<p>So D returned last evening from her Trip (Moderate Hiking)…she was exhausted, dirty, hungry, and completely elated. She had a remarkable time from the moment she arrived on campus until she got in her car to drive home. She couldn’t believe how well run the whole experience was and how incredibly welcoming everyone was. Other than sleeping (or not sleeping) through torrential downpours Friday night, everything went off without a hitch, with lots of fun and the usual Dartmouth surprises along the way. She can’t wait to get back next week and wishes she could have just stayed on campus with all her new friends. She’s one happy girl!</p>
<p>^^Did they have her dance upon her return? DOC groups usually perform some sort of dance number when they return to campus.</p>
<p>After some additional leader training for a few days, D2 is leading a DOC group for the first time this week (Moderate Rock Climibing), and she is super-excited over the prospect.</p>
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<p>Don’t divulge too much – there are still some '14s on this forum!</p>
<p>I won’t say a word. Suffice it to say a good time was had by all!</p>
<p>Great to hear…never heard from my daughter after she met up with other '14 on the Dartmouth Coach from Boston airport heading to their Doc Trip on Sunday… they probably arrived safely they were so excited when I got the call that they had their bags and were on their final leg of the way to Dartmouth.</p>
<p>For the parents/students that attended before, how was the schools estimate for books? Just wondering what you estimate per quarter.</p>
<p>Dropped off S for his DOC trip today, and he was so excited meeting all the other new '14s going to a trip. We watched from across the green for awhile, but then took a walk through campus, bumped into President Kim and introduced ourselves. He said, “Thank you for entrusting us with your son” Wow, what a leader. The empty nest has begun and we couldn’t be happier with his selection to attend Dartmouth. What an impressive school. Now off to explore New Hampshire for a few days.</p>
<p>MyCK</p>
<p>Every school’s estimate for books is an average, but the real $$ depends on your major. A physical science major will spend a lot more than average on texts. In contrast, a lit major can get by with some/many paperbacks that cost less than $10.</p>
<p>Magnum -
So glad you are finally in NH! Enjoy your exploration and I will be curious to hear of the DOC trip! D did the same trip - but its the crazy, enlightening, bonding experience rather than the exact nature of the trip that really makes it so great. Excited for all the new students - and their parents. : )</p>
<p>Garnets -</p>
<p>That rain, lack of sleep experience sounds familiar. Its pretty amazing that they come back with that much of a positive attitude given those condititions isn’t it - but they do. (Seems as if every year the remnants of a hurricane or tropical depression affect the trips). Trips are SUCH a great start to a great 4 years.</p>
<p>D arrived Thursday to start her DOC trip. Her final text before leaving her phone behind left no doubt that she was having a blast in the first 2 hours, not counting the bus ride from Logan airport with another '14. We will be hauling her stuff up next Tuesday and are looking forward to hearing about her experiences.</p>
<p>Thanks ohmadre and other DC parents. We are trying not be hover but it was somewhat surprising this morning to drive up behind a white mini-bus with kayaks in tow on I-91. As we pass we see “Dartmouth College” on the side and we were worried that S was inside thinking that we were following him. Well, we could’nt see in through the tinted glass and we exited before they did, so maybe no harm, no foul… we will find out Monday. Franconia State park and the Flume trail was beautiful. We saw a huge moose by the side of the highway, he was about the size of our minivan. Amazing. This ain’t Hapuna Beach Toto. Too bad Mt. Washington was wet and socked in, but the White Mountains were beautiful. Coming south through Conway we saw the weekend crowd coming up and we were thankful we were going to miss them. We are now in Portsmouth to take in the Strawbery Banke experience tomorrow. </p>
<p>Garnet & standrews, maybe your D’s will meet my S who may be the only kid from Hawaii this year. He is on 2nd floor in Little. He is so thrilled to be here and among kids like yours, this is indeed the perfect fit. It makes me want to lease some office space in Hanover and become bicoastal…wait, we don’t have a coast. Velcro showing…</p>
<p>Magnum, sounds like you are having a wonderful trip! And the weather today is gorgeous, in Maine at least. Keeping my fingers crossed that you enjoy Strawbery Banke as much as I do–I hope the enactors are at work.</p>
<p>Any parents here have a kid who went on the Moderate Rock Climbing DOC trip that is getting back to campus today (Saturday)? If so that was probably the same group that was led by my daughter. I haven’t heard any reports yet, but I hope everything went okay.</p>
