Dartmouth

Hanover, New Hampshire
4,100 undergraduates
1,100 graduates

How many students does it take to change a lightbulb at Dartmouth?
None – Hanover doesn’t have electricity

Ever read The Cat in the Hat? The creator of green eggs and ham hailed from Dartmouth, smallest of the eight Ivy League schools. Tucked away in a remote corner of New Hampshire, Dartmouth is not for those who seek the bright lights of the big cities. Yet for those seeking a university experience that allows them to travel, ski on their own slopes, and assemble a wardrobe based around the colour green while simultaneously exposing themselves to some of the best teaching around, Dartmouth is a top choice. After all, if it was good enough for Dr Seuss, what’s stopping you?

The Campus
Dartmouth was founded in 1769 by the Rev. Eleazar Wheelock, and was designed to educate Indian tribe children and the sons of the British. Hi mission was to spread Christian morals and beliefs from one to the other in an attempt to civilize the area. Hence the school motto remains “vox clamantis in deserto” – a voice crying out in the wilderness. While New Hampshire is no longer the wilderness it once was, is still not the most cosmopolitan place. However what it lacks in urbanity, it makes up for in breathtaking beauty. Situated between the Vermont and New Hampshire mountains, Dartmouth students have the option of hiking on their own trails, skiing on their own slopes and skating on their own pond. Certainly not something that England can offer.

The Dartmouth campus is situated around the Green, initially an area used for herding cattle and now populated by sprawling students in the summer and snowballing students in the winter, The Green is also the site for some of the more pagan of the school’s festivities – bonfires for fall Homecoming, ice sculptures (yes it is this cold) for the Winter Carnival and all manner of celebrations for the spring Green Key. Dotted around the Green are the main residential buildings and classrooms of the campus. Many of them are in classic New England fashion (think red brick, white spires) – most notably the beautiful Baker library. There are however some more modern additions, including the “Hop” or Hopkins Center for the Arts – the performance center on campus.

The Dartmouth Student
Dartmouth has been labeled the “country club” of the Ivy Leagues – a reputation which is not altogether undeserved. The combination of a small and elite university, catering to intelligent and elite students in beautiful and elite surroundings does suggest a certain exclusive quality. Despite the original vision of an Indian/English school – catering to all nationalities and cultures – diversity has been a serious problem at Dartmouth. While this issue has lessened in recent years – 32% of students are now from ethnic minorities – students still report a certain amount of segregation between different racial groups. The situation is constantly improving but Dartmouth has found it difficult to shrug off its legacy of white privilege.

The average Brit will not however be much affected by this. The student body is large enough to encompass all friendship groups and Dartmouth prides itself on a sense of community. As long as you are open with everyone, everyone will be open with you. In many senses the Dartmouth atmosphere bears much resemblance to that of a British uni. If you are feeling homesick there is tea served every day at four (faculty and students welcome). Even more importantly for those used to non-Draconian drinking laws, the campus has its own pub – The Lone Pine Tavern – a rare institution at American universities and one seemingly designed to make the Brit feel at home.

In fact Dartmouth as a whole is an extremely friendly place. Although there are graduate schools, these students are outnumbered by the undergrads at a rate of four to one. The number of young people and the isolated position of the school ensure a close knit campus community that bonds over the cold, the colour green and the delights of having accommodation with working fireplaces. 85% of students choose to live on campus, in the attractive buildings situated around the Green. Some of these are themed houses (international, substance free etc) but most combine all year groups, majors and ethnicities for a diverse living experience. And most students eat together in the nationally renowned dining halls – forget the cafeteria experience, this food is really good.

The life of the average Dartmouth student is very much defined by the unique D-Plan or semester schedule. Any Brit who comes to the US is bound to be perplexed by the term system that universities have. While most colleges divide the year in two, cutting out Easter holiday and focusing instead on the summer, Dartmouth offers an entirely different solution. They split each year up into seasons (yes, there are actually seasons in New Hampshire). The student then has a choice as to where to spend the four ten week terms. It is obligatory to be on campus for the first three of both freshman and senior year and for the summer term of your sophomore year. But you can then also choose to study off campus – either abroad or in some form of internship – for as many as three other terms. Confused? The Dartmouth website explains all this brilliantly – even allowing you to plot your own academic schedule for the next four years.

