Frankly, I never found any of the family weekends to be that much that fun in terms of what the college put on, but it was good to see D, since she’d only been home for a few days between her return from a Spring FSP and leaving again for Sophomore Summer. It was hot, hot, hot that summer, and I am not a hot weather person [we northern California wimps consider 78 or so to be a heat wave], so my opinion is biased. 
I give a hearty second to visiting Rauner – if only because it’s air conditioned !!! They have amazing collections (and their blog is worth following: http://raunerlibrary.blogspot.com/). I’m a big fan of Ralph Henry Barbour (an early 20th century author of boy’s books usually based on fictional NE prep schools & sports), and they have a complete set of his works, so I enjoyed reading some of the volumes that were not in my own collection. Not allowed to have a cold beer in there unfortunately. 
The town is less crowded with fewer kids around, which makes it more relaxing in terms of grabbing breakfast or even just some coffee at Dirt Cowboy.
Another question for experienced parents. How does it work when your student is taking a quarter “off” to make up for Sophomore Summer? Mine has an internship this Spring, so I’m assuming this has been programmed into the school’s databases and I won’t be receiving a bill for that quarter? I’m also curious about how it works on the student side of things, ie do they get in touch with them to let them know it’s time to register for Summer courses and arrange housing, or does the student have to be proactive about all that? Again my assumption is that since they had to declare all this, it has been mechanized and we don’t have to worry about missing notices and such?
@b1ggreenca : Correct. No bill for the quarter away, since the term off is a requirement.
As I recall, there were the same notices for Sophomore Summer as any other quarter, since it’s a regular part of the college year. It’s kind of fun, actually, since more places open up BUT some of the nicest residence halls get coopted for the other [paying] summer programs. [On the flip side, the programs for high school students seem to get shunted to Cohen etc.] D was able to live in her sorority house that summer [something usually limited to officers], so it’s a bit of a mystery to me beyond that.
Some information here: https://students.dartmouth.edu/residential-life/undergraduate-housing/about-housing/summer-housing It may actually require student to be more proactive.
Here’s something else that confuses me about that quarter. Since it’s called Sophomore Summer it’s obviously counted as part of the sophomore year, which means to me that he would then have to move dorm rooms again for the Fall? In other words, the Summer quarter is just the third quarter of sophomore year, so the following quarter starts a new school year, meaning new digs? I will follow your link and learn what I can! Thanks!
And I have no idea how any of this factors into the new “house” system, but I think you are correct. D was in Fahey/McLaughlin for soph winter, FSP for spring, sorority for summer, and moved off campus for junior fall, so, yes, moving all the time. But if you stay on campus then I expect you need to pay attention to the room draw deadlines, etc.
If your son is planning to live on campus fall junior year, he needs to make plans to participate in room draw this spring- whatever the process may look like for him. If he plans on living in his house, applying for affinity housing or is looking to be pulled in with some friends or even getting a single in his desired location, he needs to be part of room draw.
My D’s experience was she was on for sophomore summer (like @AboutTheSame 's D she lived in her house), did an FSP fall junior year and had an off term, winter junior year. When she came back at the end of junior year, she basically had to choose from whatever was available on campus when she got back. Even senior year, she and her friends had low numbers for room draw and could not get an apartment in the new buildings. She opted to get a single senior year.
That is really helpful. Like your D, my S may do an FSP for Fall of junior year, but would be back for Winter, and would need to participate in the room draw while away both times. I like the D-Plan for so many reasons, but think in practice it really complicates college logistics! Everyone else has gotten through it and figured it out, so I’m sure we will too!
If he is not going to be on during the fall, perhaps he should talk to some of his friends about their d-plan for next year. This way maybe he could coordinate his housing for next year. It would be great if he was off in the fall and coordinate being pulled in with someone he knows who will have a roommate who will be off during the winter and spring.
My son has a friend who is taking Amtrak to White River Junction to visit him. I know Upper Valley Transit has buses to Dartmouth (orange route). They seem to end at 5pm though and the train should get in at 6. Am I looking at the wrong schedule? Also, where is the neares bus stop in relation to the train. Any other way to get from train? My son said there are no Ubers in Hanover. Is that right?
@Baxter check out UVride shuttle/shuffle service. https://www.uvride.com/shuffle
Available 6 pm to 1 am.
@baxter you’ve melded two different businesses together. The bus company is Advance Transit and yes the last pick up in White River Junction to get to Hanover is the orange bus at 5:03pm. The nearest bus stop is the one on Main Street.
The car service/shuttle company is Upper Valley Ride. They have introduced a new service called the SHUFFLE. It works as a taxi type service from 6pm to 1am. The cost is $20 for rides of 10 minutes or less from pick up to drop off, over 10 minutes is an additional $2 a minute.
A third choice would be your son renting a car through Zipcar and picking up his friend. Dartmouth has 4 cars on campus that can be rented by the hour. It takes a few days to get an account set up and approved so if that is the route he decides to go sooner rather than later would be preferable.
Hopefully one of these three will work out for your son and his guest, and yes your son is correct Uber does not operate in Hanover.
@saffysmum Thanks so much! You really cleared up the options. It would have been nice if he gave this a little thought before her trip so he could get the zip car, but he’ll be ready for next time.
Hi - Uber is now here in the Upper Valley! Perhaps too late for your son’s visit but maybe next time?
But not too late for mine! Thanks for letting us know, I will let my son know to download and begin using the app!
@BTMell Thanks! That is good to know. I’ll
pass on the info to my son!
Dartmouth winter carnival worked out this year. Check out some of their ice sculptures.
This article appeared in today’s The Dartmouth concerning Uber and other transportation now available in the Hanover area. http://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2017/02/uber-comes-to-the-upper-valley
My daughter turns 18 in April and I’d like to throw her a party. Any suggestions for inexpensive places that will hold about a dozen people? I don’t mind doing my own catering so I’m open to either a a fun party place or a restaurant. Any suggestions?
Hello again helpful parents! My son continues to do well at Dartmouth, which is great! We sometimes wonder about his social life, but he’s always made lifelong friends, carefully. It doesn’t look like Dartmouth is changing that at all. Which is not to say he’s lonely–that’s certainly not the case, but neither has he turned into a prototypical Dartmouth-guy stereotype, either. 
On to my question, which is related to HMom16’s above. We will be unable to be at Dartmouth for our son’s birthday…what do other parents do in that case? Is there a bakery that will deliver a cake to his room or something? Any other ideas would be terrific!
So now we begin the needle-threading that is the housing lottery…he will be abroad next Winter term; he’s hoping he doesn’t lose his housing spot! (He got a pretty good number from the lottery…)
Thanks once more for listening and being so helpful.
We usually just shipped a goodie box. Peet’s coffee, dried fruit, favorite candy. Stuff that could sit around and be nibbled on for a while. (And shared or hidden …)