<p>1214mom-
I mentioned that I feel a LAC is a good option for him, but he is not considering any at this time. However, I think RPI is too techie for him, and too male heavy. It isn’t high on his list and given the price is isn’t a good safety choice and will probably be eliminated.</p>
<p>I would throw Johns Hopkins into the mix.</p>
<p>Not sure about some of your criteria but does fit many of them. He could qualify for a Hodson scholarship also.</p>
<p>[JHU</a> Student Financial Services | Prospective Students | Freshman & Transfers | Scholarships](<a href=“Student Financial Support | Johns Hopkins University”>Student Financial Support | Johns Hopkins University)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p><a href=“Dartmouth in the Glare of Scrutiny on Drinking - The New York Times”>Dartmouth in the Glare of Scrutiny on Drinking - The New York Times; may be of interest to him. It seems like a poor fit if he is “not interested in Greek life” as you mention in post #1.</p>
<p>Hanover is certainly not close to a city, so it makes sense for a kid who wants urban to avoid it.</p>
<p>However, I am skeptical of the publicity about Dartmouth’s social problems. My kids went to three very different schools, two of them other Ivies, and all campuses seem to have drinking problems, sexual harrassment issues and other social problems going on. </p>
<p>I am not a fan of the Greek system: participation may be high because of the relatively rural location. I am not sure that finals clubs, eating clubs and other types of exclusive social clubs are much different though.</p>
<p>Finals clubs might as well be fraternities, the big difference is only a tiny percentage of people actually belong to one. Less than 10%. When I attended Harvard in four years I only met one person who I even knew was in a finals club, though I’m sure I must have rubbed shoulders with more.</p>
<p>planner03,
you may want to read this article about Dartmouth that a CC mom posted on another thread:</p>
<p>“Take a hard look at racism, sexism and homophobia on college campuses”
[Take</a> a hard look at racism, sexism and homophobia on college campuses | Andrew Longhi | Comment is free | theguardian.com](<a href=“http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/may/21/dartmouth-college-real-talk-racism]Take”>Take a hard look at racism, sexism and homophobia on college campuses | Andrew Longhi | The Guardian)</p>
<p>"The school faces a possible Title IX complaint by students and alums who claim that Dartmouth fosters a hostile environment to women, racial minorities, and LGBT students.</p>
<p>Dartmouth is not alone. Similar problems and complaints at Oberlin College, Swarthmore College, Occidental, and Amherst show that Dartmouth is not alone in believing that the campus fosters respect and care for all, when, in reality, it might not. This isn’t a Dartmouth problem. It is an American problem. "</p>
<p>Columbia and Yale both have highly respected Geoscience programs.</p>
<p>
I realize that this is not your quote but that you pulled it from an article. However, I expressed a similar sentiment on the racism thread to which you “strongly disagreed.” I didn’t want to pursue it further over there, but do you really believe that racism doesn’t exist on urban CA campuses? Or were you only referring to racism against Asians? I can buy that these campuses may be more tolerant than Darmouth or many LACs or southern campuses, but NO racism? 40,000 students at USC for instance and not a racist in the crowd? I’m not being argumentative, I am truly interested in your viewpoint.</p>
<p>"Columbia and Yale both have highly respected Geoscience programs. "
“I would throw Johns Hopkins into the mix.”</p>
<p>Thanks, will take a look at Johns Hopkins. Yale is already high on the list, but Columbia was eliminated without a look due to the NYC location. Just too much for small town S.</p>
<p>Far be it from me to interrupt this orgy of Dartmouth-bashing by the ill-informed, but I will just note that there is no Missouri Synod Lutheran church in Hanover. There is an ELCA church, though.</p>
<p>I also feel compelled to clarify that despite someone’s authoritative-sounding pronouncement to the contrary, ANY student can spend all four Fall terms on campus if they wish. There is no effort to push anyone off-campus. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>“do you really believe that racism doesn’t exist on urban CA campuses?”</p>
<p>What I strongly objected to was your thought that there were NO urban colleges that have race problems in the US. Yes, there are still many Americans in many places that unfortunately have hung onto racist, bigoted attitudes from the past. BUT, here in Cal, especially in LA and SF , whites are quickly becoming the minority, both at colleges and in the surrounding areas, and racism, especially against Asians, is a non event.
There may be a few racists at USC, but they will find themselves outnumbered by the tens of thousands of Asians, Latinos, International students[- most of whom are Asian] on campus. Any person showing overt bigotry at a USC or Caltech , UCLA Stanford or Cal would be quickly put in his place by fellow students and by the administration.