This D-Plan system means that Dartmouth students are constantly on the move. While this can be disruptive, it also means that you are continually being exposed to new people and new ideas. Even the potentially off-putting notion of a summer spent at school is actually much loved by the student body who devote most of it to sunbathing and lazing around with friends. Dartmouth students pride themselves on their sense of community. From the first days on campus when everyone is hooked up to the much famed Blitz email network to the regular alumni events and large turnout at sports events, the Dartmouth student body moves as a pack and is proud to do so.

Despite its alienated position and relatively small endowment, Dartmouth has pretty much every resource you can think of. And students don’t hesitate to use them. There are a plethora of clubs and societies on campus and everyone gets involved with something. Whether you are writing for The Dartmouth (one of many papers that claims to be the oldest college publication) or doing research at the hospital of the prestigious Dartmouth Med School, your days will be busy. And if you have a free moment, you can always go watch the fruits of someone else’s labour – performances of every variety abound.

Hitting the Books
Dartmouth is known for having one of the most dedicated faculties in the country and students can not sing their praises loud enough. Perhaps it is because the community is fairly small or perhaps it is because New Hampshire just attracts a better brand of professor. Whatever the reasons, undergrads never feel neglected. They are the primary focus on campus and they feel the benefits. The class sizes are very small, professors are required to teach undergrads and the relationships formed in an academic setting often extend well beyond the classroom. As a result students seldom feel alienated or lost regarding their academic well-being and, if they do, advisers who actually care are always on hand. It is hardly surprising that Dartmouth continually ranks top for teaching in a variety of nation-wide league tables.

Dartmouth offers over 2000 courses in 29 departments - a huge amount of flexibility complimented by the fact that no-one has to choose a major until the end of sophomore year. Eventually only about 1/3 of your study while at university will be in your major. The rest will be taken up by your exploring your own personal interests and by the Dartmouth equivalent of a core curriculum. Their liberal arts program for undergraduates encompasses ten courses taken across eight different intellectual fields and requires that students immerse themselves in three different cultures (American, European and Non-Western).

Dartmouth also prides itself on the cosmopolitan atmosphere on campus. Over 50% of its students study abroad and everyone is required to pass a language requirement. In fact a French professor, Prof. Rassais, developed a new system of teaching languages that is now widely followed – in addition to normal classes, students are required to meet once a day (often at 7.30am) and be drilled in grammar and vocabulary. This unique style of teaching indicates the energy that faculty members put into their duties at Dartmouth – energy from which the students benefit.

While Dartmouth may be isolated, it has every academic resource that the over-eager undergraduate could desire. From the oldest research library in the country (the dreaming spired Baker library) to the labs at the famous med school, Dartmouth students have it all at their fingertips. And they are continually encouraged to use it. The D-Plan means that students are encouraged to seek out what appeals to them – whether it involves archeological digs or an internship at Goldman Sachs. Academics are important but only in so far as they serve the overall picture – flexibility and personal interest are prized above all else.

Before everyone decides that Dartmouth is the only place to go, one warning should be given. The past couple of years have seen a number of upheavals on the otherwise idyllic campus and an administration/student schism has become most apparent. Whether in the battle over frats or the administration’s desire to cut back on some of Dartmouth’s most individual characteristics, students have been complaining that their unique university is under siege from within. Much of this is in the process of being resolved but the atmosphere remains somewhat strained and there may well be more changes in the imminent future.

Social Life
It’s Saturday night. It’s cold. You’re surrounded by mountains. The nearest city is two and half hours away. What do you do with yourself? Surprisingly, many Dartmouth students have been able to come up with fun and satisfying answers to this question. Despite its situation, Dartmouth students enjoy a social life that others at better-connected schools might well envy. While there may not be the plethora of locations that big cities offer, Hanover has enough restaurants to keep the students happy and there is always a large amount going on back at the campus.

