I have decided to apply to both Darmouth and Northwestern as my “reach schools” after recently receiving high standardized test scores. I want to apply to one of these schools Early Decision so I have an increased likelihood for acceptance but can’t seem to choose which one I should apply ED. I like both of these schools because they both seem to have intellectual yet well-rounded students and great academic reputations. I understand they both have many similarities (quarter academic calendar, language programs, good study abroad programs) but NW is in a very urban setting as opposed to Dartmouth’s rural setting. What are some other differences as far as campus vibe, student attitude, social life, etc. goes?
Have you visited both schools or are you deciding now to apply because of your high test scores?
Northwestern is suburban not urban
And the area around Dartmouth, from Hanover to say Woodstock Vermont is country, but rural it is not.
NU is a suburban campus and you can be in downtown Chicago in 30 minutes. The internship opportunities in Chicago with the NU alumni network cannot be understated.
Something interesting to note about Northwestern is that despite being a Big 10 school, its most attended athletic event is Women’s Lacrosse.
It’s hard to describe cultures of schools without stereotyping, but something to note about Dartmouth is that an extremely high percentage of students are involved in Greek Life.
The Princeton Review offers some explanations of the student body at various colleges. As always, don’t believe the hype, but this can give you something to build off of.
For Northwestern:
“The typical Northwestern student “was high school class president with a 4.0, swim team captain, and on the chess team.” So it makes sense everyone here “is an excellent student who works hard” and “has a leadership position in at least two clubs, plus an on-campus job.” Students also tell us “there’s [a] great separation between North Campus (think: fraternities, engineering, state school mentality) and South Campus (think: closer to Chicago and its culture, arts and letters, liberal arts school mentality). Students segregate themselves depending on background and interests, and it’s rare for these two groups to interact beyond a superficial level.” The student body here includes sizeable Jewish, Indian, and East-Asian populations.”
For Dartmouth:
“Undergrads here emphatically insist that it’s “hard to define a typical student because at Dartmouth literally every type of person is represented.” Of course, if pressed, they might reluctantly admit that the average student comes across as “preppy, academically goal oriented but also extremely social.” And, as you might expect, undergrads also report that their peers are certainly very “smart.” Fortunately, they “do not boast about their intellectual capacity.” A happy senior tells us that “the common denominator is that Dartmouth students are very involved.” Indeed, “whether it’s with a club sports team, a cappella group, community service project, academic research, or a Greek house, Dartmouth students manage to do a lot of things in the course of the day.” One incredulous sophomore concurs, adding that his friends “are always studying and participating in some extracurricular activity and you wonder how they have time to sleep and then you will see them out at a frat too. Then they show up at class the next morning with all of the work completed and they seem like a magician.” Finally a junior concludes, “It’s a small enough school that there is a sense of community that’s always present, but large enough that everyone can find their own niche and their own area of the school and the community that caters to them perfectly.””
I’ve never really thought of Evanston as a “suburb” rather than as a small town on the north side of Chicago proper. Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka – yeah, those are suburbs/villages. Evanston has more going for it. Really, apart from having to drive around that cemetery, how do you distinguish Evanston from the north side of Chicago proper? Oh, there’s a sign. Northwestern is far closer to urban life than Dartmouth. 30 minutes on the El to the Loop (even less to the near North Side) versus 2 to 3 hours by car or Dartmouth Coach to Boston. Dartmouth is more of a presence in Hanover than Northwestern is in Evanston.
Dartmouth has a reputation for being a bit of a party school (within the context of a school of its academic caliber). Don’t know if that’s a plus or a minus for you. I can’t speak directly to Northwestern’s student vibe, unfortunately.
I have visited both campuses and they are each beautiful but very different.
Hope you like long cold winters!
Thanks for the incites! I have decided to apply ED to Dartmouth after talking to a friend of mine that goes there. I really like the idea of getting to choose what I do during my sophomore and junior years with the D-Plan. Fingers crossed I get accepted!
^^“insights”
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Ain’t autocorrect fun? The Frazz comic strip had a clever series this week about autocorrect “fixing” The Jabberwocky.