Overview of Dartmouth College

The campus is very isolated, and within two days I was bored. However, I felt extremely comfortable there, which means a lot because I am a shy person and I come from a big city. The student body is TALENTED!!! Their acapella, improv, and dance groups are amazing. From their performances and my interaction with the current students there, I can tell that the students are welcoming and vibrant, not dry and stressed out. Also, the admissions officers are very friendly. I got to hang out with them for the entire program, and if they didn't look older, I would have forgotten that they were admissions officers. Loved it!

The community is very tight knit and the students and professors are awesome. There are a ton of outdoor nature activities to do around the college town, from canoeing to hiking to rock climbing. There is always something to do with someone...except maybe around midterms and finals week.

The town of Hanover is absolutely adorable. Even though there is not much off campus, the school seems have have tons of fun things to do, and Dartmouth is known for partying!

I've found that the most enjoyable time is on quiet weekend nights when many people on our floor stay in and we play board games or just chat until the wee hours of the morning. It's the epitome of college life. The impulsive fun usually doesn't start until 10pm, and living on an all-freshman floor makes all the difference. I've found it easy to make friends and find my niche, even though I'm not a social person. The only thing is that Hanover is tiny, and I'm afraid I might run out of options later on. The Greek/drinking scene could easily get out of hand and seems like the only entertainment option sometimes, but it's really not true if you find the right group of people (like my floor). This is about the only complaint I have about the school.

Everyone at Dartmouth is active outside of class, which can be overwhelming at first, but it means there is a vibrant culture at the school. There are endless non-varsity sports and and extracurricular opportunities. The Dartmouth Outing Club is a unique aspect of Dartmouth's extracurricular programs which I have fallen in love with. They do hiking, rock climbing and kayaking. They also help maintain the Appalachian Trail that runs through campus. The social scene is also very active. There's also somewhere to hangout any night of the week. The one warning I would give is be ready to deal with the greek system. It's totally up to you if you want to join a fraternity or sorority but whether you join or not the greek houses will still affect and help define your Dartmouth experience.