Same here. S is committed to Dartmouth. He is super excited. I am looking forward to skiing with him in the winter in NH.
Welcome aboard folks, keep us posted as the adventure begins. I learned a lot from the parents here.
I for one am glad that there arenât as many pages in this thread as the parent threads from other schools, because I wanted to scan each and every comment for nuggets of information and it took me 2 days to get through these! I am the parent of a 19, from the west coast,and had all sorts of misgivings about Dartmouth mainly because of its location, weather, inaccessibility, distance from home, logistical problems, etc. I have to admit that I have culled some really good advice that I have taken note of for future reference, on all these topics, so I really appreciate all of the sharing that has apparently been going on since 2010!
I only check the main Parents Forum if I need an anxiety fix.
@tellm3more: Not sure Iâve posted all my travel tips here as opposed to just noting that they were available on request. Weâre Northern California (Bay Area), so I definitely understand the logistical issues. If you have questions, feel free to PM me or email to this user name as a gmail address.
We are also Bay Area, basically, so I am very excited to know there is nearby source of information for all things Dartmouth!
Question for the âveteranâ parents - wife and I are trying to determine travel dates in advance of Sâs start as a Dartmouth '19. He will probably choose a challenging DOC trip since he is an experienced outdoorsman - and will leave on his own from CA for the begin of this trip. Unfortunately, we cannot make an extended trip with him at same time to tour this beautiful region due to work commitments, etc. But we would like to be there to greet him on his return to campus from the DOC - and then help with his move-in. Checking academic calendar, the fall term starts Wed., September 16th. So - when do most DOC trIps end? When is the typical move-in period for first year dorms? Is it the Saturday before the term begins (9/12)? Other tips to consider for this sentimental âgood-byeâ experience at Dartmouth? Thanks a bunch! Happy Memorial Day!
Check out the calendar http://outdoors.dartmouth.edu/firstyear/calendar.html for first year trips. Students from the far west will be assigned to trips E-J, so they will move into their dorms right after their trip ends.
Thanks, Magnum! Great info. Do you also know when parents typically depart? Orientation on campus starts Wed., Sept. 9th this year.
We left before orientation as that is what we understood to be the right thing to do, to give the kid space to grow up and be with all of his new friends. However, I wish we would have stayed for convocation. Some parents did. We ended up watching it on YouTube. But, he definitely wanted to be free of us, our job was definitely done after the move in. You will see, watch from afar, it is the closest thing to cutting the umbilical cord. Congratulations again!
@MagnumPI, just to make you jealousâŠwe drove over to Norwich to visit S on Saturday, since that was the only day of the long weekend both H and S had off. Did a pleasant hike up Gile Mtn, then climbed the tower at the top from which one has a panoramic view in all directions, at least 50 miles, probably more. Had a nice lunch at Tuckerbox in WRJ and an excellent dinner at Murphyâs.
We wanted to go to Elixir, in WRJ, but the earliest we could get in would have been 9PM, too late for driving back. For those parents visiting the area and looking for good restaurants, this is one to add to the list, according to S. Hereâs their menu:
http://www.elixirrestaurant.com/dinner_menu.html
S may be longing for bright lights, big city, but we are enjoying the opportunity to visit the area now and again. 
Ouch, just when I was getting over the withdrawal symptoms! Spring in Hanover is a short but beautiful time. Enjoy it while you can. Elixir was one of our favorite places in White River Junction while staying at the Hampton Inn over there. Not the most scenic of accommodations, but for the short college visits it sure beat the pricier Hanover Inn. I never had the opportunity to stay at the Sixth Street South hotel.
You didnât miss anything. We stayed there once and end up moving to the Inn after one night. I;m not a tall person but the ceiling felt low, the room felt cramped/full of furniture, there was not a good work space, and there were no hooks in the bathroom to hang a bathrobe or whatever. I thought it was a very strange mix of good design (e.g., nice shower with swinging glass door) and shortsightedness. Canât beat the location, though.
OK, now that all the info from Dartmouth is coming in fast and furiously, my husband and I have some questions about D-Pay. Itâs not really clear to us how it works. Do they charge you the $25 fee just once, or each quarter that you use that system? And does it take the money right out of your bank account, or are there other options for how to set it up? Any info on the payment plans would be appreciated!
It has changed since we used it, but is was easy and straight-forward, there was a one-time fee and after that, it goes straight from your bank to them. It sure beat writing a check and mailing it. But all the info is right here: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~control/faq/dpay.html I think your student has to authorize access first.
You get to control the date itâs taken out, as I recall, in case that wasnât clear.
Does anyone know how a 3.87 last year was top 15% (second honor group), but a 3.87 GPA this year is top 35% (third honor group)? I was told by a senior Dartmouth student that GPAs typically go down, but maybe this is a particularly smart class??? It just seems strange that a student who has only made one B+ and all the rest As and A-s could not be in the top 15%, even though the major is Economics, which has a notoriously low relative median GPA at Dartmouth. Is grade inflation increasing? I spoke with one professor during family weekend who said just the opposite. I searched for the spring 2015 GPA cut offs for each honor group but could not find them anywhere. Iâm just wondering if it could be a mistake. Ideas? Call the registrarâs office on Monday? I would be grateful for any wisdom about past yearâs GPA cut offs. Thank you!
I would let the student deal with it.
Infoseeking, sounds like your D is doing great, and isnât she an athlete too? I wouldnât worry about her, the degree, relatively high GPA and if she is an athlete as well she will have the pick of her options after graduation. I agree with ATS on this, she can obviously handle it. Congrats.
Hey 19! or better yet, where are the parents of 19s?
Thatâs the plan; I was just hoping someone knew where the information is posted, if at all, or what the GPA requirements for recent years were. My '17 is finishing up midterms and interviews while staying in shape for a sport, so Iâm helping gather the information before the call to make sure itâs warranted. Thank you!