Dartmouth College
Reviews

Inclusive

Anyone can go to any of the frats and hang out, play a game of pong, or dance. It's so different from the exclusive Greek life at southern state schools. I love it!

The Bubble on the Hill

"The college on the hill" is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, a town that basically consists of Dartmouth College plus a main street. Despite its size, students find that Hanover offers a surprising variety of charming local restaurants, a farmer's market in the spring, free weekday shuttles to neighboring towns like West Lebanon, and some of the best gelato in the country. There is no nightlife, but Dartmouth's Greek scene more than makes up for it, and Boston and NYC are Dartmouth Coach bus rides away.

Bland and Repetitive

Same rotating schedule of meals every week with limited dining options.

On Campus

Living on campus is basically the only option. There's literally nothing else in the surrounding area, and the public transportation system is limited at best. Basically, useless.

Undergraduate Teaching

Dartmouth focuses strongly on undergraduate teaching. I always had a professor for all of my courses, and most of the classes were small. Extra help was always available.

Tradition

Tradition sums up Dartmouth. A lot of students joke that the old school alums refuse to let the school move past its ultraconservative, all-boys, animal house reputation. I have had multiple friends visit Dartmouth, and they all look around bewildered at pretty much everything that goes on here. Greek life is DOMINANT (about 70% of soph-seniors are in it... its a huge, huge deal), boys rule the school (literally and figuratively), there is a clear tension with gender and sexual assault issues (no matter whose "side" youre on), and there is a lot more binge drinking than one would expect at an ivy league. The administration caters almost exclusively to alumni input, and there is a strooong disconnect between the students and the administration. There are some awesome traditions, including DOC trips, orientation activities, green key, the homecoming bonfire, etc. But traditions of the social life and "power structure" here are unlike anything I have heard of elsewhere. It is very intense and it caters to the whims of white, affiliated, male athletes. That is awesome and fun for some people and miserable for others. Its just a preference thing.

Available If You Want It

If you want to live off-campus, there are many options available. It's a little cheaper than living on-campus. On-campus housing is really nice though, so most students choose to live on campus. Students who live on-campus can almost always get a single or an on-campus apartment (the apartments are four singles and two bathrooms with a living room and a kitchen).

Study Hard, Party Harder

Dartmouth has something for everyone. The intense ivy league academics, the crazy fun social frat scene like none other and tons of clubs, activities and sports to get involved in. It's Dartmouth so it isn't easy and yes it's cold and yes we're in New Hampshire/the middle of nowhere (lol). But each of those has a positive that outweighs the seemingly negative. Dartmouth wouldn't be an ivy if it were easy (you can't imagine our alumni network), it's AMAZING for skiing and any winter sport you can imagine and the "middle of nowhere" syndrome means our campus is legitimately a close-knit community. We literally study hard and party even harder. Come for a visit on one of our big weekends (Homecoming, Winter Carnival and Green Key) or just any regular day and you'll see just what makes Dartmouth so ideal.

Greek Scene Is the Only Nightlife

Hanover is in the middle of nowhere so the only places to go out are fraternities and occasionally sororities. It's still a good scene and there are sick parties all the time. Also all the alcohol is free.

Guys and Girls Are Pretty Good Looking

I mean, it's an ivy league school so you don't have tons of models here but the majority of the student population is pretty good looking.

BEAST

Dining on campus is awesome. I guess it has to be considering there aren't more than two student-friendly restaurants in town.

Big Focus on Greek Life

Although there are things to do outside off of Webster Ave, the stereotypical Dartmouth student spends his nights playing beer pong in the basement of his fraternity. The social scene has a big emphasis on Greek affiliation.

Bring Your Own Computer, Don't Need a Printer

Having computer access on campus is extremely important and I would advise all incoming students to bring their own personal computer. There are several computers on campus available if you do not have your own, but having a lap top makes life much more convenient (taking notes in class, being able to work other places besides the library, always having a computer available, etc.) If you're experiencing trouble with your computer, you can take it to computer services where they are extremely helpful and friendly. A printer, however, is not necessary. There are several accessible printing stations all around campus, so you can print nearly anywhere at anytime (like on the way to class after grabbing breakfast in one of the dining halls). The school even provides you with a printing account, so I would say owning your own printer is pretty unnecessary. Finally, wireless access on campus is fantastic. As with any network, it occasionally experiences a few glitches, but the problem never lasts long.

Diversity

They say its a very diverse campus, and during the day it seems like it as well, but social scene is very white.

