<p>A forunate but tough choice. My son says he's 99% sure he wants Yale, but as a Dartmouth alumn, I really want him to visit both schools' admitted student days. He has never visited Dartmouth as a prospective student (only gone to an alumni reunion with me). (1) Help give me some 'objective' reasons it is worthwhile visiting both schools' again before he submits his choice, I think he owes it to himself (and me too) to be absolutely sure the fortune it costs for either one is a solid choice? My son seems relunctant to visit Dartmouth cause he figures I'm biased because I went to Dartmouth. But I really want him to see both schools on his own for their own merits. (2) What do you think are the pros/cons of choosing Yale vs Dartmouth?</p>
<p>Honestly, really, does it matter that much?</p>
<p>(One objective reason to choose Yale is that you didn't go there?)</p>
<p>Has he visited Yale? (that would seem to be the bigger question.)</p>
<p>Please don't lean on your son to go to your alma mater. If you do, and he does, anything that does not work out will be your fault. If he managed to get admitted to both places, he is obviously bright enough to make this decision without any unsolicited advice. </p>
<p>Since you are a loyal alum, I suspect your son knows a lot about Dartmouth, and making him go back to visit when he does not want to is more likely to generate resentment than it is to inspire him to attend. He has been there, let him make his decision.</p>
<p>My son actually is open to visiting both, but feels he should choose the prestige of Yale over Dartmouth. He admits he's never viewed Dartmouth as a prospective student. He seems to be relunctant to visit Dartmouth because it seems he thinks the admitted students who go to 'dimensions' are already inclined to attend there. As for where he'll matriculate that is totally his choice and he knows it. Also, he (and I) believes he can make a success socially, academically and otherwise at any school he attends. He's simply got a positive attitude and spirit. He's balancing prestige and fit. He's weighing whether he want to be in New Haven at a residential college 1-1/2 hr from NYC or Hanover away from urban life focused on the outdoors? Both environments are appealing to him, but Yale seems to offer more prestige and figures he'll adapt to either place. Any suggestions about good reasons to attend both admitted student programs (Bulldog days and Dimensions) rather than pick by prestige reflex?</p>
<p>A nice pleasure trip? Are the days close together? If not, and Yale is first, could he first go to the Yale day and then decide whether he should attend Dimensions? I mean if he is happy with his decision, why second guess it?</p>
<p>to be honest, if I was a Dart alum and someone told me they thought they should go to Yale because Dartmouth wasn't prestigious enough -- I'd agree heartily and wish them the best at Yale, pleased a spot at Dartmouth is freed up for someone who isn't insulted by the thought of being labeled "just a Dartmouth grad".</p>
<p>If he ends up at Dartmouth and he is less than 100% pleased with his decision later on, he'll blame you for the pressure. He has his own reasons for wanting to go to Yale. If he is less than 100% pleased with Yale later on, he'll blame only himself. Personally, I prefer the latter scenario. I'd also be pleased that he's already made a decision and I don't have to live with his angst for the rest of the month. </p>
<p>my two cents.</p>
<p>Where you went really shouldn't be a very big factor, but where he wants to go is. Agree with marite, let him make his own decision, enjoy the rest of April, and move on with it. It's not as if he's choosing prison, it is Yale, after all. And it's closer to Illinois, so that's good for Mom.</p>
<p>I love both schools, and the very first school my S visited was Dartmouth....I would strongly urge your son to consider the approach of doing an overnight at each.....my S is at Y, hubby went there ....our very good friends are both Dartmouth alums.... and their HS Senior is now going to be at Dartmouth come Sept too.....my objective view is that I think Dartmouth folks work their relationships after the fact a bit more than Yale folks do.....so, that seems like fun.....could be that we live closer to Dartmouth so it is easier for them to be more active?<br>
could be that in my house, our "alum" is a man and guys just don't work it as much? vs 2 folks who got married after meeting in school?</p>
<p>The D plan is a definite difference.....and in my opinion, Dartmouth also is more supportive of study/semesters abroad....Yale wants kids to do that during the summers (big generalization there!)</p>
<p>Is there a field of study that lends itself better to one vs another? Perhaps undergrad at Yale and Tuck Business School next? </p>
<p>Computers, Dartmouth is Apple, Yale is not....both have lots of wireless, at Yale kids rooms need a router to be wireless, but that is no big deal. </p>
<p>You might like shopping Ikea when visiting New Haven, I know I do....</p>
