<ol>
<li><p>Location and Access to resources
a. Hopkins: Urban, Eastern seaboard
b. Yale:, Urban, Eastern seaboard smaller city
c. Dartmouth: Rural =/</p></li>
<li><p>Hopkins has no grades first semester, no core (explore, try new things, be academically adventurous!)</p></li>
<li><p>15% international students (85+ countries), similar to Yale, has students from all over. Dartmouth falls short, too small, rural.</p></li>
<li><p>Reputation for discovery and innovation, unparalleled access to research grants. This is where Hopkins takes the cake in discovery and research. Yale is next, then Dartmouth</p></li>
<li><p>Global reputation, Yale is the winner here but I would say Hopkins is narrowly behind. Most people overseas don’t know about Dartmouth honestly. According to World rankings and reputation, Dartmouth ranks is the 101-150 range. Forbes puts them at #98 ([Dartmouth</a> College - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“Dartmouth College - Wikipedia”>Dartmouth College - Wikipedia))
Dartmouth is SO freaking cold for most of the year that the greenery/scenery is in late spring and summer and fall. It looks great on the brochures, but living with the snow and winter for that long is just… depressing.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I think the biggest difference is that Ivies suffer with 21-22 Division I sports recruits who, in a lot of cases (not all clearly), are not as interested in the academic life of the school. The selection process at these schools is based heavily on athletics and things like legacy. Yale has amazing students, but let’s be honest some students are there because they have a long line of family who went there, not because they really ‘earned’ their position there. If not for legacy, many would not have been chosen. [Yale</a> Daily News - Legacies face family pressure](<a href=“http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/features/2010/03/29/legacies-face-family-pressure/]Yale”>http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/features/2010/03/29/legacies-face-family-pressure/)</p>
<p>Hopkins only has 1 scholarship sport (Lacrosse) and so the make up of the student body feels different, because it is different. It’s not to say that the student athletes at a place like Hopkins aren’t good, but they are student-athletes, not athletic students. </p>
<p>Academic freedom reigns at Hopkins with no core and no grades freshman fall. Students don’t feel isolated in the middle of nowhere and have access to anything along the east coast of the US. </p>
<p>Yale definitely takes the cake with college life and living as the residential colleges are second to none. Faculty and resources are great there. I wouldn’t say Hopkins is far behind however. </p>
<p>I think ultimately Hopkins and Yale are closer in experience than Dartmouth really. </p>
<p>If you’re choosing between the schools, I definitely suggest a visit. Good luck.</p>