<p>I've been lurking on this site for a while now, but this is one of my first posts (I'm also posting it in the other school's forums). I'm a senior in Washington State, looking to go into business/finance in the future and probably major in economics. A little about me: 4.0 uw, strong extracurriculars for the field, and recently received a 36 on the act, which was a major bump up from my SAT score. I hadn't really even considered the ivies since I didn't think that I would be competitive, but now that I stand a better chance (I know, test scores aren't everything and aren't really even relevant after a certain point, but still).</p>
<p>So basically, I want to know what is the case for Dartmouth over the other tops schools. Or vice-versa. I'm also interested in how the social/party scene compares, as well as the vibe as the campus (don't have the money to fly out to the east coast to visit schools). I'm just having a hard time discerning what distinguishes Dartmouth over the other ives, because obviously the academics are going to be top-notch at all of them. If anyone also has some insights from the economics department that would be great.</p>
<p>By the way, I am also considering Penn and have done quite a but of research on it, but am interested in learning more about the other ivies that don't have an undergraduate business school. </p>
<p>I had two students who considered Cornell and Dartmouth because both offered a clearly defined campus in a rural setting. One was from a NY high school where dozens go to Cornell and she wanted a completely new social scene. So Dartmouth was appealing. Another was from New England and he wanted to stay relatively close to home but still be away. He also felt Dartmouth offered more focus on college students rather than on graduate students.</p>
<p>I think the better question for you why do you or would you want to attend Dartmouth? Are you considering Dartmouth simply because it is an Ivy? </p>
<p>Choosing a school like Dartmouth is really a personal decision. If you qualify for many of the top schools, like you may with a 36 ACT score, you need to start talking to alums in your neck of the woods. It definitely is not urban, and quite different than UPenn. Look at the websites, videos and see if you can see yourself there for 4 years. Best of luck. </p>
<h1>1 for undergraduate teaching for the past 5 years straight … personally, I’m done with bad teachers, which is why I applied ED Dartmouth. Don’t know about you though.</h1>
<p>Yeah I’m actually attracted to how rural it is. I’ve always said that I wish montana state was a world-class institution. I submitted my application last week, but the two things holding me back if accepted (assuming financial aid works out) are the relatively small size (I’d ideally want 7,000-10,000) and that there isn’t a more specified finance/management major (although if I did go I’d go with a engineering degree modified with economics).
Another question I had for anyone that has any experience, how is recruitment/internship opportunities on the west coast?</p>
<p>@entrebusecon are those your rankings your opinion of those 5 schools specifically, or for all schools, or for ivy league? And what are you basing it on?
And yes the smaller size combined with the rural location are somewhat concerning for me, not because I dislike those aspects, but because of how they will affect recruiting after school</p>
<p>Dartmouth’s quarter system gives students a good chance to get lots of internships. Additionally, it has a very strong alumni network and has always had a strong standing in banking. Big banks recruit at Dartmouth, so its rural location isn’t too much of a drawback. </p>
<p>I agree that Wharton and Harvard are the top tiers, with Princeton, Columbia, MIT, and Yale slightly below. But lumping in Stanford with Duke and Dartmouth? Think about the firms on the West Coast that prioritize Stanford students. Stanford is definitely in the tier with Yale and Princeton. </p>
'19 here. I’ve been speaking with Apple/Google recruiters recently over LinkedIn and they all LOVE Dartmouth. “It’s a fantastic school” “It’ll set you up for a very bright future” “I’m very impressed with the school”. That, combined with Dartmouth’s #2 worldwide MBA program (ranked by The Economist) are very convincing reasons to apply to Dartmouth, as well as the obvious unparalleled undergraduate focus.
I had my alumni interview with a recent graduate of Dartmouth last week. From what I’ve learned thus far, Dartmouth really is a unique Ivy. It has a small, almost isolated atmosphere with a strong, tight-knit community. This creates an excellent alumni network, so job opportunities + internships are overflowing. Also they follow a “D-plan” meaning instead of two semesters or whatever there are four 10-week sections, and you only take three classes during. So the time goes by quickly which could be really hard in terms of learning the material at such a fast pace, but at the same time you are kind of zoned in on just three courses. There are negatives + positives, as told by the alumni (even she could admit so!).
During your junior year you HAVE to take one of these 10-week sections off, and attend one in the summer. This means that you could take 10-weeks off during the winter, which is an incredible opportunity to take advantage of internships during a period when all other college students are in school! Also, if you’re into greek life, a majority of the student body participates. Even my interviewer was in a sorority, but she said it was nothing like how people think greek life is like. Nobody resides in the greek houses, and it’s very laid back. She said it was more so a chance to have a place, all-female, to study and just relax. She even brought along her non-greek friends to hang out, eat, study there.