Dartmouth College Top Questions

Is the stereotype of students at Dartmouth College accurate?

Cameron

There are certainly guys like that out there; stereotypes don't come out of thin air. But, no, on the whole Dartmouth has a very diverse array of students. It's an ivy league school; sure, each one has their own "character" and attracts a certain type of student, but on the whole, people go here because they're smart, and there are all kinds of different smart people. (Misogynistic jocks who drink like fish are usually recruited athletes. They're not always smart. But they're everywhere -- don't think HYP doesn't have them, cause they do.) Drinking is indeed pretty rampant, though. Yeah, you can choose not to, and nobody's gonna ostracize you, but you'll definitely feel less integrated into the Dartmouth social scene. The school provides alternatives for people who don't drink, but not many great ones. Nevertheless there are non-drinkers who fiercely defend their sober and happy college experience. So, I guess you could be one of those.

Kendall

That's true to some extent. I do know people who party 3 or 4 nights a week. I know people who only party once a week. And I know people who don't drink at all. I mean it's all up to personal choice.

Sonia

Not everyone drinks and I don't feel pressured into drinking. I think it's good to know what people think about Christians because Christians aren't perfect and it's just another thing for Christians to work on. I personally love my extracurricular activities, which takes up large amounts of time. So between that, classwork, and friends, I don't think there's nothing to do.

Greta

Yes, for the most part I think in general they are

Liza

I think Dartmouth is more of a liberal campus than most other Ivies. However, there are pockets of conservative voices that are also heard. As for the stereotypes about the students, I would say that there is a great variety. Most kids appreciate the beautiful setting and try to be active.

Frances

Not really. Dartmouth students like to THINK they party all the time, but the school is becoming increasingly academically focused. I've talked to students a few years older than me who said Dartmouth lived up to its incredibly ragey reputation back when they were freshmen, but the times are changing. Yes, Dartmouth kids make sure to work hard and play hard, but not to the extent Animal House would have prospies believe. I think a lot of students here have struck a great balance between going out and still working super hard in classes, with a minority falling into either extreme.

Jordan

All of these people exist at Dartmouth, however, the stereotypes are not comprehensive. If not racially all that diverse, Dartmouth is at least diverse in the types of people (personalities, beliefs, etc.) who go here.

Blake

The first is, of course, true for some students. The second (extremely helpful) is for the most part - I have been shocked with how willing people are to help you succeed academically. As for the third stereotype, the strongly male-based alumni have been known to foster an atmosphere that makes stepping out of traditional sex-roles challenging. However, the great thing is that there are hundreds of extremely smart, motivated and strong women to challenge these pressures.

kelly

i mean there are definitely a lot of kids that are snobs but i do not think that it is any more than any other school would have

Kelsey

Dartmouth is in the middle of no where, but it is a great little community. There all types of people here, some of my closest friends are from New York City and I come straight from the beaches of San Diego. There is an immense amount of variety here. Alot of the guys here get upset because the girls dont dress up as much as other girls at other schools when they go out. This is true because it doesn't make any sense to dress like that when you have to walk through snow and ice to get to a fraternity.