Dartmouth College Top Questions

Top notch and you'll graduate with a broad knowledge base. The teachers (at least the ones that I've had) are excellent and show genuine passion for their jobs. Grading is sorta up in the air and really depends on the class and teacher. All of my professors know my name which is much cooler than it sounds. Dartmouth does have distributive requirements (rather than having required classes, you have to take a class in different disciplines and subjects) which can be a bit annoying, it's good in the long run because it does expose you to other things that you never would have given a chance otherwise (for example, an engineering and math nerd who takes an Etruscan art history class or course on 18th century comparative Russian literature). Students study all of the time, especially on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings, the non-party nights (a lot of students don't have class on Tuesdays or Thursdays). And it's not for nothing. Most of the things you learn will come in useful in some form or another, whether it's for your profession, hobby or to sound smart in front of people.

My professors are unfortunately fantastic. I often find my papers overwhelmed with feedback and the profs are begging you to visit them during (or outside of) office hours. Which means that there is no blaming bad profs for anything- if your paper wasn't good enough it's just because you went out a little too hard that weekend!

The education is thorough and focused, I've had wonderful, incredibly passionate professors and professors who I felt were mediocre. That's just a fact of life.

We study hard, and Dartmouth is certainly challenging. We are on the quarter system, so you take three classes, three times a year. When not on campus, we can be found doing internships with companies that recruit heavily on campus, from I-banks like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan to real estate firms to design houses like Prada to anything under the sun really, to doing amazing volunteer activities such as teaching English to children in Ghana or building houses in Juarez.

Nice balance of types of classes and can work close with professors. There is maybe "too much" work, but that is expected at such a school. The work overrides all else, which is why the Work Hard Play Hard motto works so well

The classes are overall very small and personal. We used to have professors over for dinner and played on intramural sports teams with them. Academically the school obviously has a reputation for being challenging, which it deserves. Your peers are all extremely bright and you learn from them inside and outside the classroom. Academically, Dartmouth will support you in anything you want to do. Just come up with a plan, get some faculty support, apply for a grant, and you are on your way to achieving great things.

They can be as easy or as hard as you make them. For example, if you are a socy major and the only other classes you take are "joc" classes you will soar through here. Or if you are and engines major double majoring in biochemistry with a minor in econ life academically may be a little more tough. Profs in general aren't there to screw you over, nor are they handing out A's.

I've found a small department that is attentive and very supportive. I've known Russian and Anthro profs outside of class, and hung out with them in good ways. Big majors like Economics and Government are much more bureaucratic and impersonal. Dartmouth takes advantage of its liberal arts in integrative departments like Geography. One of the strongest traditions here is Native American studies, and Dartmouth supports a dialogue about Native American issues which is unique to the college and its history. Taking three classes is a challenge because it is hard to do all of the diverse work you want to, but good because you concentrate more I think. And the terms are very short, I'm not sure we learn as well because we cram a lot.

The academics are as good as you'd expect. The professors are usually good, and they make an effort to know your name. The classes are generally pretty small except in intro sciences, and there are very few lecture halls on campus, so be prepared to participate and be challenged.

Academics at Dartmouth are very intense and rigorous almost all the time. However, classes are extremely rewarding, and the effort put into coursework is certainly justified in the satisfaction. Although intense, students are supportive and friendly, not super competitive.