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<p>Right, and Harvard’s system does all that and does it big time. In fact its common to find Harvard students who identify more closely with their House than they do with Harvard itself. </p>
<p>If you are under the impression that Harvard’s House system does not foster House loyalty and inter-House competition, etc., then you are very misinformed about the reality at Harvard.</p>
<p>Fair enough. The disagreement seems to be over where on the spectrum of House-effectiveness Harvard falls, and this is hardly something I can delve into beyond stating that my ‘in’ at Harvard suggested that it’s not as vibrant as they’d like it to be. </p>
<p>Seeing as the plural of anecdote is not data, we’re probably not going to get anything further out of this discussion unless it comes down to a parent-of-student vs. friend-of-student game of ethos.</p>
<p>^^ like. i’m saving “the plural of anecdote is not data” for future reference.</p>
<p>We have a 30 year alum of Harvard in our town who was president of recruitment couple of years ago.</p>
<p>Her recollection was that she would play for her house in every sport no matter whether she knew the basics. She was gungho about her house and participated in everything and anything.</p>
<p>She went for her 25th reunion and was reminiscing with some other dorm friends and one of them went, “We had intramural sports and competed against other houses?”</p>
<p>I guess your experience is what you want it to be. :D</p>
<p>Hey, don’t take just my word for it that the Houses are a vibrant part of the Harvard campus and foster a lot House spirit and inter-House competition. Take a look at what’s out there about the topic. This is just a tiny sample:</p>
<p>[Housing</a> Day Harvard - YouTube](<a href=“Housing Day Harvard - YouTube”>Housing Day Harvard - YouTube)
[Houses</a> become homes | Harvard Gazette](<a href=“http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2013/03/houses-become-homes/]Houses”>Houses become homes – Harvard Gazette)
[Winthrop</a> Wins Straus Cup | News | The Harvard Crimson](<a href=“http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2011/5/11/winthrop-house-court-cup/]Winthrop”>Winthrop Wins Straus Cup | News | The Harvard Crimson)
[Straus</a> Cup Standings: GoCrimson.com](<a href=“http://recreation.gocrimson.com/recreation/intramurals/Navigation_Bar_Items/strauscup]Straus”>http://recreation.gocrimson.com/recreation/intramurals/Navigation_Bar_Items/strauscup)
[Housing</a> Day Videos 2013: The Ultimate Roundup | Flyby](<a href=“http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/3/14/housing-day-2013-videos/]Housing”>The Harvard Crimson)</p>
<p>Your evidence (and the observations they support) can exist in the same world as my observations.</p>
<p>Attended William & Mary admission days this weekend and president of WM said only three colleges provide a better undergrad education than WM – princeton, brown, and dartmouth (likely due to the theses written by many students with close prof supervision). I would not rely on a sensational article dealing primarily with male frats to decide where to attend school.</p>
<p>HMM…The last time I relied on an article in Rolling Stone to make an important decision I think I regretted it…</p>
<p>Rolling Stone, yeah…first time I read you saying you were passing out Ti leaves, I thought you meant Thai weed, actually had to look it up online. ;)</p>
<p>I don’t know why you’re all down on Rolling Stone magazine. They have done some impactful stories. I recall their interview with General McChrystal caused Obama to fire him. I guess it’s okay for Obama to give the magazine credibility but not people on CC?</p>
<p>The things that were described in the magazine article were way too detailed to be made up and others have come forward with similar stories about sororities at Dartmouth. It’s feeling like the Lance Armstrong school of denial here - just shout that it’s all trumped up charges long enough and hope that people will believe it.</p>
<p>Oh, no no no no. Where do you get that BS about the sororities? I have no personal knowledge of the frats, but I trust my D about the sororities. Nothing like that alleged c*** happens. The rushees had to wear obvious fanny packs stuffed with candy etc. to be at the beck and call of the house members. Not even sure the houses are allowed to do such “embarrassing” things now in the reaction to the Lohse allegations about the frats. I have not seen a single story about anything similar happening at the sororities. Challenge. Cite your sources. I am tired of “others have come forward with” assertions.</p>
<p>^^That’s what I was thinking. I don’t doubt that there has been and probably still is some over-the-top hazing going on at some of the Dartmouth frats, even if many of the specific facts cited in the RS article were later shown to be exaggerated or simply untrue. I think the underlying premise of the article is that Dartmouth has frat problems that need correcting IS true. BUT, I have never heard even the harshest critics assert that similar hazing problems exist at the sororities. </p>
