Dartmouth vs. Brown or Pomona?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Dartmouth College
1

<p>After cutting my list from nine down to three schools, this is what I'm looking at:</p>

<p>- Brown University, RI
- Dartmouth College, NH
- Pomona College, CA</p>

<p>None of them gave me any money.</p>

<p>I am female and attend a public high school in Texas with roughly 4,000 students...</p>

<p>Prospective areas of study in alphabetical order:<a href="always%20subject%20to%20change">/u</a>
- Astronomy/Astrophysics
- Biophysics/Computational Biology (something more than regular bio)
- Engineering (Although... if I was dead set on engineering I would probably put Harvey Mudd back on the list; they gave me a $10k scholarship per year)
- Foreign Language (I am leaning towards Chinese, Japanese or French perhaps as a minor)
- Modern Culture and Media at Brown looks interesting
- Neuroscience
- Public Policy/Public Health (probably as a minor)
- Studio Art</p>

<p>I would also like to study abroad either in Europe, Australia, or Asia (thinking about Hong Kong, Japan, or Singapore? Actually I'm open to anywhere).</p>

<p>And I have fuzzy plans for going pre-med...</p>

<p>Brown PRO's:
- Freedom of the new open curriculum. As I was applying to colleges (and thus answering questions like "Describe your passion for learning," etc.) I realized that there was so much knowledge out there anxiously waiting to be contemplated, analyzed, and absorbed. Consequently, Brown's philosophy is really attractive to me as it breeds intellectual exploration and seems to promote creativity.
- Speaking of creativity, Providence is supposedly a great artsy small town/city. The people seem to give off this vibe as well - correct me if I'm wrong. Providence/Brown's campus is also good looking when it's sunny.
- Location/proximity. It's only an hour away from Boston and only a few from New York, both of which are cities where I have friends and family.
- The opportunity to take classes at RISD is a major major plus for me, and this chance would be really hard to pass up.
- Overall I guess the people were friendly and accepting (with exceptions to a few comments I received for asking questions on this forum; however CC admittedly has its own subculture).
- Advising is supposed to be really good. It's there if you look for it.
- After making this list, I guess I can't go into too much depth about the opportunities at Brown. I sort of just assumed they were there, and were good?
- According to a CC user, Brown is strong in neuroscience, MCM, and visual art.</p>

<p>Brown CON's:
- Housing and food? Mediocre/subpar from my experience. I stayed in Keeney, ate at Faunce and the Creperie on Thayer Street. I've read not-so-flattering reviews about Sharpe Refectory.
- Some intro classes can get really big...
- I think Brown only offers four Astronomy classes, and they are all intro-level.
- The weather? Although the winter in Providence should not be as harsh as in Hanover, it is a lot longer and colder than in Texas. Does it rain a lot? I need sunshine - I think it really does affect my overall mood. Seasonal affective disorder.
- Brown may be slightly more impersonal than the other two because of its relatively larger size.
- I heard that the student body was prone to form cliques due to the extreme and vast spectrum of the people who go there.
- Question: What are Brown's strongest undergraduate programs? How do my prospective major choices measure up?</p>

<p>Dartmouth PRO's:
- As far as academics go... Great engineering school, great studio art resources, looks like it has a strong neuroscience and astronomy major. Pretty much I think they are strong in everything I currently think I would major in. This will probably change though, as most people's majors do. The distributive requirements at Dartmouth also do not seem to be "limiting" (which would otherwise defeat the purpose of what I liked about Brown)
- Alumni network seems to be extra strong and helps out a lot. Same with school spirit. It's insanely intense, from what I saw at Dimensions.
- Students were always out on the green, hanging out and being social. (This may have been because it was the first time it was actually green, as opposed to white with snow, in a long time)
- The campus was beautiful when I visited. I can't say that it would be like that all the time, though, and even the people there commented that it was an anomaly that it should be sunny and relatively warm in the middle of April.
- The freshman dorm I stayed in was new and comfortable.
- Great food, and there is a farmer's market nearby.
- Skiing.</p>

