Jason666

Hi, I'm wondering which one is fit to me, Dartmouth or Amherst? I visited Dartmouth in April but I did not get time to visit Amherst. What is the advantage of Open Curriculum? Which college has stronger Economics Major and more intern and job opportunities after the college? I may switch to pre-med, which one is better for this shift? When should I decide the major at Amherst, the first year or the second year? Is it common and convenient to go to other 4 neighbor colleges to take classes? Is it easy to find a Work-Study job on the campus or a summer job somewhere else? BTW, My FA from Dartmouth is about $4K less per year than from Amherst. I do need the answer to the above questions ASAP because I have to make my decision in a few days. Thanks a lot in advance!

TellETubE

The Dartmouth name is stronger in the business, i-banking, etc. world. But Amherst's small size makes it likelier that you will be recruited straight out of undergrad if you choose to take that path.
The open curriculum means that it will be easier to fulfill your major requirements, since you won't have to worry about fitting in distribution requirements.
As far as on campus work-study/job on campus, again the small size makes it easier/less competitive. Pre-med/grad school placement is neglible. Both will serve you equally (and extremely) well in that department.

kwu

It's very important to have visited campus, to get a sense of what it's really like, the kind of people, the academic and social atmosphere that's available to you.

If you feel more comfortable having visited Dartmouth, the transition there may be smoother for you.

I made the big mistake of not visiting campuses until after being accepted by my colleges. After visiting, though, I immediately disqualified some, and many suddenly captured my interest entirely.

The advantage of the Open Curriculum lies in your freedom to explore many academic interests. This kind of flexibility may ultimately change your future for the better.

The quality of the Economics curriculum at any given college is hard to assess. Generally, any school will prepare you well in the field. Although Amherst likely has a very strong alumni network to help you out, Dartmouth has an equally good, if not better one. And, although Amherst is a highly reputable school, Dartmouth's name may help you more, depending on what sort of career you'd like to pursue.

hpg90

Since when is Darmouth's rap better than Amherst's? Not in my neck of the woods. Too bad the OP didn't get to visit, it's the college experience that is different, not really the education.....

kwu

Eh, IMO, Dartmouth's rep isn't better than that of Amherst.
It's the whole Ivy League thing.

Completely true, and this is what I meant:
you'll get an excellent education at any institution you attend.
What's essential is how much you grow personally, and how much you enjoy yourself over the next four years.

Jason666

Thank all of you for your comments and suggestions! I just decided to go to Dartmouth after I received the adjusted FA package. I'll find a chance to visit Amherst Campus in the future.

kwu

Money also helps when you're just unsure