Dartmouth is known for having a stronger drinking culture than many American universities – although it still pales into insignificance besides places such as Newcastle! This may well be due to the fact that frats still (despite the controversial efforts of the administration) play a large part in on campus social life. (Of course it may also be due to the fact that there isn’t that much else to do but this goes down less well with the average Dartmouth man).Anyway 37% of students choose to be affiliated with one of the 14 fraternities and 8 sororities (as well as 3 co-eds) that exist on campus. Although this may all seem a little bit too like a scary American movie to you – these organizations really do serve to spice up student social life and offer an alternative group of friends. In an effort to ensure that the campus is not totally dominated by these Greek groups, no freshmen are allowed into parties (generally open to everyone else on campus) in the first term and rush (the process of selecting or being selected) does not take place until the sophomore winter term. This may seem a little unfair to over-eager first years but it does ensure that everyone has a chance to get to know each other in a situation that is not dependent on which Greek initials you sport on your jumper.

One caveat. Students at most Ivy League schools complain that romance is dead, dating a thing of the past and true love something that is only found when taking a class on Romeo and Juliet. While a lot of this is mere griping, it is true that the whirl of an American student’s daily life leaves little time for relationships. At Dartmouth this is complicated by the D-Plan. Students are constantly moving around on campus and it can be difficult to develop a short-term hookup into a long-term romance when one or both partners are jetting off to pastures new for the next semester. Something for the relationship junkies to bear in mind.

Outside Those Ivory Walls
If you enjoyed The Sound of Music as a child, then you will feel right at home at Dartmouth. While the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire may not be quite as impressive as the Alps, they still form a pretty imposing backdrop to your daily life. Unfortunately for those who prefer shopping to sledding and clubbing to climbing, Dartmouth does not have as much to offer. While the town of Hanover is pretty and enjoys an extremely close relationship to the university, it is also small and can really only offer students a momentary escape from campus life.

However those students who choose to go to Dartmouth firmly believe that the limited options available to them help form a close community. While Hanover has sufficient restaurants, coffee houses and entertainment to suit those who crave a world off the Green, the campus society itself provides a multitude of entertainments. Dartmouth students make their own fun and the combination of frats, obscure school traditions and community atmosphere means that there is rarely a dull moment. And for those who need an urban fix once in a while, Lebanon airport offers daily flights to both New York City and Boston – which if you are one of the few who have a car is only a three hour drive.

What Dartmouth lacks in urban entertainment, it makes up for in rural pursuits. This is not the sort of place where a hatred of the outdoors will get you very far. Almost all incoming freshmen participate in an introductory hiking program designed to accelerate the bonding experience so favoured in America. While not everyone would choose to meet their friends for the next four years in an atmosphere defined by tents and tinned food, many find it a good way to break down initial social barriers. And everyone is in agreement that the surrounding countryside is gorgeous. Hiking continues to play an integral role in the lives of many students and for those who prefer more glamorous pursuits, the long winter provides ample opportunity for hitting the fourteen trail Dartmouth ski mountain!

Getting In
Dartmouth is not the kind of place that people put on their application list as a fall back. The students who decide to apply there are determined and ever increasing in number. Around 20% of applications are accepted (roughly 2000 out of the 10,000 or so who apply annually). And most of these students have SAT scores above 1400. While Dartmouth does not place emphasis on academics alone, a strong background is needed if you are to succeed.

Dartmouth requires the customary SAT I and three SAT II – although it does go out of its way to state that it understands that international students may be at a disadvantage. It also offers the possibility of an alumni interview – a forum that allows the school to question you, and more importantly, you to question the school. Many American graduates are based in the UK and it is normally possible to locate one relatively close to you. If you can not, it will in no way count against you.
As well as official academic reports and the more revealing interview information, Dartmouth also asks for letters that champion your cause. In addition to the guidance councilor/school principal and teacher reports that most universities seek, Dartmouth also places importance on a peer letter – written about you by one of our friends. So it may pay off to start being really nice to people NOW!

Dartmouth is an expensive university and it does not offer needs-blind admission to its international students. However, those who need financial aid should not despair – Dartmouth is normally able to meet this need when it is demonstrated. Lastly, you can apply to Dartmouth on an Early or a Regular decision basis. Remember, Early decision is binding so it is important to be sure before you send in that envelope.

Famous Grads
Robert Frost – great American poet
Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel) – cat in the hat, green eggs and ham…
Nelson Rockefeller – VP and millionaire