wednesday is good). Stay overnight. Go to classes, check out some club activites, GO PARTY at night. See what it is really like to be at the school... tours won't show you the nitty-gritty. And good luck (Choose Dartmouth!) =)</p>
<p>I suppose I can't really speak for Williams, but I would definitely go with Dartmouth over just about anything (Yale included). In response to your question about making friends, everybody at Dartmouth is very inclusive - frats literally leave their doors open at night so that anybody who wants to can come in, and there's none of that "Who do you know?" crap like at Cornell and other places, so everyone is all about meeting new people. Furthermore, the class is so diverse, you're practically guaranteed to find someone who shares your interests, whether you meet them in a class, at a club meeting, or in a frat basement. From there, thanks to blitzmail, it's a cinch to contact them again if you want to hang out or whatever. Bottom line, Dartmouth is an awesome place!</p>
<p>I was at Dartmouth this past weekend...it's beautiful, giant campus, but the fact that there is no night life or social scene beyond frats is a bit of a downer. I will also attest that Dartmouth is home to the only frats who check IDs at the door...this happened to me at several of the ones I visited while there, so it's not that inclusive. I don't know much about Williams, but I would try to spend a night or two with a student at Dmouth before you make a decision of where you're most comfortable socially.</p>
<p>They check IDs at the door because they don't want Hanover High kids coming into Dartmouth frat parties and getting into trouble...if they see a Dartmouth ID or even a driver's license attesting to the fact that you are 18 or over they let you in.</p>
<p>Dartmouth and Williams are more similar than they are different. They're both remote, cold in the winter, and beautiful. The students tend to be bright, athletic and outdoorsy. Primary differences: Williams has no frats (and Dartmouth administration wishes they had none, either.) Williams is half the size of Dartmouth. Make sure you understand Dartmouth's academic calendar--trimester--with at least one required summer session. You will start school later than all your friends, get out later, and that can put you out of synch in some ways. (not a criticism, just an observation.)</p>
<p>The Williams entry system is great if you seek that type of instant camaraderie, but it's not limited to that by any means. My daughter's best friends seem to be from intramural sports (although she is a varsity athlete), music, Outdoors Club, and frisbee!</p>
<p>I've noticed, from meeting students and parents at Williams, that there is a substantial number who make their final college decision from among Williams, Dartmouth, and Middlebury. We should all be so lucky, but my point is, they are very similar in terms of students, faculty, environment, etc. Even visiting (which my daughter did multiple times) isn't always enough to help distinguish one as the "right" school over the other. Good luck.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your input--keep it coming if there is more.</p>
<p>Also, kindof a weird question, do either one of the schools have a more "cozy" feel? I know that most people are very familiar with only one school, but just curious.</p>
<p>Also, I hear everyone is very sports oriented at Williams. I love playing sports, but does it get owerwhelming to attend sporting event after sporting event each weekend?</p>
<p>Honestly, having went to Dartmouth and having spent a significant amount of time at Williams there is no comparison. Dartmouth has more opportunities for fun yet still feels small. You know alot of people well, and generally the people are social and fun loving while intellectual. Frat parties are VERY inclusive, and in general the place fosters community. williams also has community but not nearly the atmosphere. The great big bonfires, mass tubing in the river, etc make Dartmouth an incredible place to spend four years of your life.</p>
<p>As for sports Dartmouth is average at best. But that is kind of nice. School spirit at Dartmouth goes well beyond athletics.</p>
<p>Dartmouth should ban frats or go co-ed....then I would apply ED! hahaha</p>
<p>here's my advice -- either is fine! So many people on this board try to split hairs and find differences where there are none, or where the differences are minute.</p>
<p>In our culture we have a word "best" that is singular,except for advertisers, who avoid being sued by claiming in court that its a plural word. But you know, seedy as they are, they're onto something. Why decide now one is "better"? Why not apply to both unless you're going ED, and later decide based on the belief you can have a great experience and education at either (or dozens more beside these two)?</p>
<p>Too many times it seems we set up a false decision point in our lives, worrying about picking the right choice when in fact there are a plurality of right choices. As you can see from the responses, and as you would see if you visited, people are happy at both these schools.</p>
<p>One school is better for some and the other is better for others. Williams is a bit more remote, and it's better for the outdoorsy type, as many students snowboard, ski, hike, etcl. Dartmouth is in a rural town, but it is a little easier to find "inside" fun, instead of physical activity. Also, whether or not they're substansiated claims, both schools have been associated with a drinking culture. Which can you make more friends at? Well, you can make friends anywhere you go! How social you are depends on how social you want to be regardless of which school you attend.</p>