<p>Finally, at Yale, the residential colleges all put forth teams in a variety of extracurricular activities, billards, frisbee, golf, tennis, co-ed activities and they keep score of the results, and factor in GPA by college at year end for the awarding of the Tyng Cup, a competition that started in 1933......it is a great way to have fun, meet a variety of kids....stay active.....lot of pride tied to winning it..... the residential college approach is a wonderful way to make a big place small right out of the gate. </p>
<p>Hope those thoughts are helpful.....regardless, congrats on a S with such tremendous choices......enjoy the decision.....</p>
<p>He should definitely VISIT both, but there should be no pressure by you as to which one he chooses to matriculate to. (I know that's a lousy sentence! :) Not supposed to end with the word "to" like that.... oh, well.) :)</p>
<p>I still don't know "why" he should visit Dartmouth? Is is because it is the only other school he got into? Why not the state u? Or his "safety" school? He already knows all about Dartmouth - that it is rural, that it is Ivy, that mom went there and likes it - but what else - for him - is the draw? It's not like he's ignorant. If it had special appeal, don't you think it would have shown by now?</p>
<p>Don't get it.</p>
<p>"I still don't know "why" he should visit Dartmouth? Is is because it is the only other school he got into? Why not the state u? Or his "safety" school? He already knows all about Dartmouth - that it is rural, that it is Ivy, that mom went there and likes it - but what else - for him - is the draw? It's not like he's ignorant. If it had special appeal, don't you think it would have shown by now?"
I think she mentioned she graduated from there so she would have some attachment of course</p>
<p>why in the world would you just go to a school because of its apparent presitge alone? and not even attempt to see if another enviornement is right for you? If I was a parent getting ready to send my S or D off for four years and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, I would make damn sure he/she visited their top schools.</p>
<p>Don't get it.</p>
<p>Funny - I heard mom say "he's balancing prestige and fit" - so what's the problem?</p>
<p>(I quite like Dartmouth, but that seems wholly beside the point - a special reason NOT to like it is because mom went there. There is such a thing as expressing one's independence, and choosing to go to Yale hardly seems like an unhealthy expression of it.)</p>
<p>He is deciding between Dartmouth and Yale. That is his choice, per the OP. If he likes Yale, and that is one of his two choices, then let him choose Yale. It's a great school and I think it has very good retention and graduation rates, this is not a risky situation. I don't think he wants to go to the State Univ or community college, he wants Yale, so be it. I think that Mom wants him to consider Dartmouth more, and he doesn't want to. That's it!</p>
<p>But I don't hear that it's a choice FOR HIM any more than the community college. He has declared a clear preference. Perhaps he should visit Yale to make sure (though there are hundreds of students who will do so without it.) But why should he visit a choice he's eliminated (if he's actually eliminated it?) (All right, he's "99%" sure - I think a visit to Yale would be the clincher one way or the other.)</p>
<p>Yale based on residential colleges alone.</p>
<p>dcollegemom, Id say your son should visit both again just to reaffirm which community and physical atmosphere is more appealing to him. </p>
<p>My son LOVED Yale. The focus on the arts and the residential colleges were extremely compelling, but, in the end, for his ED choice he went with a school in the same neighborhood as Dartmouth. The outdoorsy environment won him over. </p>
<p>Yales location is to me both its greatest strength and weakness. The gritty aspects of New Haven can be off-putting, but the proximity to urban culture and major cities is a definite plus. We didnt visit Dartmouth so I dont have a one to one comparison, but my understanding is that the physical environment is quite different and that this should be a clear reason for choosing one over the other. On the prestige scale Yale may be a shade above Dartmouth, but really, both are plenty prestigious and well known.</p>
<p>On the other hand, its quite possible that your son really has decided on Yale already and is trying to respect your almamater and let you down softly. If he seriously balks at visiting Dartmouth, then accept Yale and celebrate.</p>
<p>Either way he has two wonderful choices!</p>
<p>He is attending. Two excellent choices, let it be his decision.</p>
<p>my sense is that the op isn't trying to make the decision for her son but rather make sure that he attends both admit weekends. the joy of the decision IMO is that there isn't a wrong decision. i think that it would be wise to attend DogDays & Dimensions and have encouraged by D to do so.</p>
<p>I would agreee, except that the OP summed it up in the first post:</p>
<p>"he's 99% sure he wants Yale"</p>
<p>and</p>
<p>"My son seems relunctant to visit Dartmouth"</p>
<p>What more is there to say, but "congratulations Yalie?"</p>