<p>Does anyone regret having declined XX colleges over D? if so, what is it, and why do you think that (briefly)? Name one choice that you regret most, please. If you have 0 regrets, state that too.</p>
<p>I am just trying to choose a school out of my three contenders and need some inputs. My sincere thanks!</p>
<p>I think I’ll be able to help a bit. I was choosing between Dartmouth, Princeton, and Columbia. I nearly got an ulcer choosing, as you can imagine. But I’m going to be completely honest, I’m so excited that I chose Dartmouth that whenever I imagine myself there I feel a rush of adrenaline. When I visited the three schools, I automatically knocked Columbia off of the list, I hated it.</p>
<p>It was really between Dartmouth and Princeton. To be honest, I didn’t know much about the two schools before (I’m first generation so I’m still learning). I knew both of these schools were Ivies, both have amazing reputation around the world, both will get me basically any job I want, both have strong tradition, both have good athletics, school spirit, etc… But for some reason my mind exploded when I visited Hanover during Dimensions. I had to choose Dartmouth, and I did.</p>
<p>That’s not saying that I’m not going to encounter difficulties/cons. I know the weather sucks like most east coast schools, I know I’ll get S.A.D., I know I’ll feel isolated sometimes, I know I’ll probably get bored with Hanover, but my obsession with the school will outweigh those. Sometimes I think to myself what would have happened if I matriculated to Princeton and if I would still experience those same difficulties/cons, and I would. No matter where I go on the east coast I’m going to experience some “not so great” moments, but I wanted to make sure that I went to a school where my “great moments” outweighed the bad ones!</p>
<p>CHOOSE DARTMOUTH!</p>
<p>The weather on the east coast does not “suck.” Everyone here does not get SAD. </p>
<p>Yes, we have distinct seasons. Most of us prefer that. Autumn in New England is glorious. Summer in northern New England is often equally so. In northern New England spring is eagerly anticipated and lovely, if shorter than we would like and rather muddy. And believe it or not, some of us actually LIKE winter, which is usually beautiful! 
Some of us actively dislike hot weather, and could never imagine living in a climate where one is imprisoned by air conditioning a goodly part of the year. In the winter, you can always dress appropriately and go for a walk. When it is 90+ and steamy, there isn’t much of an alternative. It is true that around late March most people are done with winter and can’t wait for spring to arrive. That’s usually the low point, weatherwise. </p>
<p>I’m glad you’ve chosen Dartmouth, but do try to get over this idea that the climate in New England is hellish, which appears to be perpetuated by people who faint at the sight of a snowflake or a raindrop. 
You may actually grow to like it.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I wouldn’t say I regret Dartmouth at all, but in retrospect the party-centered campus culture and rural location are not for me. It’s not an issue with the school so much as it is with fit.</p></li>
<li><p>I would be skeptical of Dimensions fever. The “obsession” with Dartmouth wears off faster than you’d think. Having said that, other than location, size, and maybe slightly culture, I think Dartmouth and Princeton are rather similar schools. And yeah, even despite my issues with Dartmouth I don’t know if I’d go for Columbia. If those are your only choices, I think Dartmouth is a good one. But I wouldn’t advise people to make a decision based on some sort of “obsession” with the school, any school…it’ll die down.</p></li>
<li><p>As someone who grew up in an equatorial country, I like New England weather. It’s not terrible at all. But Hanover’s weather is particularly annoying at times, and by senior spring, it’s really irritating that it can snow as late as April or May.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I really didn’t like the winter (although I have to admit that skiing was awesome). That’s when I regretted not going to Stanford instead. </p>
<p>Apart from that, I’m so glad I chose this school.</p>
<p>If you like or relate to the following, the fit will be good:</p>
<ol>
<li>Best undergraduate focused Ivy</li>
<li>Laid back student body</li>
<li>Hanover ranking as 2nd best place to live</li>
<li>Tuck Bridge Program</li>
<li>Would prefer to vist a city, than live there</li>
<li>This: <a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube; </li>
<li>Absence of the cut-throat environment you might see at the other ivies (basically reiterates #2)</li>
<li>Top IR program </li>
<li>GREEN KEY!!! </li>
<li>School spirit – everyone is GENUINELY friendly and really want you to go there. When I visited during Dimensions, every single person I met there really encouraged me to come, unlike at other schools where most current students just ignored us. </li>
<li>Perfect size – I was worrying that Dartmouth would be too big for me, but it turned out to be the perfect size. This depends on person to person though. But I like small classes. Two of the three classes I visited only had 8-11 people in it. </li>
<li>Undergraduate focus – the only Ivy that is a “college”! I really like the fact that there aren’t almost any TA’s teaching the classes, whereas in other big universities I would frequently be taught by a TA. </li>
<li>Diverse – Unlike public stereotypes, Dartmouth is pretty damn diverse, more so than many other small liberal arts colleges I’ve seen. I like that. </li>
<li>Reputedly a very strong alumni network – well, i haven’t been able to confirm this yet, but apparently Dartmouth has one of the strongest alumni networks. Here I come, jobs. </li>
<li>Social scene – yea, sure, the frats are a major part of it, but no means are they all of it. And all the frats/sororities are very open, and the pressure to drink is apparently much less than it is stereotyped in public. </li>
<li>Fun in the Snow</li>
<li>Dartmouth Coach</li>
<li>Greet on campus food, and off campus too</li>
<li>Student satisfaction rankings on that ranking site highest of any other school</li>
<li>The Outing Club</li>
<li>The Appalachian Trail runs through campus- all the trails, cabins, etc for students throughout New Hampshire- Dartmouth is the largest private property owner in NH.</li>
<li>Winter Carnival</li>
<li>Sophomore Summer</li>
<li>Quechee, VT, and Simon Pierce - check it out for dinner or lunch</li>
<li>Benny & Jerry’s headquarters/factory- T shirts and ice cream-- photo opps</li>
<li>According to Wallstreet Journal, highest compensation rankings of all schools after 10 years.</li>
<li>Some prefer green blood to red</li>
<li>Everything is right there- bikes are nice, but things are really close</li>
<li>Being viewed by HYP as inferior, but knowing 26 and that your happier because of all the rest and just smiling.</li>
<li>The golf course, including its use in the Winter ;-)</li>
<li>The SkiWay</li>
<li>The Green and Baker Library- see 6 above</li>
<li>Keggy the Keg : Keggy the Keg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</li>
<li>Occom Pond</li>
<li>Taking the Dartmouth Coach to Boston to see Dave Matthews at Fenway, but not living in Boston</li>
<li>Weekends in Montreal, but not living there</li>
<li>Skiing or boarding at Okemo, Vt.</li>
<li>Visiting Stowe or Burlington, Vt.- Ben & Jerry’s is half way</li>
<li>Maple syrup and cheddar cheese</li>
</ol>
<p>After I turned down a pretty awesome research fellowship at a pretty awesome school, I briefly regretted it. Sure, I’d liked Dartmouth better, and sure I didn’t want to be so close to home, but it was a lot of money to do research in one of the best Departments in the country for my intended major. But I stuck by my decision and trusted that I really had felt at home here. And then I came in the fall and it did feel like home, and it still feels like home, three (oh god. Have i already been here three years?!) years later. For me, Dimensions fever didn’t actually wear off. It’s not as present all the time, but I’ll still walk around sometimes, look around, and think “Damn is this an amazing place.” I am still obsessed with this place, actually. It was the right school for me to really grow into my own, and while my time here hasn’t always been easy, I wouldn’t change it for the world.</p>