<p>Robert Frost attended Dartmouth! So did Dr. Seuss!</p>
<p>I believe I make a compelling case. =]</p>
<p>In all seriousness though, I had a very good impression of Dartmouth when I visited, which is partly what made me decide between it and Northwestern. Both have beautiful campuses – the former has this very natural setting, secluded in the woods; the latter is just a man-made wonderland, absolutely gorgeous.</p>
<p>Academically, both are extremely competitive. It’s socially where it differs. Northwestern is reputed to have this everyone works hard and rarely parties attitude, whereas at Dartmouth, it’s work hard, play hard. Of course, Northwestern is considerably larger than Dartmouth.</p>
<p>As for financial aid, I had the good fortune to receive great offers from both schools. Dartmouth is reputed to be better with giving out money, and Northwestern a bit more stingy. However, in my case, Northwestern offered me an academic scholarship, giving me about 10,000 more than Dartmouth did, and Dartmouth matched it when I made an appeal.</p>