<p>I really don't think Williamstown is "more remote" than Hanover. Williamstown is closer to NYC and Boston, and there are a number of other colleges (5-college area, Bennington and Skidmore) not all that far away from Williams.</p>
<p>are all of the parties at dartmouth in fraternities? where are the parties at williams? do many actually join frats at dartmouth?</p>
<p>There is a ton of outdoors activity at Dartmouth! In addition to alot happening on campus. I know people who snowboarded all the time at the Dartmouth Skiway (Dartmouth owned and operated) as well as hiked the beautiful area. I also know many many people who never went to the great outdoors ever. The great thing is that the school offers both for those who want it. As for frats, there are alot of frat parties. What usually happens is people pre-game in dorms or off campus and then venture to the frats. There are many off campus parties as well. The good thing about the frats is they are very different from other schools, they ALWAYS let everyone in and are pretty welcoming. It is one of the few schools you can go to where outsiders have just as many rights to pong tables as brothers. Also, the frats are diverse, ranging from hipsterish panarchy, to jock houses, to a "hippie" type house, to an urban rap and techno focused house. Its actually pretty cool, most nights there are a couple big parties and alot of little ones. Sororities also throw parties. All in all a great time if you want it, some don't, some do.</p>
<p>Hey,
I'm at Williams right now. A lot people who are here end up deciding between those two and Amherst. As for Williams...
1. Athletic atmospere-athletics are huge here. There's a reason why Williams rules D-III sports. Almost everyone is very physically active or tries to be. The school spirit here is amazing.
2. Classes-they're mostly pretty small. (20 in a class, though I have one with 12) I've had some pretty good professors so far, but as with any college, there's plenty of work.
3.Scenery-hehe, well, both are in the Northeast? Williamstown looks pretty spectacular at this time of year, though I imagine that Dart does as well.
4. Frats-there are none. Most everyone agrees that it's a great thing that there aren't any. Most parties are either run through the college or small gatherings among friends. The college does try its best to bring in entertainment for students, though if you want to drink, alcohol is never hard to find.
5. Convenience- though Baxter's getting torn down, things are still kinda convenient. 4 dining halls + 2 cafes for breakfast time + grab n Go Lunch + snack bar points...a person should never go hungry on this campus.</p>
<p>Yeah, it's pretty awesome.</p>
<p>Based on my user-name, you can see that I chose Williams, facing a similar situation. And really, it's difficult to articulate why -- it came down to intangibles, because the academics and post-grad prospects are very, very similar, and the campus atmospheres /locations aren't terribly different. For me, Williams seemed to have students who were slightly more interesting, down to earth, quirkier, less arrogant, and spirited -- maybe because there are no frats, and hence less exclusivity (or students who long for exclusivity) in terms of campus events and general vibe, perhaps because, at least I felt, that some at Dartmouth were there b/c it was the best Ivy they got into, whereas almost everyone at Williams has fallen in love with the institution and its unique qualities while a prospective. But these are just one man's opinions -- probably half the people who get into both chose Williams and half choose Dartmouth, and it comes down to gut instinct for most. I'd strongly recommend visiting both and meeting your future classmates, I have a feeling that after you do, the decision will become clear. </p>
<p>To answer your other question, even though sports are very popular on campus (more so than most Division III schools, for certain), other than select basketball and football games, most sporting events aren't really attended by many students at all, to be honest. Students are just as likely to pack an acappella concert, lecture, or theater event on campus as they are to pack a hoops game. Basically, most people enjoy a well rounded experience, catching a few movies, watching a few sporting events, attending a few lectures, going to several concerts, etc., over the course of a month, when they're not busy with work or their own activities. So while athletics are popular, the athletic culture most definitely does not overwhelm other aspects of campus live. If you really, really hate sports, Williams might not be for you, but if you are a casual participant / occasional observer, you will definitely fit right in.</p>
<p>I'd say my experience at Dartmouth was similar to what was said above, I found people at Dartmouth wanted to be there over almost anywhere and by graduation could not have imagined attending anywhere else. I transferred from another Ivy where it seemed everyone was insecure about being an HYP reject. The frats are not really very exclusive, the procress is much more laid back than at other schools and most honestly get in. The frats only serve to provide campus activity, but all other types of activity exist as well.</p>
<p>(the good things said above) about Williams. People at dartmouth are happy friendly types if anything</p>
<p>I'm from South Korea, but Dartmouth is more internationally recognized, if that matters. I would choose Dartmouth.</p>