<p>I'm a junior, and now I'm really starting to get into the college search. I visited Dartmouth in October, and I really loved it to death - it felt like home. This past week, I visited a few more, including Harvard and Yale. After seeing these two, I thought, "Jeeze, Harvard and Yale rock!" I still love Dartmouth for all it has to offer, and also because I'd be more likely to get accepted there. On the other hand, Harvard and Yale blew my mind! I couldn't believe all of the opportunities available there, and just the fact that if i went to one of those, I'd be a Yalie, or a.... Harvey? I feel like if i gave into Harvard or Yale, it'd be like surrendering to an angry admissions beast that can only be fed by 8% of what it is offered lol. But if I chose Dartmouth (I'm definitely applying early somewhere) it'd feel like I took the easy way out and would never know if I was capable of Harvard or Yale. Anyway, enough said. Can any current students or anybody who has been in this situation shed some light?</p>
<p>apply to the all and see where you get in.</p>
<p>not a great chance of you getting into all 3</p>
<p>... Dartmouth is the easy way out?...</p>
<p>wonderful.</p>
<p>I actually knew two kids that were accepted into Yale and rejected from Dartmouth, so don't think admissions at Dartmouth is a cakewalk! that was a pretty uninformed statement on your part</p>
<p>That being said, if I was a student at Dartmouth I wouldnt want you coming to my school if I knew you had the belief that "you took the easy way out" and had an attitude that Harvard and Yale were better schools</p>
<p>So why don't you apply early to Harvard or Yale since they have SCEA, which is not binding, as Dartmouth's ED is. That way you can apply to all the schools and pick the best one for you, if you're accepted. </p>
<p>What are your stats?</p>
<p>Screw you, get the hell off the dartmouth forum.</p>
<p>lmao!
It all depends on what you're looking for man.</p>
<p>I think its best to go to a place where the focus is on undergrads.</p>
<p>Thats just my opinion.</p>
<p>I second thisSHHHisBANANAs.
You should go to place you love. I don't take offense in that you call Dartmouth as "easy way out" because although I don't know about being easy, opportunities are indeed more limited.<br>
I esp. dislike how Dartmouth student clubs are all about diversity and... don't they have something else to talk about??? Apparently minorities are really oppressed on Dartmouth campus... (hint sarcasm here)
And only banks come to recruit, fyi.</p>
<p>i hated from the start when you said Dartmouth vs. the big boys. So r u saying dartmouth is not anything big, man never assume that DARTMOUTH IS THE EASY WAY OUT, cuz you might just as well be easily kicked out with that attitude.</p>
<p>DARTMOUTH ALL THE WAY GUYS, we' re the best undergrad ever. I LOVE DARTMOUTH</p>
<p>Wow, you're all pretty viscious. Would it help if I rephrased? I didn't mean to say that Dartmouth is the easy way out. It's far from it. I did mean that it is significantly more difficult to get into Yale. You cannot argue that. No two colleges are alike, but as an average, it's tougher to get into Yale than Dartmouth. I hope im not digging myself in deeper here. Listen guys, I LOVE DARTMOUTH. Sorry if you got the wrong impression. Let's face it, if Daniel Webster and Dr. Seuss wanted to go to Harvard or Yale, they would have. But they chose Dartmouth, and they were happy they did. Just, after seeing Harvard and Yale, and seeing Dartmouth so long ago, it all seems like a blurrrrr. I hope you guys dont hate me... you're all very passionate about Dartmouth. That's what makes the school amazing.</p>
<p>First of all, I think I know what you are getting at even if you didn't phrase it correctly, so I don't take any offense. I still disagree with your rephrased statement. I don't think that it is "significantly more difficult to get into Yale." Among elite schools like Yale and Dartmouth, there are certainly differences, and accordingly they look for different "types" of students. That is why someone can be denied to one Dartmouth and accepted to Yale and vice versa. (I happen to be applying to both.) But anyway, I think that both are good schools, and while Harvard/Yale may have more universal reputations, it does not mean that Dartmouth is an inferior school (I'm not implying that you said it was). So, overall it comes down to a few things: you should make your decision of where you want to go (assuming you are lucky enough to get into both) based on what you want to do with your life. On that note, the admissions decisions will be based off of more than just your "stats," but also if they believe that you are a good fit for their school given your interests, etc.</p>
<p>I don't think there is anything wring with admitting Harvard and Yale are harder to get into than Dartmouth - or are more prestigious. Objectivity seems to be in short supply on CC. </p>