Party Scene Revolves Around the Frats

I'm a person who does like the Greek party scene, so I would give it an A. I wouldn't say the social scene revolves around the Greek life because there are a ton of other social outlets. However, partying and drinking go hand in hand with the frats. Half the campus is affiliated, what can I say? They're also VERY open and no exclusivity.

Gorgeous Autumns, Winter Wonderland

Dartmouth definitely gets all four seasons, but the two definitive ones are definitely the Fall and the Winter. There is nothing like experiencing the changing leaves during a New England Fall. This is the only time of year where tourist buses frequently pass through campus. Winter is the season that students bring up the most. For those who are not used to the snow and sub-zero temperatures, it is definitely difficult to survive. The school, as well as various student organizations, organize trips to outlet malls for students who need to buy more winter clothing. Most students would say that Winter is extremely cold and miserable. However, being a snow enthusiast, I loved every bit of it. You will never see such pristine, beautiful snow in a city. Since there is so little traffic in Hanover, snowstorms will blanket the campus and it will stay white for a long time. The best part of winter is the annual midnight snowball fight on the Green after the first snowstorm each year. Winter Carnival is also tons of fun. I definitely recommend participating in the building of the humongous snow sculpture each year.

Good, but on the Expensive Side.

There are plenty of off-campus options around Hanover. However, most students choose to spend most, if not all, of their years living on-campus. The school has some of the best housing options you'll find anywhere. Usually, students only live off-campus during their Sophomore year, when, due to the housing priority system, it is more difficult to get one of the better rooms. Students also tend to live off-campus if they want to live with a large group of friends. Housing does tend to be surprisingly expensive for such a small New England town.

Safest Place on Earth

The only crime that students face on-campus is occasional laptop or bike thefts. There is absolutely no violent crime. I went to college before each dorm was fitted with a key access pad and anyone could walk right into the dorm buildings. Despite that, I never locked my bedroom door when I was a student. I would have felt completely safe camping out in the middle of the green and sleeping through the night. Safety and Security regularly patrol the campus and offer services to drive students around campus when it is late at night. When I was a student, these services were almost exclusively used by students who had broken their leg or when it was the middle of winter and far too cold to be outside. Actual crime is truly nonexistent in Hanover.

Huge Variety of Well-Kept Dorms

The best part of housing at Dartmouth is the sheer variety. We have singles, doubles one room and two room and three room, triples with one up to three rooms, four- and five-person suites, apartments, and affinity housing. Gender neutral housing is another really unique living style most commonly found in the East Wheelock cluster. New dorms like Fahey-McLane and McLaughlin are very spacious and well-designed although still with that generic dorm feeling. Older dorms like the Massachusetts cluster, although sometimes outfitted with aging utilities, are kept in good repair.

Accessible Wifi and Computers

You can find wireless availability almost anywhere on campus, so most people carry their laptops around with them. However, the libraries do have several computers if you need to use them. Still, it is handier to bring your own computer, especially if the library is crowded. There are printing stations at several places on campus, including many dorms, so having your own printer can help but is not completely necessary.

Diverse

There are so many different types of people at Dartmouth. The campus is full of different cultures and backgrounds ranging from Native Americans to Australians. The diversity on campus is a great way to expand knowledge and understanding of others.

Free Advance Transit Buses

The free advance transit buses are the most convenient option of getting to nearby smaller places. There is Dartmouth Coach to go to Boston and New York but its quite costly.

Winter Is Awful, but Everything Else Is Great

Autumn here is gorgeous, but it quickly transitions into an unforgivingly frigid winter that spans from October to April. It snows until it is too cold to snow, then things are just miserable because the temperature is in the negatives and everything outside is drab. Only the die-hard winter sports people like to stay on campus during winter term. Spring is slow coming and very often cloudy and rainy. For every three cold, overcast days we'll have one warm, sunny day. Summer gets somewhat hot- hot enough for swimming anyway. It still rains a lot during the summer, though, so it can get pretty muggy. Back to autumn and the breathtaking burst of colors that blushes the surrounding deciduous forests. I've never seen leaves like this.

Gorgeous Campus

The college spends a lot of time and money ensuring that the grounds and the buildings are kept in top condition.

The athletic center is top of the line and open for extended hours during the school week that make it easier for busy students to work in their work outs.

The student center (Collis) is always buzzing with some interesting activity (or twelve!) and everyone that works there is friendly and helpful. The cafe has the best made-to-order stir fry and omelets on campus.

AMAZING!!

I love this college, as do most of the people I talk with. Dartmouth is a best kept secret, we feel. It's an Ivy league with enormous opportunities, in a great area (New England is really gorgeous, especially during the fall) and is community-based.