<p>Aloha from Portsmouth. We went up to Kennebunkport today. Hello Atlantic Ocean! Walked along the beach, sunny and brisk, with clams and seaweed along the shore. We watched President George HW Bush leave his compound in a boat with secret service in a zodiac. Pretty cool. Played tourist all day and enjoyed every minute of it. Strawbery Bank closed early for a private fundraiser, but hope to check it out tomorrow. We’re enjoying Portsmouth, quaint with nice restaurants and shops. But truthfully, cannot wait to get back up to Hanover. We’re staying in an Inn in Quechee Vermont.</p>
<p>Coureur, check this video out to see if your daughter is in it: </p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Dartmouth First-Year Trips: Perspectives from H-Croo Leaders](<a href=“Dartmouth First-Year Trips: Perspectives from H-Croo Leaders - YouTube”>Dartmouth First-Year Trips: Perspectives from H-Croo Leaders - YouTube)</p>
<p>I must say the DOC leaders were enthusiastic (to put it mildly) and we cannot wait to get the full report.</p>
<p>Wow, Magnum, you’re sure soaking up New England! I’m in southern New Hampshire (about 45 minutes from Portsmouth) and today was spectacular! Glad you got to see a moose…we had one in our backyard a few years ago. My D is in Rauner… I’m sure they’ll all meet each other eventually! D is DYING to get to Hanover on Wednesday. All will be well as long as we can fit everything in the car!</p>
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<p>No, I didn’t spot her in the video, but it’s a nice video. Gives me more perspective on why she was so over the moon when she was chosen for h-croo.</p>
<p>I’m a long time reader but first time poster. My husband and I dropped off our son for his trip on Thurs also. I am pretty sure I saw you son, Magnum, and he looked happy! At least there was a boy wearing a shirt indicating he was from Hawaii. Our son is hiking and was very excited to get started. We took him for lunch after arriving in Hanover and he commented “I’m finally here!”. He visited during Dimensions but this was the first time for my husband and I to visit Dartmouth and Hanover. Our quick impression of Dartmouth was very positive. What a wonderful place for our son to spend his next 4-5 years (engineering). Everyone we met was so enthusiatic and welcoming. We met a few floormates who seemed like great kids. Our son is very pleased with his housing arrangements. He is in 2 rm triple in Russell Sage.</p>
<p>We are spending a wonderful few days on the Maine coast and look forward to seeing our son on Monday! We didn’t have much time to wander around campus on Thurs, but are looking forward to spending several hours exploring Dartmouth and Hanover on Monday.</p>
<p>Daughter reports that her DOC trip went great. She led a group of 10 “trippies” - 5 boys and 5 girls. Everyone completed the rock climbs with no mishaps, and it never rained during the climbing itself. </p>
<p>She said the best thing about the kids she was leading is that all 10 of them were up for everything. Very enthusiastic about the whole program and thrilled at being at Dartmouth. They’ve already had a Trip reunion on campus, and they haven’t been back even one whole day.</p>
<p>The year is off to a good start.</p>
<p>Coureur, thanks to other students like your D, the Dartmouth experience is truly unique. Wish my S was on that trip, what a coincidence that would have been. LHornMomof4, welcome to the DC parents thread. Hopefully we will bump into you tomorrow as we stroll around campus waiting for my son (yes that was him in the “Fearless Hawaiian” tee shirt) to return from Kayaking and give us the full scoop. If you see a couple that could be his parents, please stop and say hello! We have to help him get a few more things for his dorm and then spend as much time with him as he will allow us before we head back home. </p>
<p>We spent the day at Portsmouth and enjoyed Strawbery Banke, learned much about the history of the town, and then headed back up to the area. We visited Quechee and Woodstock Vermont before settling in for dinner at the Quechee Inn. Quite nice. Simon Pearce in Quechee has some specially engraved Dartmouth glass items in case anyone is interested. A bit pricey, so for us it might wait until 2014! PM me if you want to connect and are in the area. Aloha to all.</p>
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<p>That actually happened to D1 (at Harvard). She hosted a prospective student who was considering the school and got to know her. They met thanks to her mom and I both being on CC and arranging the visit. It was actually salvaging a busted Admissions visit that had left the girl without a host. Then months later when the student enrolled she was coinicidentally assigned to a FOP (Harvard’s version of DOC) group led by my daughter. But she had to be reassigned since FOP rules require that leaders and group members not know each other prior to the trip.</p>