<p>Im a senior agonizing over whether to apply dartmouth or amherst for ED.
I LOVE everything about dartmouth (far more than amherst) but the problem is the environment!!!
I am a naturally shy girl, introverted, non outdoorsy type of girl.
I "hate" hikings or staying overnight in the bush and all that kind of outdoor activities...
Im afraid that I would be left out like an outsider or be seen as a freak at the DOC camp..
but at the same time I want to try new things and get out of my comfort zone.</p>
<p>Why, then would you “love” Dartmouth? Consider a more urban (e.g. Columbia, Penn) or suburban (Swarthmore) school if you don’t want to spend 4 years in the wilderness.</p>
<p>I’m not outdoorsy at all…I went cabin camping for my DOC trip! Most kids at Dartmouth are not involved in the DOC outside trips. If you love everything else about it, don’t let that stop you from applying. Dartmouth was the only even sort of “in the wilderness” school I considered, but I fell in love with everything else about it. After those four days in the wilderness, you won’t have to be nature-y at all if you don’t want to, and no one will judge you for it. It’s hardly four years in the wilderness, more four years in a small town, near a larger suburb, with the wilderness easily accessible if thats what you want…and the “crunchy” types are not exactly the norm here. </p>
<p>And a word of advice if you do apply and get in: Trips are also optional, but i would DEFINITELY DEFINITELY go on one…even if you don’t end up best friends with your tripies or don’t think trips’ll be you’re thing, your trip and trip leaders are a great base to have your first couple of days on campus when you’re trying to figure things out.</p>
<p>Dartmouth is definitely a school that lets you branch out and step outside your comfort zone, as long as you’re willing to do it. I’m not at all the person I was in high school…in a good way.</p>
<p>Actually there is a lot of overlap between Amherst and Dartmouth so there are a lot of students that apply and get accepted to both schools. some choose Dartmouth over Amherst, some choose Amherst over Dartmouth. My daughter was accepted both places and choose Dartmouth but still felt sad at giving up Amherst. Now she has a roommate is an Amherst grad, so go figure.</p>
<p>IF you are not certain which school to pick, apply RD and then visit both. They are both excellent schools and you will get a great education at both schools. Yes you can definitely feel the difference between 2000 and 4000 students on campus and both offer great things.</p>
<p>My S is an introverted intellectual type who is not outdoorsy. He picked D over schools that looked like a better fit by most conventional measures because he thought the D environment would encourage him to be more outgoing and engaged. And that is exactly what has happened.</p>
<p>BTW, I believe that the trips include watercolor painting and organic gardening, amongst other things. So you won’t have to hike or paddle or climb if you don’t want to. :)</p>
<p>I think you will be fine at Dartmouth-it really is in in a nice civilized town; If you love it apply-there are plenty of students who don’t hike and camp and ski or even party wildly. It is bigger than Amherst -the student body is diverse and you can be yourself at Dartmouth. Go for it!</p>