<p>Dartmouth CON's:
- Greek scene, partying, and drinking is not really my thing. People say that there is no pressure to drink even at the frat parties, but I don't know how comfortable I would be just even being around so much alcohol. My idea of wind-down time would be like... reading a book, going to poetry reading at the coffee house (an event that was scheduled for Dimensions at the same time as a sorority ice cream social), playing Pictionary, a friendly game of ping pong or Ultimate frisbee, listening to classical music or random intellectual discussions... baking, movie nights, watching the stars. Good sober fun.
- It seems like everyone played varsity sports in high school and are really active in sports and physical activity there. Don't take this the wrong way though - I'm all for healthy exercise and avoiding the freshman 15 - but it feels like this is conducive to a prevalent "jock mentality" on campus.
- "Secret societies" seem to be an excuse for elitism.
- The winter. Sometimes at home I can barely get up in the morning, and it only gets down to about 30-40 F here. If the extremelycoldomg winter at Dartmouth really lasts from November to April, I'd be pretty screwed.
- It's in the middle of nowhere. Hanover, although cute, seems too quiet/unlively. And it is really far from other places, no joke. People say, oh, it's not that bad, but when you think about how you could have been in Boston by now, you might change your mind... Then again there is always **lots to do on campus<a href="this%20is%20a%20pro">/B</a>. Just thought maybe I'd miss out on my favorite bands touring, or cool events that happen only in urban areas.</p>

<p>Pomona PRO's:
- Who can say no to California weather? Also, Pomona has Ski-Beach Day.
- Very big, good biology department. (Stronger than Harvey Mudd - they focus more on Physics/Math/Engineering)
- Known for strong foreign languages, and study abroad to go along with it.
- My tour guide said that the Neuroscience department is small, but has a lot of money (so more money per student). I also met a neuroscience professor, took her class, and she seemed very vibrant, helpful, and loved her job.
- Senior studio art majors get their own private studio space?
- Location **is good. Proximity to Los Angeles (cool stuff happens all the time, like band tours for example) and only a few hours from the Bay Area. Lots of businesses in the area = jobs.
- I believe they are great at **placement in graduate school or medical school. This is only helpful if I actually do continue my education, which of course is not set in stone at the moment. In any case, graduate school (and med school I guess) admissions know Pomona.
- This is a real LAC: advising that's really on the ball, close professor relationships and small seminar-like classes. I sat in on classes at all three schools. Pomona's were the smallest and had the most intimate atmosphere. The other two have a "LAC feel" which I'm sure is just as good but not the real thing, you know?
- "Dorms Like Palaces" lol... and firsthand student testimonials that they are really happy there/the happiest students. (Although I believe Brown also ranks for Happiest Students somewhere. And Dartmouth. Hm ok.)
- They have good food too, including Snack.
- Out of the three, I think Pomona has the best-looking campus.</p>

<p>Pomona CON's:
- Nobody has heard of Pomona. Including employers? This I actually don't know much about. But name recognition plays a part... Pomona is a little more obscure than the other two which happen to be Ivy League schools. When my friends hear which schools I am deciding among, Pomona turns their face into a ? with wrinkles in the forehead. Then again this isn't too important, just funny.
- Unfortunately, Engineering would not be a practical option here at all. If I were to choose Engineering and California, I might as well enroll at Harvey Mudd (and pay less!)
- Small alumni network, because it is a newer school and it does not graduate as many people each year. When compared to the other two, this aspect may hurt a little.
- Small size **of the actual school, in terms of population. It's less than half the size of my high school. Despite it being in the Consortium, I heard that there is not as much interaction with the other colleges as they play it up to be. I also heard that in terms of academics, students from the other schools are more likely to take classes at Pomona than the other way around. This, they say, is due to the fact that Pomona is the largest of the 5 C's. In a nutshell, I'm afraid of feeling **claustrophobic. This information came from current students, and I'm wondering to what extent are the rumors true?
- Pomona doesn't get the whole week off for Thanksgiving :P Yeah, I did a lot of detail-oriented research.</p>

