<p>Will I hate Dartmouth? It's quite easily the best school I got into - most prestigious, outstanding teaching, great opportunities after undergrad schooling - but I'm afraid that I won't like the environment. My interviewer warned me that Hanover is very isolated, and that there isn't much to do in the town. He emphasized activities like hiking and camping, none of which have ever appealed to me. He also seemed to reminisce a lot about his old fraternity days (which I've heard are HUGE on campus), and I've never been one for frat/sorority parties.
I want to like Dartmouth. I'm just afraid it isn't the right place for me.
Please help me decide!</p>
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<p>You answered your own question on another thread. Greek life dominates the social scene in Hanover. It IS rural AND isolated. You can be premed at Barnard as well. Unless money is a factor, this is a no-brainer.</p>
<p>yes you answered your question. it seems as if you will enjoy Barnard much more</p>
<p>All of the above is true, but Greek life at Dartmouth is not like Greek life elsewhere, and there are many D students who join frats there who would not go Greek elsewhere. There are plenty of D students who are not into hiking and camping, but still find plenty to do. You also do not need to spend your entire college career in Hanover. Thanks to the D plan you also have the option of spending terms abroad in cities like Paris, and of having internships–perhaps at magazines?–when other college students are in school. </p>
<p>On the other hand, obviously, no city in the US offers the kind of cultural riches that NYC does–if you can afford to take advantage of it. </p>
<p>I would suggest that you consider attending Dimensions and whatever accepted student event Barnard offers before you make up your mind.</p>
<p>Thanks, guys. Right now it seems that Barnard is the place for me and not Dartmouth. I will, however, be attending the admitted students days at both. I haven’t actually seen Dartmouth before so this visit could change my mind about everything.</p>
<p>I grew up in NYC, Manhattan to be precise–lived there for 27 years. The scene at Dartmouth couldn’t be any more different. If you want a school where everything occurs on campus (except for occasional trips to Boston, Montreal, NYC) you’ll like Dartmouth. Tons of activities, organizations and clubs. Warm, friendly and accepting students everywhere. My D has no interest in the drinking/frat scene although she is very social and I had concerns about that too. We just came back from being there for 2+ days and couldn’t be more impressed. We know 2 girls that are attending, both in sororities, but the tour guide gave off a subtle vibe that she wasn’t into that scene and that there were lots of other kids who weren’t either. After the tour we talked more to her privately and she was adamant that a great time could be had with little or no participation in that scene, invited D to hang with her and her friends for the next day and see for herself. Its a great school with loads of on campus activities in a bucholic New England town. This will probably be the only time in D’s like she can live in such an environment. City life is easily available for the next 60 or 70 years. Good luck with your choice.</p>
<p>Yes, you should definitely visit both schools and then make a decsion. I am a life long NYC person, with a girly girl city kid who was also accepted at both schools. I think the decision was easier for her because she had been in manhattan her whole life and the chance for a of pace was appealing to her. In fact that one of the things that won her over was that she knew that she was coming back home after college and the city wasn’t going anyplace.</p>
<p>Barnard is an amazing place however, don’t think that there are not downsides to being in the city. Remember there may not be as much cohesiveness on campus because you have the city right there. it is one thing to say that you love big city life, but NYC is not like any other big city.</p>
<p>One if the biggest pitfalls to going to school in a big city is money. If the friends are looking to go out every weekend, movies, shopping, diner, clubs etc and you don’t have the $ to hang, being left behind on campus can be a very loney place. Even little things like going out and the friends say lets hop a cab (and you thought you were going to use your metrocard). So go into this with your eyes wide open.</p>
<p>If you live and grew up in NYC, it is an opportunity to have a different experience and not more of the same ole, same ole. You would be suprised to know that a good % of the class consists of NYC kids.</p>
<p>You can be non-greek at Dartmouth and still have an amazing time at the school. Hanover is an affluent town but it doesn’t mean that things are expensive. D was never broke and can be a cheap as they come.</p>
<p>I agree with consolation, you can have the opportunity to do it all; do a study abroad in paris, london, spain or just about anywhere else you want and still intern in NYC for a magazine (my D’s best friend interned at W magazine and a did her internships in Fashion PR and is currently working in that field). She has friends who have interned at Chanel, LV, etc. Career services and the alumni network is very deep.</p>
<p>Again, go to the admitted student’s day in both places then make a decision.</p>
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<p>Hmmm, I wonder if that is a selection criteria for becoming a tour guide – one of the hardest volunteer jobs to get on campus. I have taken ~6 tours (don’t ask!), and not one of the students was Greek, but yet over half of the non-Frosh are.</p>
<p>I know several tour guides who are in the Greek scene.</p>
<p>Really…I think most of my tour guide friends are affiliated…</p>
<p>I think the real explanation is…“I’m a tour guide. I like the school (or else why would I become a tour guide?). Clearly, I am going to tell people what they want to hear as much as I can without outright lying to them, because presumably I actually want them to come to the school.” I mean, seriously. What is someone going to say? “No, don’t come to the school, you will hate it”?</p>
<p>“Greek life at Dartmouth is not like Greek life elsewhere”</p>
<p>For some aspects this is true, for others it’s not. The OP said “I’ve never been one for frat/sorority parties.” If what she means by that is parties where tons of people play drinking games and get blackout drunk every weekend, well, that’s a whole lot more common at Dartmouth than at Barnard.</p>