<p>I think he needs to go back to Dartmouth before he takes it off the table. It sounds like he’s been to WashU enough, he did 2 trips to Rhodes… He applied, so must have had a reason, unless it was just for the challenge of getting accepted to an Ivy, any Ivy in which case I wouldn’t shell out the bucks to send him back there to visit. (Whew that’s a bad sentence…but no time to fix, my apologies.)</p>
<p>“I think he needs to go back to Dartmouth before he takes it off the table.”
Agreed. Dartmouth’s accepted students weekend- Dimensions- helped S decide NOT to go there- Too isolated and alcohol/ frat oriented for his taste.
Now it MAY worth your while to write the FA office of D re: your S’s “merit” award at Wash., IF you applied for financial aid. They MIGHT be inclined to offer more $$ to seal the deal. You should schedule an appt with a FA rep during the Dimensions trip to discuss your appeal.</p>
<p>One thing to consider is that Rhodes does not offer a linguistics major. However, if your son just wants to study several foreign languages and study linguistics in grad school, Rhodes could be a great choice. My D is currently a freshman at Rhodes. She had excellent test scores, GPA, and ECs, and turned down schools such as WashU and Rice for a great scholarship at Rhodes (didn’t apply/wasn’t interested in Ivys/East Coast). She’s having a wonderful year at Rhodes and has plenty of academic peers. Good luck with the decision.</p>
<p>OP: >>We visited Dartmouth last summer, which we all know is not the same as visiting when classes are in session.>> </p>
<p>Well, actually, for Dartmouth, which has the “D plan” there are classes going on round the year with a significant proportion of students on campus. Did the campus look deserted? Was the school on break?</p>
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<p>You could tell that on a 2 day visit? [Just interested because D will be attending Dimensions in a couple of weeks. She is neither alcohol/frat oriented, so if the admitted student dog and pony show would actually give a true view of the above, that would be great. Usually these admitted student weekends are like your kids dressed in their Sunday clothes with their hands washed and their hair combed.]</p>
<p>My D’s boyfriend graduated from WashU and I have never met a more brilliant boy. Still, I didn’t feel the curriculum was a rigorous as D’s at Barnard.</p>
<p>Did you consider that Dartmouth is on the quarter system? This is great for some kids but not for others. It would be a nightmare for a slowish ADD son. It takes him a while to rev up. That’s one reason he preferred Williams to Dartmouth, although they are similar in some ways.</p>
<p>Perhaps the others are two, I’m not sure, but it’s something to look into.</p>
<p>Your son sounds like Dartmouth to me. I have hung out in Hanover when school was in session and the kids were charming, just as you describe. A lot of hopping energy.</p>
<p>Does he like the outdoors? Might be a consideration.</p>
<p>WashU has amazing dorms with balconies. It does not have the Yankee austerity that the New England schools do (well not Brown.)</p>
<p>This are difficult decisions to make if one school hasn’t just “clicked”. If Rhodes did, I’d say it’s a keeper.</p>
<p>Kids have a sixth sense about his.</p>
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<p>Uh-oh…watch out for balconies.</p>
<p>If in doubt, go visit again. Don’t rely on other people’s opinions for such an important issue, because that is all they are - opinions with a personal viewpoint/slant. What is right for one may not be right or someone else. Four years is a long time to be semi happy. Take the time now, have him decide where he feels that he best fits in and thinks he will be the happiest.</p>
<p>My D graduated from WUSTL. It most definitely does not have a predominantly Southern feel or student body, and I can’t imagine that very many students would find both it and Rhodes to be a good fit. (I am not criticizing Rhodes – just don’t see any real similarilites on a macro level between a mid-sized Midwestern research U and a small Southern LAC.) Although WUSTL attracts students from all over the country, it has a distinctly Midwestern flavor.</p>
<p>wjb - good post and good read of the situation. In my opinion all 3 schools under consideration are totally different. The campus atmosphere has no or at best very few similarities at these schools. That does not make any of them better or worse than the others, just different. Dartmouth - Ivy, heavy “campus Greek” influence, small NE location. Rhodes - small southern LAC, medium size city. WashU - medium size research university with LAC feel, minimum Greek influence, medium size midwest city. They all attract students that wanted their particular environment.</p>
<p>As I previously stated - the only way to decide (if not sure) is to go visit again and spend time on campus (possibly overnight in a dorm). It may not be convenient, but it is a better option than 4 years at a school that possibly may not be the best choice.</p>
<p>I am in agreement with those that say that the academics are not that different between WashU and Dartmouth. In fact, I would say that Wash U is more intense academically. Rhodes is also an excellent school. More like Dartmouth than Wash U, except for its location in the South. </p>
<p>If he and you have fears about intense academic environment, the school that fits the description the most would be Wash U. And it is not an unmerited fear. It is one tough school academically. Between Rhodes and Dartmouth the difference would be trading prestige for cost along with being in a Southern city vs out in the NE boonies.</p>
<p>In our area Princeton parents call the parents of newly admitted students to answer questions and talk about their kids’ experiences. One parent last year favored Princeton, but his daughter wasn’t sure. My freshman daughter ended up talking to the admitted student candidly and at length. She chose Carleton. My daughter had the definite impression that she felt intimidated by Princeton.
If he could go to Dimensions it would be a worthwhile trip. The answer will emerge from him.
To my knowledge, Dartmouth will not match merit awards.
Like a lot of kids about now, it may be hitting your son that he’s about to leave the life he has known.</p>
<p>My D considered all 3 schools and found similarities in the student body. </p>
<p>Without weighing in on the Op’s question specifically, I do want to point out that Rhodes is not a stereotypical Southern LAC (if any school is). An overwhelming proportion of the students are from outside Tennessee which makes campus life very vibrant.</p>
<p>OP here. I am all for son visiting Dartmouth (if it were up to me he would definitely visit again before deciding) but he is resisting. I don’t know whether his not wanting to visit is fear/intimidation/some other bad impulse (the only objective thing he has said is that it costs too much, even though we have told him repeatedly that he should not make his decision on the basis of money–Dartmouth is more but if that is what he feels is best we are happy to pay) or is an intuition to be respected. </p>
<p>I am starting to think that this is just an absurd circumstance–neither son (because of lack of experience) nor I (or anyone else, because it is his life, not ours) can make a decision here! I think he is processing on some level but he is definitely not talking.</p>