Was Dartmouth worth it?

rightnotleft
Mon, 14 Nov 2011 23:42:41 +0000

I will echo 'Nique and say that Dartmouth was everything I expected plus about a million times more.

It’s worth it a million times for the faculty, who by and large care more about undergrads than you will ever find at another top-tier university. In addition, they are at the top of their fields (on the whole) and love to include their undergrads in their research.

The grad student population is often ignored by people at Dartmouth, but the grads are phenomenal, brilliant people who can (and will!) help guide you in individual classes, your academic career, and in life, if you give them a chance. They’re the ones who do the thankless tasks of running a class, from setting up projectors, etc., to running labs. They do a lot, don’t ask for much, and are a great, underused, underappreciated resource.

But, by and large, meeting the rest of the undergrad student body at Dartmouth is the best part of the school, the best part of the experience, and the true strength of the school. Whatever the grown-ups try to sell you and teach you, it’s your fellow classmates that make the school for you. I feel blessed and lucky to have ever qualified to be a Dartmouth student. I miss it every day. You will meet people from all walks of life, from all corners of the globe, and with all sorts of perspectives on life. The most rewarding moments will not be in the classroom, but sitting on the floor (or a chair, or on the ground, whatever) talking about this and that with your classmates. You’ll be classmates with Olympians, published authors, inventors, entrepreneurs, and international heros. It’s a great experience to be surrounded by exceptional individuals and have fun doing it.

There is something for everyone at Dartmouth. It’s not right for everyone, but it’s right for most. It truly is the best of both worlds - the resources of a research university and the undergrad focus of a liberal arts school. It has a fantastic, dynamic student body situated in an idyllic location with world-class faculty.

By rankings, it was not the best school I applied to or got into, but there is no doubt in my mind it’s the best place I could grow to be the best person and scholar I could. There’s a true love for Dartmouth that you get when you set foot in Hanover; just ask any alum.

If you have the chance to go to Dartmouth, you should have an incredibly good reason not to accept.