<p>I've been losing sleep over this decision for days, and the clock is ticking like a time bomb. Insight/helpful suggestions please?</p>

2

<p>I'd pick Dartmouth out of all of those; I was talking to one of my counselors, and she told me that Brown's open curriculum actually devalues a Brown degree because the grading system is so lenient, at least the way she explained.</p>

<p>Dartmouth seems like the best choice because it good diversity in activities and people. Not everybody drinks or parties, so you shouldn't really base your decision on that.</p>

3

<p>I agree with the above, I'm surprised that Brown is so prestigious considering that its curriculum is so loose. Not that a loose curriculum is a bad thing, but I think it's dumb to give undergrads THAT much freedom right out of high school. </p>

<p>On the other hand, I would choose Dartmouth, personally because I'm going there, but if it matters any, I chose it over Harvard/Duke/JHU/Cornell/UPenn, etc. </p>

<p>Think about it, even though it's ranked number 8 on USNEWS(which matters **** anyway), it's really the smallest college up there, and that's even with all the research facilities factored in. Other colleges that have a really strong grad program like Harvard and Yale have a signficant adv. when it comes to rankings like that b/c they rank the university as a whole, and not as undergrad vs. grad. </p>

<p>I personally think that's pretty damn good.</p>

<p>I also attended Dimensions and loved it-- just keep in mind, that when people tell you that you wont be pressured to drink, they mean it. At Collis, I was watching a hockey game in one room, and all the way across the building in the cafe, there were study groups and people getting together to go over class notes. At Dartmouth, there's partying as well as studying, and that's the truth.</p>

4

<p>Strawboy, at Dartmouth, do people care if you drink or not? I'd go to parties to socialize, but not to drink because of personal preferences and my religion (Islam).</p>

5

<p>I wrote this in response to a parent whose daughter is deciding between Dartmouth and Swarthmore. I don't know much about Brown or Pomona (I didn't apply to either), and some of this is specific to Swarthmore, but some of my observations about the social life at Dartmouth might be useful to you as well.

[quote]
Don't make decisions based on prestige. The differences are so small, and anyway it really doesn't matter.</p>

<p>In the interest of full disclosure, I was admitted to Dartmouth but waitlisted at Swarthmore. I won't waste my breath explaining that Swarthmore is an excellent school (I'm sure interesteddad will do an admirable job of that :)), but maybe I can help calm some of your fears about Dartmouth.</p>

<p>First, has your daughter visitied both schools? I had some of the same concerns about the size (coming from a high school with just over 200 students) and party atmosphere, but going to Dimensions convinced me that Dartmouth was the right school for me. I'm a soft-spoken, "intellectual," Swedish vegan with interests ranging from French and creative writing to linguistics and neuroscience, and I had less trouble fitting in than I did at my oh-so-worldly international high school -- the students I met at Dimensions were some of the most fun, interesting, diverse, unassuming-but-really-ridiculously intelligent people I've met in my life. You mentioned friendliness; I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a friendlier, more welcoming school than Dartmouth, but of course I am biased.</p>

<p>Things I did at Dartmouth that did not involve beer:
* Sitting in the sun with friends talking about... life, or something
* Playing frisbee (badly, never having played before) on the Green
* Performing a dreadful rendition of Nelly's "Hot in Herre" at the GSA's gay karaoke bar night (and I have terrible stage fright!)
* Hanging out in a common room having "deep" conversations that deteriorated into a huge pillow fight
* Attending a performance by an "Illusionist/Mind Reader" (and enjoyed myself immensely in spite of my skepticism)
* Seeing an improv comedy performance (first time for me)
* Going for an 11:30 pizza run in "downtown" Hanover
* Squeezing seven people into a three-person couch to watch a midnight showing of Little Miss Sunshine
* Walking around campus late at night without a sweater because none of us wanted to go to sleep our last night there
* Many more things that I'm forgetting</p>

