I'm back!!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Dartmouth College
1

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>I was a pretty regular visitor on this site last year. I've been meaning to start again, but freshman year has kept me soo busy in the past couple of months that I just haven't had the time! Anyways, I'm back- wanted to help out anyone who had questions about Dartmouth, college admissions, or anything in high school in particular. For high school, I went to a New England prep school, and before that a public magnet school, so if you have any questions about those, I can help you there too. Talk to you guys soon!</p>

2

<p>How are you liking Dartmouth? Is it all you hoped for?</p>

3

<p>how was the transition from andover to dartmouth??</p>

4

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>I love love LOVE Dartmouth. Because of Andover, I didn't feel like the workload was much of an adjustment at all (even the trimester system is the same!) There is SO much more freedom than at prep school and as an undergrad student you are absolutely coddled compared to other Ivy League schools. I've already gotten an internship working at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center doing cancer research in the brain imaging lab- after one term!! Because of blitzmail, opportunities just are thrown into your face right and left- paid internships, scholarship opportunities, hiking trips, studies abroad, lessons for everything from belly dancing to Indian cooking, etc.</p>

<p>And the students- everyone is so completely down-to-earth and friendly here, it's hard to believe they've done such amazing things. At places like Harvard, where many of my high school classmates went, I do feel like the students are amazing, but sometimes they seemed so focused on their track to med/law/business school, it's a little intimidating. At Dartmouth, students' intelligence doesn't define them- it's just another part of them. I guess the word I'm looking for is well-rounded. And, they actually DO things. You'll never have a conversation like:</p>

<p>A: Hey, what do you wanna do?
B: I dunno, what do YOU wanna do?
A: How about hanging out at the mall? Or a movie?
B: Sure, I guess.</p>

<p>The outdoors is a big part of campus if you want it to be. Students hike, rock climb, snowshoe, backcountry ski, whitewater kayak, and still make it back in time to attend a lecture by Nelson Mandela. And it's no wonder- Hanover is such a beautiful area, who wouldn't want to explore it? It's refreshing to be around kids who are sooo enthusiastic about their school. Even the other Andover students I see around campus here seem different- a little less jaded, a little less stressed about work, a little friendlier and more open. Part of it is just college, I guess, and escaping high school social scenes, but Dartmouth definitely is a tightly-knit community in other ways too.</p>

<p>Even if I did not have any classes at all, I would not have time to schedule in all the activities I want to do in a term. This is why many students spend summers and off terms at Dartmouth, even hanging around campus after they graduate! It sounds creepy, but I completely understand how kids who graduated in '04 or '05 want to stay in such an Shangri la.</p>

<p>This is a poor, disorganized attempt at describing how wonderful a time I'm having here, because I'm in a little bit of a rush now. But I urge prospective students to visit campus, if only for a day and see for yourselves. And let me know if you have any more questions!</p>

5

<p>hi, i havent visited dartmouth, but ive met a ton of people from there and i think that it'll be my #1 school ( im hs school of '07). moving every three or four years has made me a very adaptable person. i love hte outdoors, which as you described your post above is a big part of the dartmouth lifestyle, but what do people do just to relax, besides hit up frat parties n whatnot (not that im not intersted in that). are there like certain parts of campus where you can just go and there will always be people there to hang out with (excluding hte library, haha). thanks</p>

6

<p>
[quote]
are there like certain parts of campus where you can just go and there will always be people there to hang out with (excluding hte library, haha).

[/quote]
</p>

<p>the library is probably one of the biggest social meeting places on campus (if you can get past the first floor) :)</p>

7

<p>Axman-</p>

<p>Yup, in addition to the library, there are a lot of places students go to just hang out (even though there's definitely no shortage of things to do!) You'll always find kids lounging on the couches in front of the big screen TVs in Collis (a building mostly dedicated to club and student activities). For people who kind of feel like studying but kind of feel like being social too, Novack Cafe is open until 2 in the morning on weeknights (as is Thayer Dining Hall- a plus that friends at other schools complain they don't have). Dorm common rooms are great for playing some foosball or pong (the unalcoholic kind- you'll find plenty of beer pong at frats). If you live in the Choates, an all-freshman housing cluster, like I do, you don't even have to walk outside to visit other buildings: they're connected by these glass walkways they call the "hamster cages."</p>

