<p>I'm in Northern California. I got into Dartmouth ED, but I've noticed that a number of people around me haven't even heard of Dartmouth!!!! When I mention the school to people who have heard of it, most will hesistate, then say, "... Where is Dartmouth?" I live in a small beach town where the majority of people haven't even gone to college... but still.... Shouldn't everyone know about Dartmouth? Has anyone else on the west coast experienced this?</p>
<p>Stop whining that people aren't giving you the props you think you deserve for being accepted into a prestigious school and take comfort in the fact that you're going to your first choice.</p>
<p>Grad schools and potential employers will have heard of Dartmouth. Much more important than the folks you meet at the grocery store.</p>
<p>unless you have a habit of running into grad school adcoms and future employers at the local Stop and Shop...which, i mean, who DOESN'T?!</p>
<p>A lot of east coast schools don't have the same weight on the west coast as in the east (as Mini will tell you on the main board). It's equates to like how out here on the east coast lots of people haven't heard of any west coast schools outside of Berkeley, Stanford, and UCLA.</p>
<p>What are you more concerned with? The fact that others haven't heard about Dartmouth (and as long as they are not writing your check for the $40,000+ cost of attendance, why should you care) or the fact that *you * know about Dartmouth and know what you are getting?</p>
<p>Celebrate you victory and move on.</p>
<p>Where I'm from, a lot of people have heard of (and greatly respect) Dartmouth. That's to be expected in/around a big city, though.</p>
<p>Honestly, it is is not going to be as well known as Stanford, Bekerley, or UCLA seeing as those schools have deeply entrenched alumni networks out here. That being said a Dartmouth degree still carries a lot of weight anywhere you go. Obviously this is greater in some places rather than others (ie East Coast vs. West Coast). If you plan on staying in California your entire life and never moving then I do not know if there would be much point in going to Dartmouth or any other elite private school because it would not offer up any opportunities that Berkeley, Stanford, or UCLA wouldn't and at almost double the cost (except for Stanford).</p>
<p>There's always the possibility that you love the school (or anything else for that matter...relationships, beliefs, causes) for your/their own sake and want to experince it as part of your life; not everything involves climbing the next ladder.</p>
<p>Dartmouth's undergraduate education is superlative. Usually the reputation comes by renowned researches and accomplishments in higher level, but Dartmouth grads are not as great. Other schools usually strongly concentrate in grads and their fame bring up the undergrad at the same time. But in case of Dartmouth its super undergrad does not shine as brightly because they focus on the undergrad.</p>
<p>i'm a cornell ed-er, but anyway a good friend of mine just got a likely letter from darty and she has told me that majority of the people she tells she got into dartmouth to don't know anything about the school, and i live on the east coast.</p>
<p>FountainSiren,</p>
<p>the OP seems to be talking about Dartmouth's rep jobs wise on the west coast not necessarily their love for the school.</p>
<p>Please point out to me the exact things that the OP said that makes you believe that. All that he talks about are people from his town that don't know of Dartmouth and the like. Where in any of that does he say anything about jobs?</p>
<p>please point out anything that the OP says that they talked about their love of the school. i was talking about job wise because thats what everyone else was talking about. key word in my post is seems.</p>
<p>I would think that anyone who has ever had a kid who got into a good school has heard of Dartmouth and understands it to be a top school. Many of those who will be interviewing you in the future will have had such kids. In addition it is highly likely they themselves went to a competitive school and would know about Dartmouth on that basis alone.
However, I'm with fountain: it's about you, not the people in your neighborhood (unless you're Mr. Rogers).</p>
<p>Sorry, I didn't know my post would create such an uproar about how you should perceive the college of your choice. I love Dartmouth, which is obviously why I chose to apply ED, and I was simply trying to voice a general trend that I noticed in my area. I'm not "whining" that it lacks prestige on the west coast, but I am surprised that people haven't heard of a school which I've known of for as long as I can remember. Anyway, thanks for the mixed feedback...</p>
<p>Guys, let's be honest here. The second you get into college you'll tell your parents/friends/family/teammates/teachers, etc. right? It's nice to have some recognition for something you've worked hard for. And of course, while it's not the end-all goal: to get into Dartmouth so people will think you're smart, it's always a nice side benefit. All praise aside, at the very least we deserve more than pitying looks by people who don't know any better. </p>
<p>Phemenyst, I know it sucks to have dumb people stare at you blankly when you tell them the news, but it's like joemama said: anyone who's important has heard of Dartmouth. If we wanted to name drop, we'd all apply to Harvard and lord knows how unfortunate THAT would be!</p>
<p>And besides, every school has perceived flaws...there is no "perfect PR" school. Ignorant people (read: Mensa160) think Cornell is the "cheap Ivy" because it is part public. Some people apparently confuse UPenn for Penn State. Even Harvard has to combat a reputation as the "grade-inflation Ivy" and that the hardest thing aobut it is getting in. So, anyone can find a fault with any school. That's just the way it is.</p>
<p>As long as the graduate schools know about Dartmouth, I can care less about anyone else.</p>
<p>Never ceases to a,aze me how the Rockies reate two distinct universes. Everyone out here (east) thinks USC is one of the UC's...</p>