<p>But there is a point when it starts to not matter. Dartmouth will be just as good as HY for 90% of people in terms of lifetime benefit. </p>
<p>I personally chose Dartmouth over one of those two. I realized for my area (business) it honestly wouldn't make a big difference. And I liked Dartmouth much more in terms of the social life. I don't regret my decision for a second, Dartmouth was the time of my life and I am still absolutely connected to the school - its the happiest cult I know. </p>
<p>My advice would be to apply EA to Harvard and Yale, and Dartmouth RD if you are the top 5% of your class, have over a 2250 SAT, and have great ECs. You give yourself the most options that way. You are risking a Dartmouth rejection though, so make sure this is what you want.</p>
<p>I am not suggesting that it is easier to get into Harvard or Yale. Numbers clearly indicate that Dartmouth accepts a larger percentage of applicants. That said, there is no guarantee of acceptance for anyone at any of them. Nonetheless, each school looks for different types of applicants, and so just because someone can get into Yale, it does not mean they can do the same for Dartmouth. </p>
<p>In the end, Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth are all great schools and a degree from any of those is sure to bring a person far in life.</p>
<p>1) Don't go into this process with the attitude that you HAVE to apply early somewhere...especially ED.</p>
<p>2) Why don't you just apply and figure out once you get in (IF you get in) which would be the best for you?</p>
<p>There is nothing wrong with going in with an attitude that will help maximize your chances at getting into one of these three schools.. it seems that you would be happy at any 3 of these schools so you should definately use the EA/ED advantage on one of these schools. if you are not afraid of ending up not getting into any of these schools and having to go to another school on your list, apply to harvard or yale ea. If you know there is a possibility you could have gotten into harvard/yale but are positive you'd be happier at any of the three than the other schools on your list, apply ED to dartmouth.</p>
<p>i'm sorry, as a dartmouth alum, i'd have to say that in terms of admissions, there's HYM, and there's the rest (and that's even including PS as well as columbia's 11% admission rate). you can even look at yale's 99% of students in the top10% of high schools in 2004.</p>
<p>and we can all in retrospect say "prestige doesn't matter" but the truth is, when we were high school sophomores/juniors (i.e. before we got surris about college), 80% of us masturbated to the thoughts of being a harvey.</p>
<p>for the OP though: what did you like about D, Y, and H? the three schools are all INCREDIBLY different. so aside from being blown away by the simple awesomeness (or awestruckness), you gotta figure out what's what.
my freshmen year roommate (who turned out to be one of my closer friends) turned down yale for dartmouth. </p>
<p>and i'd be a lot more careful than to say "just apply to H or Y because it's EA, it's not binding"..... your chances between ED and RD are incredibly different.</p>
<p>given that, i'd have to go against soccergrl's comment and recommend that you ALWAYS apply early, even if for just EA schools like Georgetown, Notre Dame, BC, and Case, schools that allow multiple EA applications. a piece of mind, especially during app seasons, is wicked sweet.</p>
<p>also, visit dartmouth in february, non winter carnival weekend. the -20 weather and 2 feet of snow might make your decision a lot easier</p>
<p>What -20 degree weather!? This was my first winter at Dartmouth, and I was quite frankly disappointed (I love love love the cold, even though I don't ski). Aside from a few hours one sunny weekend morning, and my climb of Lafayette, it never even got below zero. I can only hope this winter was an isolated anomaly, though if it is, I won't be able to enjoy it next year due to my LSA.</p>
<p>That aside, Dartmouth is truly an amazing place, and I have never regretted coming here. I would have easily chosen it over Yale, and probably even Harvard. Prestige isn't everything--would you rather go to a school that's well-known and with which you can drop the "H-bomb" on people, or have the most incredible experiences of your life at an intimate campus with some of the most intelligent, friendly, and non-pretentious students you've ever met? I leave the decision up to you...</p>
<p>Agree with Chris. The Dartmouth experience is unparalleled.</p>
<p>y'all have no idea how much you'll miss dartmouth once you graduate. it's been nine months and i still wake up in cold sweats, dreaming of spin serves and all nighters in novack.</p>
<p>in any case, this winter was anomalously warm worldwide. my sophomore year february, there was not a single day where it went above zero.</p>