<p>I posted this in the Princeton thread as well, but I also would like to hear some alternative points of view from all of you folks who know Dartmouth well. The two schools are similar in many aspects, which makes me very confused and makes my decision harder than I thought.</p>
<p>princeton's in new jersey</p>
<p>dartmouth's in new hampshire.</p>
<p>that's a BIG difference...and at least to me, you shouldn't ignore it.</p>
<p>In non-academic comparisons, this is HUGE. the outing club at D is fantastic, so if you're into that type of thing, then I think the comparison is a no-brainer.</p>
<p>Dartmouth definitely has really good study abroad/off campus opportunities - I really don't know much about Princeton to really compare them. The D-plan is a plus in some ways (internships during non-summer off terms, more opportunities for offcampus/study abroad) but a detractor in others (late beginning and end makes for a lot of time alone at home, and breaks sometimes don't overlap with other schools'). I think it's overall a plus, but that's just me.</p>
<p>Also, based on my friends there and my visits there, Princeton and Dartmouth students are pretty different in the way they carry and present themselves. Sure, that's not really much to go by, but I think Dartmouth's a lot more laid back.</p>
<p>I don't know. Either way you're going to get a great education ... I would suggest spending time at both places and see where you'd rather be.</p>
<p>I hope this was somewhat helpful.</p>
<p>S attends Dartmouth, but we live close to Princeton and know kids there. This is a big generalization, but here goes: Are you a humanitarian, want-to-change-the-world kind of person? Are you politically liberal? If so, I think you might feel more comfortable at Princeton. If you see yourself as businesslike in your attitudes about life, and are not so liberal, then Dartmouth might be a better fit.</p>
<p>I think that the above post slightly overstates the political leanings of Princeton students who have for decades been viewed as more conservative than liberal. The current president of Princeton University wants to attract more liberal students--in all senses of the word. The environments at the two schools are somewhat different. If you picture yourself at fraternity parties and enjoying nature in an environment of brilliant & social students, then consider Dartmouth College. If less conspicuous & more toned down alcohol consumption appeals to you, then ,socially speaking, Princeton University is the better option. Again, I think that the portrayal of Princeton University as liberal is a bit unfair, just as a blanket characterization of Dartmouth as conservative would be undeserved. Your decision, however, depends upon more than the social & political aspects of either campus and you have not offered enough info. for anyone to really make a reasonable recommendation. In the battle of cross admits, 81% select Princeton University over Dartmouth College.</p>
<p>Go to dartmouth! I visited it this week and loved everything about it: Hanover, the people, the campus, etc. And I've heard the social life at Princeton is deplorable.</p>
<p>BUT I got a copy of The Dartmouth (the campus newspaper) and one of the police reports is of a "large pig blocking a road"... just so you get a sense of how small and isolated the town is, though it really doesn't feel isolated. It's a nice community.</p>
<p>Btw here is a weather.com comparison of the two locations: Climatology</a> Comparison for Princeton, NJ - weather.com</p>
<p>If you click the 'compare record low' option, it is quite the difference... -40 to -16</p>
<p>sry, double post.</p>
<p>-40 would be crazy...doubt I'll ever see that in my life, and I doubt you will either, so that's probably not a number to base a decision off. This winter I'd say a morning in the teens was about average. It did get in the high singles occasionally.</p>
<p>I think the most telling statistic is: "Hanover, NH on average is cooler than Princeton, NJ by 7°F."</p>
<p>In my opinion, 7 degrees does NOT constitute a huge difference in life. To prove a point, I didn't wear a jacket all of this winter, and I am not a wintry/outdoorsy person. The cold is certainly manageable.</p>
<p>Dartmouth is not exactly conservative either--most colleges aren't. But, it has the reputation for being a bit more balanced politically than some of the other Ivies. </p>
<p>Princeton really seems to like to publicize all the humanitarian efforts of its incoming freshmen (last year someone posted a bunch of those articles on CC), is now pushing for a gap year for community service, and the community events I've attended seem to have a socially liberal bent. Dartmouth is a good place if you want a career in finance, banking, law, etc.</p>
<p>To be sure though, Dartmouth has great community service programs through the Tucker</a> Foundation and you can hardly write it off an not being humanitarian. Student involvement seems very prevalent, and for what it's worth they have an entire building to themselves (it's not just a small program). As an example: my roommate spent spring break in Biloxi, Miss. doing Katrina work on Dartmouth's dime. There are even internship/postgrad job opportunities that can be gotten through Tucker, if that's what you're interested in.</p>
<p>Was posting at the same time as NAI and in full agreement. My post read:
Regarding the humanitarian point, that is not an accurate generalization. A lot of what Dartmouth is all about is promoting the public good. Dartmouth very much encourages and promotes humanitarian pursuit and makes funds toward that end very accessible, not simply volunteering with established organizations but rather responding creatively and effectively of their own intiative. </p>
<p>William</a> Jewett Tucker Foundation
Highlights[/url</a>]
[url=<a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Etucker/fellowships/%5DFellowships">http://www.dartmouth.edu/~tucker/fellowships/]Fellowships</a> and Internships
Educational</a> Service Trips
Seniors</a> Are USA Today Academic All Stars</p>
<p>HELP</a> Contact Information
Dartmouth</a> News - Dartmouth named number one in Peace Corps participation in the small schools category - 01/30/06</p>
<p>Even the Business School is known for its level of committment to non-profit/public sectors:</p>
<p>Dartmouth</a> News - UPS Foundation grant facilitates training for future nonprofit leaders at Tuck School of Business - 07/25/05
Tuck</a> News and Events - Tuck Nonprofit Fellows Program
Allwin</a> Initiative for Corporate Citizenship
TheDartmouth.com</a> | Latest U.S. News grad rankings place Tuck 9th</p>
<p>Just as you cannot generalize Dartmouth Conservative/Princeton Liberal, you cannot generalize that Princeton social life is deplorable. Both schools have a very bright, engaged student body who bring a lot of variant interests to the table. You probably have to visit both to get a better sense.</p>
<p>Yes, of course that's true. Ivy League schools are the best of the best. They have it all!!! Dartmouth and Princeton, like the other Ivies, both offer a multitude of fabulous opportunities for every kind of student. That's why it's so hard to choose among these excellent schools. However, I think you'd agree that schools do have their distinct personalities. Defining that personality is next to impossible, because it's complex and there are always going to be exceptions. But, having said that, people at our NJ high school have gotten pretty good at predicting which top students Princeton will accept. I was trying to put a finger on the difference, but apparently I haven't succeeded.</p>
<p>What IS the difference in ambience then?</p>
<p>Hmm, well maybe D is up against old stereotype because they certainly try to build a diverse student body, and they certainly encourage, with measureable success, the social responsiblity ethic. I do know what you mean - people need to tease out the essence of institutional personality. But, it is complex, Dartmouth's committement to social good is more than passing, and the interest of the student body in making a difference more than occasional.</p>
<p>Haha. Well the pig in the road really takes it a bit far. I work for the D and it really is a very thorough paper.</p>
<p>ohmadre, think back to when your D visited the colleges she was interested in, and you sat through the information sessions and went on the tours. Weren't there colleges that you could encapsulate in a sentence or two? Here's an example of one of ours: "This is a school for smart, rich kids who have the freedom to study whatever they fancy and it won't matter because their future is already assured."