<p>In terms of things to do? As I mentioned before, the outdoors will never go out of style here: you name the sport- there's probably some weekend expedition held by the Dartmouth Outdoors Club (DOC) for it. Sometimes students rent cabins owned by the DOC, which owns like a ton of land on the Appalachian Trail, btw, and bring a whole group of friends to hang out there for a weekend. In the summer, lots of students will go down to the Connecticut (River) and swing on the rope swing, swim, and chill there.</p>

<p>Art more your thing? I'm on the theater blitz list and there's an opening for directors, actors, actresses, and tech crew in plays literally EVERY day. The jewelry and woodworking shops hold regular open houses to make your own cool gadgets and gizmos (I designed my own pong paddle the other month).The Hopkins Center for the Arts ALWAYS has some kind of concert or show going on. They do their best to bring in national acts as well as student groups, like the Blue Man Group or Jamie Kennedy- all for a nifty student discounted price. </p>

<p>What else? Watching certain sports, like ice hockey, are always fun to go to. Lectures by big-name economists, politicians, and scientists happen regularly. Need money for an activity? You'll probably find it somewhere: my dorm hall went on an apple picking expedition in Vermont in October, conveniently funded by the Student Activities Board. I find myself regularly breaking my day into half hour segments just so I can go to every activity I want to go to.</p>

<p>The downtown's cute, but if you want to get off campus, there are regular buses into Montreal or Boston for real shopping. But chances are, you won't even have to (I have friends from New York City who vociferously complained they would miss big city life- and haven't even been off campus yet). </p>

<p>Finally, there are the little things- the things that make Dartmouth a real community. The English Department at Sanborn library holds tea every day, complete with cute crackers, cakes, and everything. You can meet English faculty, other students, or just hang out. The First Year Council offered free massages in the Choates the week before finals. There was an inter-residential cluster snowball fight the first night it snowed. The Asian Studies Department holds "Noodle Hour" weekly, offering Chinese food and discussion every Thursday. There are improv shows and a cappella shows right and left. AGORA, the student-led discussion group, holds weekly discussions (over food, of course!) about issues like gender, obesity, politics, and more. The Tucker Foundation (the religious/community service center) offers opportunities to hear speakers like Paul Farmer, participate in 5k fundraiser walks, food drives, or go on alternative Spring Breaks. The Hillel has "hummus and hookah" every Tuesday evening where you can meet Jewish students over good food and hang out at the Roth Jewish Center. Wine an d cheese tasting, salsa lessons, formals, reality dating competitions, cooking workshops... oh, did I mention all of this only covers what happened in December?</p>

<p>I cannot even halfway describe all of the events that take place on campus, but I will make you one promise: you will never be bored at Dartmouth. Even when you are off-campus, you will be part of Dartmouth- meeting up to party with friends in Prague, interning with classmates in DC, or going on rock climbing trips to Utah with buddies. Sometimes someone will just send out a mass blitz (email) to like the entire freshman class saying something like: "Hey I'm headed to Vermont to go backcountry skiing, got room for 2 people, anyone need a ride?" That's how open and friendly everyone is here. It's like- how do I say this without sounding cheesy- one big, extended family. Okay, that still sounded cheesy. But it's true.</p>

<p>I hope this begins to answer your question.</p>

<p>Edit: check out <a href="http://stuff2do.dartmouth.edu/calendar.php?view=month&show_month=1-Jan-2006&PHPSESSID=ad162ca71dc80f55855fa54bcda4694d%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://stuff2do.dartmouth.edu/calendar.php?view=month&show_month=1-Jan-2006&PHPSESSID=ad162ca71dc80f55855fa54bcda4694d&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>for a more detailed calendar of stuff going on. It's a little empty now since it's winter break, but things'll get started again once January swings around!</p>

8

<p>wow thanks so much..ahh i really want to go there now..my guidance counselor said im on the edge..either just above or just below. i want to cry!.haha</p>

<p>since you are a student there, do you know if dartmouth consideres the fact that im from a very competitive school in one of hte most competive counties in the united states (westchester, ny), and would consider my gpa of 3.85ish to that of someone from a less compettive school district with a 4.0? .</p>

