By some miracle, I got into Dartmouth today. I’m really, really happy.
But I’m aware of the characterization of Dartmouth as a party school and I wanted to get some opinions.
My worry surrounds drinking. I have absolutely no problem with other people drinking, but I just want to make sure that I’m not amongst a tiny minority of people that aren’t getting drunk and I don’t feel like I’m going to be alienated by the student body because I choose not to drink.
It has nothing to do with religion or morals. Hitler didn’t drink. I believe in having rules. And a lot of the people I admire greatly (Warren Buffett, Ryan Holiday, etc.) don’t drink or drink very little, so it makes sense for me not to. Discipline is freedom.
So do I have anything to be worried about in terms of the school’s community, being pressured to drink, or being an outcast?
Also, is Dartmouth a party school is other schools are party schools?
My other option is Berkeley. So if the environment isn’t gonna be any different than Berkeley, then I have nothing to worry about.
I’m a Dartmouth '20 and as such haven’t studied on campus yet, but from what I’ve heard from alumni and current students, Dartmouth is very open - the student body is collaborative and laid back. No one should make you feel uncomfortable for not drinking, not partying etc. Everyone finds their niche.
I’ve been a member of the '20s Facebook Group and have met some wonderfully accomplished and incredibly compassionate people that I can’t imagine would ever bully someone or make them feel unwelcome if they decided not to drink.
@myaccountname my daughter is a '19 and does not drink. She lives on a substance free floor and will again make this choice for the Fall. She loves being at Dartmouth and is much more bookworm than social butterfly. She has NEVER had anyone pressure her into feeling as if she must drink to feel welcome or included in social activities. There are times she is the only sober one at a party but it doesn’t affect her having a good time. In my opinion for her to feel perfectly at ease on campus is a good indication that pressure to drink is slim.
Saying that, I will also mention that there are many activities that do not revolve around alcohol that are available. Dartmouth puts out a daily student paper Monday through Friday entitled The Dartmouth. You can find it online and even sign up to have the digital version emailed to you every day. It is an excellent resource to get a “feel” for what is happening on campus and how the students feel about the college, policies and social issues in general.
^^I second that. My son is a '19 and not a drinker or partier of any kind. He is having a wonderful time, has made great friends, and is very happy there. He is not on a substance-free floor, but even so has not been pressured to drink or ostracized for not drinking. Plenty to do on campus without it!
My own personal experience, I’ve posted it before since this question tends to come up:
I’ll reply the way I usually do when people ask me about the party reputation - I was definitely not a partier in high school, never drank. Freshmen year, I’d drink a little, but only with friends (one friend inevitably has a fully stocked bar in his/her dorm room). I ended up joining a fraternity my sophomore year after confirming multiple times I wouldn’t be hazed, I didn’t want to get black out drunk, I wanted to stay in control of my own actions etc. Even as an upperclassman, I was definitely a lighter drinker by choice. I never felt required to drink when I was there by a friend, fraternity member, random person at a party, anyone. Not only did I not feel required to drink, I didn’t even feel pressure to drink to fit in. The only time you need to drink is if you’re participating in an official pong tournament where not drinking would be a huge advantage throughout the playoff bracket.
I think the reason I had this experience is because when people actually want to hang out with you, the drinking doesn’t matter as much. Or because frats and sororities don’t sell the alcohol due to liquor license laws, they’d rather you not waste a cup of beer they have to pay for if you’re just going to sneakily pour it down the sink when no one’s looking.
You’ll find your place on campus, and you might still go to parties, and you might drink, or get drunk, or stay totally sober. But you’ll never be bored and you’ll never be ostracized (Latin for: Made into an ostrich) just because you aren’t drinking alcohol. The college also puts on a lot of entertainment options outside of frats - movies on the green, midnight breakfasts, concerts and entertainers like the Regurgitator (this is what it sounds like and you should go. Trust me on this one), and political talks and all sorts of other events. Just my personal experience
@Tank07, is it safe to assume that you are joking about the ostrich thing, and actually know that the term comes from the pieces of broken pottery that were used as ballots when voting to exile people from cities in ancient Greece?
@Consolation you can indeed assume that. I actually took Latin at Dartmouth and can vouch that they never taught me the ostrich part. Just making sure people are reading my posts!
You probably already made your decision (edit:just stalked you and really excited you’re coming to Dartmouth!). However, I wanted to dispel the notion of Dartmouth as a party school. It is probably the party school of the Ivies, but again that isn’t saying much. Yes, it’s a good example of a work-hard-play-hard school, but given the intellectual and diligent people who are accepted there, Dartmouth certainly isn’t some drunkard incubator. It’s a very intense, hardcore institution at the end of the day, but provides a good balance of work and play; this is why according to student surveys, Dartmouth consistently is ranked as one of the schools with the best quality of life (there is ample opportunity to challenge oneself and learn, while still being able to play). Also, many might’ve heard of that Rolling Stones article about Dartmouth frats. I just learned that the former Dartmouth student who called out the school in that article was actually suspended for illegal drug use, so he’s probably really mad at the school and incredibly biased.
