<p>The dedication Dartmouth shows towards its study abroad programs in my opinion is indicative of the overall quality of its undergraduate education. When you combine the study abroad programs, the undergrad grants, institutions like Thayer and Rockefeller, the spending per student, the faculty focus on teaching, etc Dartmouth stands out amongst the other top schools. </p>
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<p>Dartmouth first among the Ivies for study abroad, report finds</p>
<p>Dartmouth College Office of Public Affairs • Press Release
Posted 11/16/07 • Susan Knapp • (603) 646-3661</p>
<p>In a report by the Institute of International Education, which tracks the figures in its annual "Open Doors" report, Dartmouth ranks third in the nation among doctoral degree granting institutions in undergraduate study abroad participation, with a participation rate of 60.9 percent. That ranking is up seven spots from the 2006 report. Of other Ivy League schools, only Princeton and Harvard made the list, with participation rates of 30.8 percent and 28.7 percent respectively, ranking 34th and 40th respectively.</p>
<p>"Dartmouth is unique among our peers, not only because of our extremely high participation rates and the length, depth, and variety of our offerings, but also because our extensive programs have been in operation for 50 years", said Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences Carol Folt, who is also a professor of biology. "Moreover, while most of our 48 programs include living with families or studying with students and faculty from other countries, all are led by Dartmouth faculty, which is unusual. This ensures the academic quality of study abroad remains as high as our on-campus offerings." Most schools use third-party providers of study abroad programs for their students, explains Folt.</p>
<p>oh of course, yes. Like i would prefer to live in say, Greenwich as opposed to say, Manhattan. but i think it is natural you would want to travel more if you live in a fairly isolated place. because there is more to do that way.</p>
<p>personally, i think it's not that people don't want to stay in hanover so much as the programs the college offers are so diverse and so intriguing that one cannot help but want to go on at least one.</p>
<p>Hasnover offers a fantastic life. Its full of an active social life, sophomore summer, big weekends (homecoming), etc. Its a place people love and many alumni return often. </p>
<p>Yet the college is great at encouraging people to explore and become interesting, worldly, people. Whereas at other schools you have to seek out study abroad to go on second tier programs, Dartmouth offers very specific ways to get you where you want to go and gives you incredible resources (ie Dartmouth faculty on study abroad for example) to do so.</p>
<p>I loved Dartmouth and Hanover but during my time at Dartmouth I got a 10K grant to do thesis research (I lived on a pacific Island and did a thesis on my work senior year), and did a study abroad in spain and in england. Dartmouth was home, but a plane ticket was never to far away if I wanted to use it to further my education.</p>
<p>Dartmouth students leave campus far more interesting then when they arrived, and I think that is part of the reason Dartmouth students are so successful at job recruiting and grad placement (better than Columbia, Duke, Penn, etc).</p>
<p>Lets get this straight. People think Hanover is a really rural area without anything. But actually, Hanover is one of the prettiest towns I've been to with most of the things I need. Three book stores, a massage place, a bunch of restaurants, movie theater, a bunch of shops, a cvs, blockbuster, etc. There is really no need to go off campus.</p>
<p>Note that Dartmouth ranked #3 among US "doctoral/research institutions". While this is certainly noteworthy, it's also true that smaller colleges commonly have even higher rates of "study abroad" participation. For example, Dartmouth would have ranked only 40th on the "Liberal Arts Colleges" list, behind schools like Colby (86.8%) or Bates (76.5%).</p>
<p>Oddly enough, there are three LACs listed with participation rates in excess of 100%. Not sure how that works.</p>
<p>^^ It means that all their students have been on a study abroad program and some of them have gone on more than one. It's a lot easier for a LAC to coordinate a lot of study abroad programs because there's fewer people going on them, less resources required, fewer contacts to maintain in the foreign country, etc. Dartmouth and other research institutions (Dartmouth isn't really a research institution, just has the same resources as one) have a lot to do to maintain a study abroad program.</p>