<p>Of course there were frat parties during this, but we really didn't notice much disruption, to be honest. Most if not all of the fraternities are located in the same general area, and if your daughter doesn't want to be exposed to that type of social life, she could just avoid going to that part of campus on a Friday night. During my conversations with other prospective students on CC, Facebook, and at Dimensions, the party atmosphere has been the concern brought up most frequently -- and if that many students are choosing Dartmouth for everything else that the school offers in spite of the party scene, I don't think your daughter will feel alienated. Definitely PM sybbie719 or cangel if you'd like to know more; both have daughters at Dartmouth and could give you the perspective that I can't (after all, what do I know? I'm only a pre-frosh).</p>

<p>As for size and personal attention, I was very impressed with the classes I attended during Dimensions: Youth and Society (sociology), Words (linguistics) -- my favorite!, Anthropology of Religion (er, anthropology), and War and Peace in the 20th Century (history). I would never have chosen a history class if it hadn't been for some friends who wanted to see this one, but the professor (who had previously taught at Yale but came to Dartmouth because he hated New Haven) brought such insight and enthusiasm to the topic that even I was captivated. The history and anthropology classes were the largest, around 50 students, but both professors were very skilled lecturers and were able to involve the students in spite of the size of the class. There were no TAs that I could see. The linguistics class was an upper-level class where prospies outnumbered actual students(!). I was actually surprised and impressed by the amount of professor-student interaction in both large and small classes, and I come from a high school where my largest class has 12 students (my smallest has three).</p>

<p>I won't tell your daughter where to go, because that is a decision only she can make. I'm going to Dartmouth and couldn't be happier, despite being in many ways the complete opposite of the beer-drinking frat boy stereotype (I do love skiing, though), but either way she really can't go wrong. Good luck!

[/quote]

As for the rural setting, this is the first time in my life that I'll be living somewhere that isn't the capital of a country, and I'm actually really looking forward to it. I figure I'll probably live in cities for the rest of my life, so I'll take this chance to experience something completely different. If you ever feel claustrophobic, Dartmouth's language and study abroad programs are very good. No one I talked to mentioned anything about secret societies, so I doubt they're a significant influence on campus.</p>

6

<p>Dragon Mouse, If you enroll at Pomona you are then part of the Claremont Consortium, which means you can take classes at any of the other 4 colleges in the consortium, including Harvey Mudd, as long as the same classes are not offered at Pomona! So you can take engineering classes if you choose. The total student population of the consortium is around 5000 students. Can't beat the southern Calif weather. Have you visited all 3 colleges? My son was accepted at all three as well, and I am familiar with all 3 campuses.</p>

7

<p>menloparkmom- Yes, I can take engineering classes there, but HMC's actual engineering major requires students to partake in the Clinic program, which is really the experience I was looking for if I were to major in engineering. Also I wouldn't be able to major in engineering as a Pomona student. ;)</p>

<p>I did comment on student population at Claremont in my original post: Despite it being in the Consortium, I heard that there is not as much interaction with the other colleges as they play it up to be. I also heard that in terms of academics, students from the other schools are more likely to take classes at Pomona than the other way around. This, they say, is due to the fact that Pomona is the largest of the 5 C's.</p>

<p>Yes, I visited all three of them last week. None of them really gave me that ooey gooey I-belong-here "feeling" that a lot of my friends and acquaintances and random internet testimonials experienced when they visited their college's campus... I could attribute this to a number of things, the most probable one being that traveling to so many places in a short amount of time is incredibly exhausting.</p>