9

<p>In a word: yes. You're fine. Obviously, a 2.5 GPA will never work at highly competitive colleges (or only in rare circumstances). But if the college at hand has a good relationship with your school- they know and trust the guidance counselors, they know the organizations you're involved in are legitimate, and they realize you're held to higher expectations than elsewhere, they will account for that in admissions decisions. Then again, if you're from a privileged background, they'll expect more out of you than if you have less resources also. It's all about making the most of what you have. But a 3.85 certainly won't hold you back at any school.</p>

10

<p>my guidance counselors are new..but mine knows hwat she's diong..she taught at a city school before. its prodominately african american but they still have like 30 ivy's out of 400 or so..which is really good..but yeah i have a decent amoutn of ec's.and take the most rigorous course load available (no honors offered..3 ap's this year (american, stat, englihs lit), and i skipped chem so im in physics right now (we do chem in 11th grade, its wierd)). but i feel i lack big time in the awards department. i might have pulled off national commendation (i scored 97th percentile), but i think that'll be it. plus im hopefully trying to get a mentorship for science research at the taub institite for alzheimer's disease at columbia university. i already know my teach rec's will be good too b/c i asked the two teachers for reccomendations for a summer program at wharton which only accepts 60 kids a year from around the globe (i know im not going to get in, but its better to apply and get rejected than not to do so at all. its something i'll do if i dont land my science research). yeah. i know i got really personal, but i feel having an opinion of a dartmouth student is the best way to understand the school b/c you know firsthand what its like and have met freshmen from all different backgrounds. as for relationship w/ dartmouth, every year kids from my school are accepted (well at least 1 out of an avg class size of about 90; we have a ton of ivy or ivy-equivalent schools however (our average student goes to lehigh or a school of that caliber), but last year we had two go, both whom are brilliant students and are doing really well there right now, so hopefully that helps. my friend who is applying RD this year has a shot, 4.0 gpa, amazing ec's, strong SAT II's, and SAT I's; hopefully he gets in.) but does dartmouth look at how other kids from my school are doing at the college while considering my application? wow that was a long comment.</p>

<p>note: i have been moving everywhere in my life (lived in dubai, nairobi, bahrain, london, and new york (im here right now, and have been here since 6th grade), would the college consider the fact that i have no been able to be persistant in many things because i kept moving so much. for ex i have reached high belts in like 3 different martial arts, but i never go to a black belt b/c every time i moved i had to start again. swimming is the only real thing i have, but im not a brilliant swimmer. we dont have a varsity team at my school, so i swim with badger, a very prestigious team. the only thing is i do not really particpate in meets b/c they take up the entire weekend and i cant sacrifice my family time and my work time. the whole being indian factor makes family time crucial b/c my parents mainly assosiate with other indian families which are from other towns (my town is prodominately white and jewish as i think i mentioned before), so that again takes out of my time..lol i dont know how im going to explain that to the college.</p>

11

<p>Hoo boy, axman. I'm not sure where your story ends and where your question begins but I'll try my best. Let's break this down. These are the points I have to say to you:</p>

<p>-It's hard to say whether Dartmouth looks at students from your school attending Dartmouth. A couple years back, Andover had a terrible year with Stanford following several good years. The rumors were that all the Andover students at Stanford were all East Coast snobs who looked down on the West Coast and were unhappy and not doing well at Stanford, so Stanford was reluctant to admit more students. This never got confirmed, but the next year numbers with Stanford went up again. So I don't know. But like I said, it's all about making the most of what you've got. Adcoms aren't unreasonable: they know it's tough for a student who moves around a lot to be the president of a club. Have you taken advantage of your travels to bring your experience to your new homes though? One of the nice parts about moving is the fresh start- let's say there was a cross-cultural literature magazine at your school in Dubai, but not in New York. Well, you can be the first one to bring it to New York! So the admissions officers will compare you to others in your condition- whether that means other students from your school, other students from your region, or (unfortunately) other students of your race and background.</p>

