<p>I've been doing a lot of college researching on my own, and though it's taken a while, I've come up with a list of "dream schools." These are schools you probably haven't heard of: New College of Florida, Reed, Hampshire, and Marlboro top the list. These schools attract me because of their devotion to academics, their emphasis on the capstone project or thesis, and the sort of free-spirited "do whatever" environment that might have me at a poetry reading one night and smashed the next.</p>
<p>Anyway, I'm a strong student at a top school, and my parents have really been pushing the Ivies on me and they want very badly for me to go to one (assuming I get in, of course, which happens to be a slightly realistic given my academic performance and involvement throughout hs). They've identified both Dartmouth and Brown to be good schools for me, D because it's rural and small-ish, and B because of the intellectualism and free-spiritedness. Honestly, though, I don't really feel at home at either.</p>
<p>What can you tell me about Dartmouth that might make it more appealing to me? From everything I've read about the school, it sounds like it's a terrific choice for a "normal" kid, but I feel like I'm anything but. There are frat kids at Dartmouth, and there are some challenging classes, but are there also weird, nerdy, free-spirits whom you'd never imagine would belong at a school like D? And if so, how do they like the school?</p>
<p>I think you'll easily find enough of a scene for someone like you, so its worth a shot. But frankly I think you'd enjoy Brown more. I'd also recommend Vassar.</p>
<p>Yeah, go with Brown--a better fit from your description. All the smart hippies at my high school applied there. But you never know! You should visit.
Maybe look at Emerson College and UChicago too?</p>
<p>You sound kind of similar to me. Last year, my dream school was Brown, and I also applied to places like New College, Vassar, Wesleyan, etc. I ended up getting rejected from Brown, and, though I got into many of those other liberal arts schools, after much thought, I chose Dartmouth. I know that Dartmouth isn't exactly the liberal, happy-go-lucky orgy that those other schools are, but when I visited the school for their student preview weekend, I fell in love with the place and realized that it's got a lot to offer and has enough diversity for me to find my radical leftist, poetry-reading, ani difranco-quoting LGBTQRSVVWTJM niche among a really intelligent and enthusiastic student body. That being said, I still haven't matriculated (19 days and counting!), and my decision was also influenced by financial aid. But give Dartmouth a shot--I applied on a whim--and maybe next school year there's be another almost-Vassar student in Hanover.</p>