8

<p>(Posted this before with some small changes)...it sounds like Brown might be the best choice for you given what you have pointed out above. This is something I wrote a little while back on B vs. D.</p>

<p>This is so close to home, so I guess I'll write alot. Dartmouth/ Brown was my choice as well and I ended up choosing Dartmouth but not after some serious thinking. The funny thing is that even after serious contemplation, I literally could not decide and choose Dartmouth basically after a coin flip of sorts lol! During college I visited Brown probably 7-8 weekends, however, so I know it really well. The great news is there is no wrong choice: I loved Dartmouth more than anything, but I am totally convinced I would have loved Brown just as much. These are by far my two of most favorite schools (throw in Stanford as the other).</p>

<p>1) Academic scene
I don't know much about Brown except the obvious lack of a core. Dartmouth's distributives are very broad so honestly to me it was a benefit if anything in that it forced me to take a couple classes (like Acting for my art) that I might otherwise not have taken. Dartmouth is awesome in terms of teaching and professor engagement, and the school is absolutely focused on the undergrad. I was an anthro major and I got $10K for my thesis research and TWO incredibly active thesis advisors. I literally had some classes with less than five people at the upper levels. Dartmouth professors take you to dinner, they encourage you, and they are amazing. I think part of the reason Dartmouth grads do so well at grad school admissions is the fact that they know their professors so well. Frankly its amazing. I am sure Brown's academics are great too, but Dartmouth does have a terrific LAC-like feel. People love to discard the D-plan but I thought it was awesome. Sophomore summer is most students favorite term.</p>

<p>Study Abroad?
Most students at Dartmouth go on a study abroad, many go on 2-3. Its not only a thing to do, its a way of life. The language programs are OUTSTANDING, you not only have small classes a preperation, you have drill with its "rassias method" which is an amazingly fun way to really learn a language. Study abroad programs include a professor and about 20 other Dartmouth students (which is different from other schools which have people from al schools). There are special trips every weekend and you get to become incredibly close to your fellow Dartmouth students. Also since Dartmouth is on the quarter system it allows for multiple study abroads.</p>

<p>2) Campus location and closest city/town location
In my opinion Brown's nearby Thayer Street blows Hanover out of the water. East Providence is hip, cool, and there are alot of great restaurants and it really does cater to students. Providence itself isn't that wonderful, but its awesome in the area where Brown is located. Conversely, Hanover is beautiful but I found the town to be more stodgy and its not catered to students. In terms of the city, Brown wins bigtime.</p>

<p>ON the other hand, Dartmouth's location in the mountains is amazing. The outdoor access is awesome, people ski during the winters on the skiway, jump in the river in summers. To be honest only a select group of students are into the hardcore outdoors. Its the casual outdoor stuff like snowball fights during the winter, riding your bike through the beautiful fall leaves, the swimming in the river during summers, BBQs by houses on the river, the awesome stars when you are out at night, etc, etc. During the summer the campus feels like a magical summer camp, during the winters its charming and warm. </p>

<p>3) Social scene
Brown is very active socially. The dorms restrictions are very lax so first-year parties abound. There are house parties, frat parties, bars, and people even venture downtown to clubs. Its a more cliquey scene, however. Different groups tend to stick together more, so its less community oriented. Its safe to say I think that people walk away with great friends, but it feels more like a University than Dartmouth. </p>

<p>Dartmouth is very community oriented. The Greek scene is huge, but its unlike any other greek scene anywhere. The houses are all open for parties to everyone and there's actually a campus list publishing the big parties that weekend. What usually happens is there will be two-three big dance parties a night plus lots of houses will have smaller groups hanging out. The cool thing is there is usally alot of energy as everyone is going to the same key places or are at least aware of the big parties. Its absolutely open and everyone is absolutely friendly. In addition to the greek scene there is a house party scene, smaller gatherings in dorms, plus niche scenes like the organic farm crowd or the Ledyard Canoe club crowd. The nights are full of activity. Dartmouth's downside might be that its jock culture does have power with the frats, places like Chi Heorot, Theta Delt, and Psi U are centered around sports teams and I think this can intimidating. The upside is there is a large social scene outside these places.</p>