Now, the moment our son were to decide to go there, we would have invalidated our own stereotype because that isn't S's situation, but that doesn't mean there wasn't an essence to the place that we sensed.</p>
<p>Oh, and speaking of stereotypes, when Dartmouth's location is compared to Princeton's (NJ!), that can be misleading too. It's not like the NJ turnpike runs through campus, or that Princeton University is in an urban jungle. The town of Princeton is beautiful, with a lot of trees, parks, and deer. Within walking distance from campus is Carnegie Lake where the crew team rows, as well as the Delaware Raritan Canal which is a mecca for bikers, joggers, and canoers. Ski resorts are farther away than in they'd be from Dartmouth, but the Poconos are close enough for a weekend trip.</p>
<p>You're right. Princeton is beautiful. However, even though the Poconos are relatively close, the hiking in the Poconos is not the same as hiking in the Whites - it's completely different terrain and a completely different experience. Also, skiing in New Jersey / Northern PA / Southern NY is not comparable to skiing in upper new england - yes, it exists, but the quality and variety is something that you can't compare.</p>
<p>Also, just because the town of Princeton itself is beautiful (and it is), the townspeople of Princeton and surrounding towns are very different than the townspeople of Hanover and surrounding towns - it's a different culture.</p>
<p>Also inherent in the discussion of locations with regard to outdoors activities is the DOC - so even though the attributes that the physical environments already point to Dartmouth, the outing club makes them even more accessible, and presents many more opportunities than it would be possible to list.</p>
<p>Also, nai, 7 degrees isn't a big difference, but it can mean the difference between a gorgeous snowy day and a gross slushy/sleety day. It's a small difference, but when you consider how winter highs in Princeton averages around 40F and Hanover right around 30F, that difference is actually big in what you experience on the ground.</p>
<p>The difference closes in summer months when in Princeton highs are around 83 and in Hanover around 80.</p>
<p>hey strawboy, since you work at the D, could you ask the Editorital Board why it just fills column after column with vapid points of view? For the most part the columns are extremely well written, but they typically lack research, logic and depth. </p>
<p>But, back to the main subject at hand -- I've read a few 'silly' artilces in the Princetonian as well.</p>
<p>The GFG -</p>
<p>I get what you are saying, in fact posted a response awhile back that said is much, but it did not, obviously, 'take' - don't know what I did - there was some sort of message and I just gave up) </p>
<p>One thing I remembered having tried to say was that (a) I don't know how to distinguish the difference in ambiance between the two schools as I really don't known Princeton and (b) yes, people have a need to tease out their perception of the essence of what distinguished one school from another. It would be pretty overwhelming for our kids if they loved every single school - how would they ever choose? They have to whittle somehow, even if upon stereotypes, or impressions that had more to do with whim or temporary circumstance than reality.</p>
<p>I just felt it was very important to make known on this board the degree to which Dartmouth has and does promote and encourage a social conscience - because it should be known - it might be an attractive feature of the college a prospective or deciding student was not aware of. I don't think that would be the point of distinction between D and P.</p>
<p>As to how one distinguishes the difference in ambiance from one campus to another - my best answer its, its probably a very subjective thing and a student needs to visit both campuses if truly undecided. Because the stereotypes do no school justice. My D was anxious that D was a conservative, preppy school and imagined it might have a disproportianate distribution among the student body legacies, prep school grads and the extremely wealthy - (certain people with no direct knowledge tried to tell her that was so) - she wanted a fully diverse student body. She had fallen in love with it but argued against her own instinct during decision making process- UNTIL she stayed on campus with some students. That clinched it - and that was not even the admitted students event. Surely she met students of every single background but she was never aware of anyone's when interacting. She just met friendly students, excited about their school, eager to share and counsel - students who seemed to genuinely care about each other. She was aware that students came from everywhere and everyone seemed to have some great and different talent, and that was exciting.</p>
<p>Other campus visits did not do this for her. OP will probably LOVE Princeton but a visit to each school is a good way to make the final decision IF in fact there really is any uncertainty.</p>