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College Prowler Take
One of the biggest complaints voiced by more serious Dartmouth students about the College is the difficulty many of them encounter in establishing lasting, caring relationships with members of the opposite sex. It seems as if the high-intensity academic and social environment of Dartmouth makes sustaining a meaningful relationship an extreme challenge for most students. As far as looks go, Dartmouth students are on par or slightly below par with most other schools. Dartmouth guys are more rugged and athletic than you might expect given whatever preconceptions you may have about the Ivy League. The small deficit Dartmouth girls have in looks is more than made up for with their class and personality, except, of course, when in the context of a raging frat party, when all that goes out the window. Hookups—drunken or otherwise—dominate most students’ romantic horizons, in a way that, while unfortunate, is a natural outgrowth of the same high intensity academic and social paradigm that characterizes most prestigious American colleges today Students Speak Out
Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:
DarIM says: Dartmouth College 2013 Other  |
There is definitely no typical...
There is definitely no typical student—there are frat guys, sorority girls, actors, engineers, econ geeks, uber-intellectuals, uber-non-intellectuals, athletes, ex-athletes, and kids that you never see because they're always in the library. There is a little bit of geek in everyone, but it's a healthy thing. I can't really speak to the average attractiveness of guys without sounding too self-serving, but guys are decently good looking. Girls are no state-school girls, but it seems each incoming class gets more attractive—or I'm just getting used to it as a senior.
Guys & Girls: February 20, 2009
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DarBB says: Dartmouth College 2014 Other |
Everyone is smarter than you first...
Everyone is smarter than you first think—except some of the athletes. But not many people are solely focused on grades—and you never see them anyway. Most people just want to find ways to balance school and fun. The majority of the school is unbelievably good at time management.
Guys & Girls: February 17, 2009
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DarCC says: Dartmouth College 2014 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies, and Humanities |
Dartmouth students, in general,...
Dartmouth students, in general, are pretty outgoing and energetic. Though most all Dartmouth students are really intelligent, they don't always show it. Ultimately, however, Dartmouth students care about academics and strive for excellence. Girls at Dartmouth fall on a wide spectrum from hot to not so hot, from introspective to ditzy, and from dorm-dwellers to ragers.
Guys & Girls: February 16, 2009
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Anonymous says: |
Overall, I would say it’s a pretty...
Overall, I would say it’s a pretty decent-looking student body. |
Anonymous says: |
It’s hard to generalize when it...
It’s hard to generalize when it comes to looks. I think that the ‘stereotypical’ Dartmouth male would be a beer-guzzling football-playing frat boy, but you will find that the guys are all very different. I consider myself to be as far from the ‘typical’ Dartmouth male as possible. The girls are the same way—the stereotypical girl would be a ditzy blonde sorority girl, but obviously they’re not all that way. Both the guys and the girls are pretty attractive, I’d say. All in all, we have a good-looking campus. |
FactsBirth Control Available?
Yes - At Dick's House, which is home to the College Health Service.
Social Scene
What Dartmouth lacks in academic competitiveness, it makes up for in social competitiveness. Dartmouth’s geographic isolation breeds a very insular social environment. For the overwhelming majority of Dartmouth students, having a social life means getting involved in the Greek system, which really means the fraternity system because even though sororities are a recognizable presence on campus, various factors make it much more difficult for them to host parties that are accessible to the entire campus. There is an unspoken hierarchy to the Greek houses on campus and students certainly tend to choose their activities, hangout spots, and even, sadly, their friends on the basis of that ineffable quality known to the young and impressionable everywhere as “cool.” Hangout nights are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday—that’s four nights out of seven, leaving the typical student with scant time to get that pricey Ivy League education that his or her parents are usually footing the bill for. Two words that summarize the little known darker side of the Dartmouth social scene the best are “rage” and “blackout.” “Rage” is a Dartmouth-centric term meaning to drink copious amounts of alcohol, play beer pong, dance, and party continuously into the predawn hours—the sense of angst the term implies is perhaps no mere coincidence. “Blackout,” certainly the better known of the two words, is a quasi-medical term meaning to temporarily loose the ability to form new memories due to the excessive intake of alcohol. Parents, especially, would be surprised to hear the casual usage of this latter term among Dartmouth students.