<p>I think its safe to say Brown has smaller gatherings for niche groups (although there are big parties!), while Dartmouth has bigger parties that everyone goes to all the time. </p>

<p>4) Campus population
Both are equally diverse, although Dartmouth is conceived as less diverse than Brown the truth is its actually slightly more diverse. But since its smaller the sheer number of members of these groups is smaller so it might feel less diverse. However, people interact between groups at Dartmouth amazingly well. Yet I think some minority groups find comfort in sticking together and someone who grew up only hanging out with a particular minority crowd might like Brown more. Also, Brown does "feel" more international in terms of student makeup. </p>

<p>In terms of student politics I would say there is a huge overlap of "liberal" students at both. Dartmouth is more accepting of people with a conservative (libertarian) point of view, but overall I'd say 75-80% of Dartmouth is liberal while 85-90% of Brown is liberal. Frankly its not that large a difference. </p>

<p>Overall thought the students at Dartmouth overwhelmingly are the playful, fun loving, brilliant type. People tend to play down themselves which is great and refreshing among the Ivies. My experience with Brown students is that they are very similar but a little more "edgy."</p>

<p>To be honest the fact that you've narrowed it down to these two means (In my opinion lol!) that you have impeccible taste when it comes to colleges. I've been to and know alums from many many schools and hands down these two seem to provide the best college experience. You just can't go wrong.</p>

9

<p>Pomona college is known in the west coast, but not in the east; its kinda like how amherst/williams are not known in the west. Thats the problem with LACs...recognition.</p>

<p>I think the OP should go to Brown, i am not sure though. Maybe you should visit both schools lol.</p>

10

<p>mojojojo, I have visited all three in fact. At one of the prospie programs, I even met someone who is also trying to decide among the same schools... Ahh, it's a tough choice.</p>

11

<p>Dartmouth: Great school if you can deal with the winters and isolation. Coming from a metro area with a public school of 4,000 might be a bit of a change.</p>

<p>Brown: Great school if you know what you want and can carefully plan your own major/destiny. Maybe not so great if your interests are still all over the map and you tend to procrastinate (deadline is May 1st, isnt it?). Easy access to metro areas a plus.</p>

<p>Pomona: Best education of the three IMHO, but not the same prestige. Only you can decide how important it is for the average joe to know something about the school you're attending. The people who will matter - high level employers and grad adcoms - will know Pomona. Claremont consortium makes it feel like a bigger school, plus access to LA and great weather are pluses.</p>

<p>My D had a similar decision and picked Pomona (today). Good luck.</p>

12

<p>ahh, I"m choosing between Dartmouth and Brown as well!!
hmm, I wonder if I met you at the poetry-reading thing at Dimensions? lol</p>

13

<p>You might have met me, actually. I'm the Swedish girl with the initials EE who had hot water spilled on her head by somebody at one point. :p</p>

14

<p>oof. hmm, I think I left relatively early (before the poetry started), so I may have missed that. I was the asian girl that was practically hidden in the huge chair that I was sitting in, lol.</p>

15

<p>
[quote]
- "Secret societies" seem to be an excuse for elitism.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Not all of the secret societies are elitist. e.g., Casque and Gauntlet isn't actually secret anymore, and it's defn. not elitist.</p>

16

<p>Wow, I felt like I was reading about myself in your post, dragon mouse. I am torn between brown (which was my first choice due to awesome neuroscience program among others things), and Dartmouth, which I fell in love with at Dimensions. I will probably flip a coin. I too don't drink and don't plan on drinking, but there seems to be so many people, at least on CC, who feel the same way that I think we will have company. My idea of down time is similar: reading a book, scrabble-ing, baking (yum =), and watching a movie with friends. I hope there is some sort of non-competitive running group I could join. I also love the outdoors (just hiking, nothing too hard core) so that would be a plus for dartmouth.</p>