Acceptances of racial differences in Calif is a growing social trend, similar to the ever widening acceptance of gays and lesbians among young people these days. Too bad there are still so many places in the US where people are still judged by the color of their skin.</p>
<p>Posters are providing links and expressing opinions on Dartmouth based on what they feel is important to my son given the information I provided. Since this thread is about finding appropriate options for a conservative, anti-substance African-American male that is not interested in sports or fraternities I don’t consider the posts “bashing.”</p>
<p>Posters are repeating sensationalized claptrap without any personalized knowledge of the school based on well-established personal prejudices. Ucbalum confidently stated that D students are unlikely to be “able” to be on campus for four fall terms, something that is patently ridiculous. Am I saying that D doesn’t have fraternities and that students there don’t drink? No. But I would suggest that you dig a little deeper.</p>
<p>When my S visited D during the accepted students weekend, he was housed with a conservative African-American male who took his religion seriously and wrote a column for a regional newspaper that reflected his views. S liked him a lot. (S is a white atheist, BTW.) He told S quite proudly that all of the prospies he had hosted over the years had decided to attend D.</p>
<p>My S, who was quite frat-phobic going in and would never have pledged at any other school, ultimately joined a house that was very diverse, with members of every race and religion. (I think it is fair to say that the majority of his best friends from college–and his college GFs–are people of color.) The scene there is very different from that at many other schools, very open, and although some houses probably conform to the stereotype, others do not.</p>
<p>In terms of African-American a capella singers at D, well I can only suggest that you watch these:</p>
<p>[Sing</a> Off 3 7 Dartmouth Aires - Queen Medley - YouTube](<a href=“Sing Off 3 7 Dartmouth Aires - Queen Medley - YouTube”>Sing Off 3 7 Dartmouth Aires - Queen Medley - YouTube)
[Sing-Off</a> Episode 9 - Dartmouth Aires - Midnight Train To Georgia (Gladys Knight and the Pips) - YouTube](<a href=“Sing-Off Episode 9 - Dartmouth Aires - Midnight Train To Georgia (Gladys Knight and the Pips) - YouTube”>Sing-Off Episode 9 - Dartmouth Aires - Midnight Train To Georgia (Gladys Knight and the Pips) - YouTube)</p>
<p>BTW, Michael Odokara was a member of a fraternity–gasp–and rowed crew.</p>
<p>Sorry for double-posting, but I thought you might be interested in this, also:</p>
<p>[The</a> Dartmouth - Smith and Payne: Equality in Brotherhood](<a href=“http://thedartmouth.com/2013/08/20//smith-and-payne-equality-in-brotherhood]The”>http://thedartmouth.com/2013/08/20//smith-and-payne-equality-in-brotherhood)</p>
<p>I am not advocating that your S go to D–for one thing, I have no idea whether his particular scientific interests would be well served there–and I am also not advocating that he or anyone else join a fraternity. But I think that some balance is needed before a single viewpoint is accepted as “the truth.”</p>
<p>Consolation-
Thank you for posting. As I said, my son is attracted to Dartmouth and I am happy to hear a different perspective.</p>
<p>planner03,
I just sent you a PM.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>[D-Plan</a> Planning (Your Enrollment Pattern)](<a href=“http://www.dartmouth.edu/~upperde/dplan/#L=%20Leave]D-Plan”>Home | Undergraduate Deans Office) indicates that students’ D-plans must include at least one proposal with a fall leave term, indicating that the fall term is the “full” one that the school may not be able to accommodate every student in.</p>
<p>In practice, I’ve never heard of a student not being accommodated in any term if they wanted to be there.</p>
<p>from the link UCB provided:</p>
<p>“On each of the three D-Plans you submit, you are required to take three leave terms. On one of your submitted D-Plans, ONE leave term must be in the FALL of either sophomore or junior year.
L = “Leave” [Away from Campus for Employment, Internship, Transfer Term, or Time Off]”</p>
<p>this is the same policy when DS was accepted in 2006.
It originated years ago when Dartmouth’s admission office did not accurately estimate the"yield" and wound up with way too many freshman acceptances and no where to house them.
The “D” plan was the temporary way around this problem, and was turned into policy when it actually turned out to be popular because it was much easier for students to land internships on Wall Street [ or elsewhere] in the winter qtr , and thus avoid a cold winter in Hanover and have a better chance at an internship position at a WS firm than the thousands of other students looking for summer internships.</p>
<p>“In practice, I’ve never heard of a student not being accommodated in any term if they wanted to be there.”</p>
<p>It seems it would behoove a perspective student to expect to have to adhere to the school’s clearly and strongly written policy though…</p>