Hookups or Relationships?
Considering the situation most Dartmouth students find themselves in—cramming by day and frequenting fraternity basements on a nightly or near nightly basis—it shouldn’t be surprising that true love is a commodity that’s in precious short supply on campus. If you were to ask any Dartmouth student, male or female, they’d probably tell you that love is just not something that’s prioritized, and that, frankly, there’s no time for it. However, there’s time enough for sex because it's quick and easy and simply a matter of fulfilling a pesky biological urge and raising one’s social profile ever so slightly in the process. Whether consciously or unconsciously, sex is treated as a matter of practical necessity to be handled as efficiently and transactionally as possible by most students. As for burning, self-denying desire, unshakable trust, lasting commitment, and all the other emotional baggage that something deep and sincere like a relationship brings with it, most Dartmouth students would be inclined treat that stuff as some kind of alien, retrograde sentimentality. Of course, there are very real institutional reasons why this is the case. Ten-week terms make for a very brisk academic pace, and the D-Plan’s emphasis on individualized off-terms and study abroad programs work against the few long-term relationships that do manage to get established. One can’t help but shake the feeling that in the scramble to remain on top as an Ivy League high achiever in what is ultimately a highly competitive academic and social setting, something very important and human is being ignored.
Best Places to Meet Guys/Girls
Most hookups are initiated at weekend parties. Many students are acquainted with their "random" partner from an activity or through a mutual friend and use alcohol to bypass that extensive, unnecessary "getting-to-know-you" stage. The campus is small enough that you can see your crush almost every day with minimal effort. Extracurricular activities are a great way to expand your pool of friends, which becomes a pool of potential hookup partners come Friday night. Beer pong (played with paddles at Dartmouth, unlike Beirut), is used universally as a poor man's date. As with birds, grass, and everything else, relationships tend to blossom anew come spring. Everybody becomes infinitely hotter when all that winter clothing is shed. Studly men and buxom ladies summarily trot out to the Green to study, toss a Frisbee, and flash their hot bods.
Dress Code
Most Dartmouth students take extra care to make themselves look presentable. The general protocol is preppy, but with a North Woods twist. Fleeces (North Face, Columbia) are uncannily popular with both sexes, and it’s not uncommon for the entire campus to receive a blitz from some unlucky sap attempting to reclaim the North Face jacket he or she lost at a frat house the night before. A lot of students do their shopping on Web sites of manufacturers like J.Crew, Banana Republic, and American Apparel—this way, they can have all the latest fashions delivered right to their Hinman Boxes. Jockwear and Dartmouth gear of all sorts are also pretty popular—every student has at least a couple articles of clothing that he or she purchased in town at Traditionally Trendy or the Dartmouth Coop.
Did You Know?Top Places to Find Hotties:
1. The Green in spring
2. Webster Avenue on Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday
3. Kresge Fitness Center on weekday afternoons Top Places to Hook Up:
According to Dartmouth tradition, there are seven spots you have to take someone special before graduating:
1. BEMA (Big Empty Meeting Area)
2. Baker Stacks
3. Football Field—50 yard line
4. The Green
5. Top of the Hop
6. President Wright’s lawn
7. The Graveyard
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Name: Kirk Greenwood
Hometown: Warrington, PA
Major: Compartive Literature Kirk likes to talk and listen (almost in equal measure), drink green tea and experiment, and is a lover of many things: people and Nature, innocence and wisdom, beauty, pain, happiness, experience. Contributing Author Internship  College Prowler is actively seeking talented students to be "Contributing Authors," and assist with updating
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