<p>-Please don't worry so much! Honestly, I want to make you a grilled cheese sandwich and pat your shoulder or something. So many students don't realize how much is done by the time they apply to colleges. Your extracurriculars, your personality, your impressions on teachers and other students, your awards- that has all already been decided by senior year. It's done. Finito. End story. All that's left is the application, and how well you present yourself. Admittedly, presentation does count for something. But it's no use worrying about your GPA or extracurriculars now because you can't do anything about it. It just drains you of energy you could be using writing a killer essay.</p>

12

<p>raspberry i have a question that you may or may not be able to answer</p>

<p>dartmouth is probably my first choice, your description only pushed it up a bit further over duke </p>

<p>my concern is the fact that there are so many other people from my school applying (one double legacy, african american, but grades aint hot), two recruited athletes, and another kid at the top of the class with me (i dunno if i have an edge over him, but hes never worked or done any volunteer stuff, while I have - anyway hes just applying cause its an ivy - I TRULY LOVE DARTMOUTh!!)</p>

<p>im concerned all the spots available to my school will fill up with recruits/legacy/the kid ranked 1 spot higher than me, and i wont get in!!!!</p>

<p>what is dartmouths policy on accepting like 4 kids from the same HS? are the sports apps looked at completely separately?</p>

<p>and also, should i call them and change my major from undecided to biology? would that help, since the other top kid is definitely political science, and EVERYONE does that? because my major probably will be biology, but im into other things too, so i just left it undecided...</p>

<p>help!</p>

13

<p>they accepted four kids from the school in my neighboring town..but 3 were recruited athletes and the other had legacy. but, man, there's no harm in applyin, you get in where your destined to go. look at it this way, if the college doesnt want you, their loss. yeah i know its a lot easier said than done.haha.</p>

14

<p>Raspberry is on the money! Its amazing how down to earth and just honestly friendly and happy everyone is. Also I didn't have a TV for two years and I honestly never missed it. Also every season is so different and unique, it makes each term so special and amazing. In the winter you steal dining trays and go sledding, in the summer you can jump into the river from the 40ft roof of the river ranch. Not to mention countless speakers like Ang Lee, Nelson Madela, Howard Dean, etc plus the countless cultural and extracurricular events. Even the frat scene is incredibly open and laid back, everyone really is invited to every party. Its like no other place out there.</p>

15

<p>I have to agree with many of the others here and say that your descriptions of Dartmouth paint an absolutely amazing picture! It's definitely my first choice and I cannot wait until April to find out if I got in :)</p>

16

<p>These guys are right on the money.</p>

<p>I went to Dartmouth for 4 days on a minority recruitment program and the people were amazing... So much stuff to do... I remember one night where I went to the gym and played basketball for a while.. after I decided to go play pool at the lounge.. Then I heard about a Salsa Dance so I went to that.. after an hour of dancing I went to a frat house where I enjoyed some nice milk and cookies.
After the frat house I went to a few frat parties and well, I dont remember much after that ;)</p>

<p>But Dartmouth is such a great place... Hanover owns.. and anyone who has a chance to go there - I highly recommend it... hopefully I'll be there next year!</p>

<p>Peace</p>

17

<p>Well about acceptances.
Last year, 7/32 got into D.
17/59 the year before that.</p>

<p>Another school near us already has 9 people in for ED this year.</p>

<p>Good luck! Wait, I need the luck more!</p>

18

<p>Good luck Eddie!! </p>

<p>Dartmouth might not be in the city, but those city kids are missing out... </p>

<p>Short story: I ran into a friend who is also in grad school at Columbia (law) at a Columbia bar and he was (drunkenly lol) telling me about how he had such a hard time not bragging about how great Dartmouth was to his classmates. I was like "I know, I went through the same thing last year!" </p>

<p>Its crazy, I have no idea how so many awesome people end up in one place. Sure there are some pretentious frats and cliques just like everywhere else, but conversely there are so many people who would love to have an intellectual conversation with you at Novack (library) at 2am. The next day you'll see the same kids sliding down a slip and slide and that night they'll be at an acapella concert. On the weekends, they are out hanging out making a circuit to all the frats talking to everyone. Finally, at graduation you'll find out that hilarious kid who dyed his hair yellow is going to Harvard Law. I'm not exaggerating that much lol!</p>