<p>if u guys dont mind... wats the goods and bads of dartmouth. i noe its good in everyway, but if u rlly have to be picky, wats also bad about it? im looking at more of campus wise, but also academically. any input would be greatly appreciated</p>
<p>Good:
--prestige
--small Classes
--small Campus, Easy To Get Around
--d Plan Has Lots Of Options</p>
<p>Bad:
--least Diverse Ivy, Mainly White Rich Kids
--dominated By Greek Life
--not Enough Housing
--middle Of Nowhere (and Hard To Get Anywhere W/o Car)
--poor Sports Teams</p>
<p>Another poster added these:</p>
<p>-Too cold
-Nowhere to go when you need to be anonymous, even for a fleeting moment
-You need a car to get anywhere, and it gets old driving 2+ hours each time you want to go to a city
-The vast majority of the student body, really, is the same (attitude-wise more than race-wise)
-Frats dominate the social scene, no matter what people try to tell you otherwise
-The financial aid director is insane
-Quarter system doesn't work
-Overall, I felt classes emphasize more busywork than intellectual work
-No real Starbucks (though that became somewhat better last year when B&N bought out the bookstore and put a B&N cafe serving Starbucks Coffee in)</p>
<p>woah, its like the cons overweigh the pros o.0 if its least diverse, is it becuz less internationals apply, or becuz they accept less/ most get rejected? im an international, does tht help me compare to other ivies tht it actually hurts to be international? so, u basically have to be in a frat to be 'social'?</p>
<p>One student gave you his/her opinion of their experience at Dartmouth.</p>
<p>You will find a bunch of rich white kids at all of the ivies becasue a very large number of students are full pays no matter how you slice it. Dartmouth is one of the places where I have seen that people do not flaunt their wealth like at other schools.</p>
<p>I did not find the Financial aid director to be insane, quite the contrary I found them to be a very amenable bunch. </p>
<p>The quarter system, it depends on who you ask. Yes, you definitely are going to cover a lot of work over the course of 10 weeks which for most classes include 2 midterms and a final. So if you miss classes, you will miss a lot of work.</p>
<p>Housing is guaranteed freshmen year, then after that students go in to room draw. while there were student who did not get a room at room draw in may, they are being called for housing now as housing is coming available. In addition there are new dorms currently being built and slated to open fall 2006.</p>
<p>Dartmouth is actually one of the most ethincally diverse amongst the Ivies.</p>
<p>The international pool in and of itself is very competitive (as it is at all of the Ivies and selective schools) as you have many people applying for a few slots.</p>
<p>You will end up meeting people and having firiends from different classes , if for no other reason as you go to class over the course of 10 weeks, you are going to meet new people.</p>
<p>Hi,
I'm an '08 at Dartmouth and I just wanted to comment on the aforementioned "negative" Dartmouth qualities. </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Sports -
I am not big on sports, but I do know that last year, we had the #1 soccer team in the Ivy League, the #1 Rugby team (ranked in the top 16 nationally), and the list goes on. We had an awful season for football, which is part of the reason our coach was sacked and we hired the Stanford football coach, who is now doing some wonderful things with the team.</p></li>
<li><p>Location -
Dartmouth is located in one of the most beautiful places in the world, I kid you not! Harvard freshmen, when they have their pre-orientation "experience" come to the wonderful New Hampshire mountains owned by Dartmouth. We have one of the best outdoor programs. Many of my friends in Boston come to New Hampshire for vacation, because of its scenery. And just imagine - while they vacation here, you'll get to STUDY here!</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Dartmouth is 2.5 hours away from Boston (2 if you're driving), 5 hours away from NYC, and something like 3-4 hours away from Montreal, visiting which is a must. I visited my friend at Yale last term, which took me 7 hours total. </p>
<p>There are two reasons why these distances really aren't as bad as some people make them out to be. First, like all elite colleges, Dartmouth is a ton of hard work. This means you really won't get that much time to travel anyway. Second, so many people/shows/performances/etc. come HERE that there is not an urgent need to leave. </p>
<p>Seriously. I've listened to philosophy lecturers from England and Scotland, went to the Big Apple Circus (NYC), took pictures with John Kerry, John Edwards, Madeline Albright, and the like - all here on campus! When companies want to hire, they come here -- Google, Microsoft, IBM, Goldman Sachs, Bridgewater, Morgan Stanley all recruit at Dartmouth annually. Often, they invite you to Boston/Redmont/etc. for a follow-up interview. But by that time, I'm sure you're not all-too-sad about having to make the 3-4 hour trip :)</p>
<ul>
<li>MikeB, a Dartmouth student.</li>
</ul>
<p>I don't think Wealth goes to Dartmouth. Dartmouth isn't the least diverse Ivy by any stretch, its social scene is very inclusive, much more so than other places. It might be frat dominated, but the frats arent like other places, everyone is welcome everywhere all the time.</p>
<p>Dartmouth has amazing spirit and people love the school. Its beautiful, the academic attention is top notch, and the students are happy go-lucky. Housing isnt that much of an issue, only a few percent dont get it and there are plenty of great off campus options. Dartmouth's biggest plus is that it feels like a family.</p>
<p>Regarding departments: wonderful everything except music. My friend is in the class of '09 and plays flute. She said the teachers are low quality and there aren't enough people to fill the orchestra, so they have to call in ringers from the surrounding town. So if you're into music, look elsewhere.</p>
<p>If not for that, Dartmouth would be at the top of my list for the above positive traits.</p>
<p>WealthOfInformation,</p>
<p>As a Dartmouth athlete myself, I am offended by your post.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It is true that Dartmouth does not have an SEC-caliber athletic program, but few top-tier schools have such a program, one of which being Stanford. None of the Ivies have incredible sports teams. Occasionally, however, a team in the Ivy League will be good enough to be ranked nationally. This doesn't happen very often in the more "popular" sports.</p>
<p>Still, Dartmouth offers an NCAA Division I athletic program. We have one of the largest athletic programs in the country. Harvard actually has more sports teams than does any other school in the country. Dartmouth, along with the rest of the Ivies, is right behind Harvard.</p>
<p>So while we do not have an athletic program which can compete with the University of Georgia's or U of Florida's, we by no means have "poor sports teams."</p>