<p>The worst thing I have heard about the sororities is that their rush process is needlessly complex and can result in some women ending up with no bids even though there were some houses that thought highly of them.</p>
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<p>For the full article, see the link below:</p>
<p>[Ravital</a> Segal: Hazing Confessions of a Dartmouth Alum](<a href=“HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost”>Hazing Confessions of a Dartmouth Alum | HuffPost College)</p>
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<p>Yeah - and Lance never used EPO either - that is until he did.</p>
<p>D is president of her sorority, and I can guarantee you there is no hazing in her house. We are very close, and she never experienced anything that could remotely be considered hazing. She has friends in every single sorority, and none of them have either. Can’t speak to the past, but it does not exist now. Interesting that the posters slamming Dartmouth neither attended or have kids there. I guess reality to them is articles while the rest of us here know the true reality. We will not be able to convince them, but to any parents or kids considering Dartmouth, it is a wonderful warm community with the best undergraduate education you can get. Do not worry. Nothing that happens at Dartmouth is worse than any other school.</p>
<p>Yes. Please read the link. It is from 2006. I have no knowledge of ancient history. My knowledge is 2009 onward. Nothing like that is happening now.</p>
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<p>How do you know that? Students are too fearful to come forward as the article pointed out. Will somebody have to die before you open your eyes?</p>
<p>I think I will choose not to respond to that kind of comment. Good day.</p>
<p>Lol you’re really going to base that devision over a stupid article? How was your daughter accepted in the first place…sheesh.</p>
<p>MidWestFather,
I hope you can find happiness somewhere. You will not find a college campus where’s there’s no drinking and partying-- except maybe BYU. This article came out right after our son was admitted ED to Dartmouth last year. We researched it carefully by talking to numerous current students and administrators and parents. We were assured it wasn’t true. Our son’s Dartmouth experience has been idyllic so far. He LOVES the academics. He has great friends who are thoughtful and engaged young people. He is a gentle person with a great head on his shoulders. He approached the frat scene with an open mind and has found several frats he will be happy to rush next fall. He has not experienced the Dartmouth in the article and I’m so grateful that we had the where-with-all not to believe everything we read! I hope you make a good transition to your daughter’s going away. I am sure you have raised her to be able to make good and healthy decisions for herself. You confirm for me the need for a better system for kids to understand and research schools out there. If all you have to go on is a disgruntled woman from Rolling Stone-- do you even know her? Why are you trusting her with this decision?-- that’s very sad. But I hope your daughter goes elsewhere. I don’t think you’ll ever be happy with Dartmouth. You’re biased beyond reason. I’m so curious where you’ll send her instead. Dartmouth is a gift for our family-- a real blessing.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth…my two cents:</p>
<p>Visit the campus during Dimensions this weekend. At a minimum, have your prospie speak to each and every student they possibly can while on campus about their concerns and questions. Trust your kid’s gut and instincts on the replies they get. </p>
<p>No campus will be some nirvana location. The kids have to feel out the places they are going to call and make their home for the next four years.</p>
<p>If it helps at all - another HUGE plus of Dartmouth is its amazing facililities! The use of technology and modern upgraded housing and libraries and gym are impressive. This school has spent the resources to balance being a liberal arts focused undergraduate institution that’s slightly larger than other LACs but smaller than enormous research institutions. It’s a gem in a sweet spot in terms of size and resources for students. The community is also very tight knit on this campus.</p>
<p>Don’t just read the article - follow-up and investigate the charges made for yourself. Trust your prospie to get a sense of the place during Dimensions. At least allow them that after applying and getting in. Don’t just throw out the choice without first-hand poking into what happens in Hanover.</p>
<p>We had the same concerns and allowed our student to see for themself what the student body would be like.</p>
<p>Best of luck with reaching a final decision.</p>