<p>This is such a hard decision! I feel like my intuition is saying dartmouth but my head is saying brown. I felt like people at Darmouth were in general more determined to have a good time, and more cohesive socially, partly because they are in the middle of nowhere and there is nothing else to do but get to know your classmates! Brown is reported to have somewhat better professors, and I personally don't like the D-plan (Question: Is 6-9 months without seeing your friends a common occurance, anyone?)
Good thinking to post your question under both brown and dartmouth, btw.
Any more help? Maybe we should try consulting a mystic or something =)</p>

17

<p>I unfortunately can't tell you where to go but I can tell you that my son is completing his first year at Brown and he is very happy. I have friends whose children are at Dartmouth and they are also happy. There is no wrong answer here-they are both great schools. Their locations are somewhat different in terms of urban/rural and of course there is the open curriculum/D plan thing which distinguishes each of them. I can only tell you that the open curriculum is not as scary as some keep pointing out. A previous poster said "it's too much freedom for someone straight out of high school"-well that is ridiculous! You are in college now and don't need to have your hand held every step of the way. In addition, you are assigned 3 advisors who help you. My son in just his first year, has taken Psych, Soc, Cognitive Linguistics, Theater, Music, Anthropology, Economics and Management. He is taking what he wants to and exploring options he may not have been able to had he been told he must take one from Column A and one from Column B. He can even take these S/NC but chose to take grades in all of them. He said the profs are brilliant and discussions are amazing because the students in the class CHOSE to be there-they want to learn that material and so the classes are great. There is a 2 week "shopping period" at the beginning of each semester.It is an understood thing-kids are coming and going -they look at the syllabus, the books and listen to the prof, if it isn't what you want to learn, you leave and aren't any obligation to take that class. Next semester he may take an intro Neurobiolgy because it is supposed to be a great class-he is not majoring in Science, he just feels this may be his only time to experience a class like this and he can take it pass/fail if he chooses. Brown feels you are mature enough to make these decisions and hopefully most will take a wide depth of courses so that they are coming out fully educated. In addition, the advisors help you see the big picture-they will hear your interests and try to suggest courses in areas you might not have thought about (for instance, my son may major in theater and his advisor suggested some literature courses to understand some playwrites and even a japanese textile course to learn about costuming-he would have never known about these without the help of his advisors).
All I can say is that socially he has joined several clubs that interest him and seems to be happy with the friends who share common interests. On weekends he has gone to plays, parties, even an opera two weeks ago-he felt why not(!) or hung out with friends watching a movie or something. Providence has some nice things to do and Boston is only 45 min away. Thayer St intersects the campus and offers many eateries and things to do as well.I am sure Dartmouth has their fair share of such things too. The Greek scene is much bigger at Dartmouth than at Brown, so that has to be something you take into account as well. Good luck to you all in your final decisions-as I said at the beginning of the post, there is no real wrong answer here. Weigh the pros and cons and see which is more important to YOU. All I can say is, my son is very happy with his choice and therefore, so am I.</p>

18

<p>What's the party scene at Brown like? How often are there big parties that everyone goes to?</p>

19

<p>Well,,, just go with the lightbulb jokes and you will see the answer!</p>

<p>How many Brown students does it take to change a lightbulb?
Eleven----one to change it and ten to share in the experience.</p>

<p>How many Dartmouth students does it take to change a lightbulb?
None----Hanover doesn't have electricity.</p>

<p>How many Ponoma students does it take to change a lightbulb?
No idea---Ponoma is not part of the cool group of universities with unique lightbulb jokes...</p>

20

<p>the people at dartmouth are amazing
the people at pomona are stuck up , *******s, and got in cause they are URM's.
the people at Brown are social retards.</p>