New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?

[Anonymous]

My son's friend is at Dartmouth and has many friends, despite being a non-drinker.

Reputations die hard, OP, even when college culture changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son's friend is at Dartmouth and has many friends, despite being a non-drinker.

Reputations die hard, OP, even when college culture changes.

If the dominant drinking culture has changed, then it occurred within the last year as it was still prevalent two years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know Dartmouth well. I was there for residency, met my husband who was a grad student, lived in Hanover, have a family member who attended 5 years ago and just dropped off my freshman about 2 weeks ago. This freshman class feels heavily quirky/artsy and as an aside is also very Asian (easily 1/3?). Dartmouth has always had a balance of white, prep school culture balanced with the quirky/artsy/outdoorsy set but it seems like the the direction they're headed is heavily the later. This is also true from the others attending from my kid's high school (3 out of 4 are what I would type-cast as artsy/quirky) and the accepted student event and Dartmouth Club of NYC event for accepted students we went to (about 75 matriculants at the later and a tiny handful of typically mainstream kids). My kid actually wanted the traditional work-hard/play-hard culture and is talking of transferring because they can't find their people. I keep saying "it's very early!" and it 100% is but it does seem like the institution is changing and it's a small school so this can happen very quickly. Depending on your kid's perspective, this is the best thing ever or makes it a terrible fit. Right now I would not send my mainstream, preppy, work-hard-play-hard kid there at all.

I shared this because it does seem likely that there will be a fraction of current drinking with this current class. These are the kids (in my kid's experience) who didn't drink at all in high school. It remains to be seen if it's a one-off year or a (gradual or abrupt) institutional change. They got a new admissions director this year so perhaps that's behind it.

Wow. This is fascinating. Not what I'd expected.

A lot of these schools are heavily nerdy/segregated Asian kids who don't want to mix with the larger (more socially extroverted) rest of the student population.
Give it a few weeks. You will know by Thanksgiving.

This again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know Dartmouth well. I was there for residency, met my husband who was a grad student, lived in Hanover, have a family member who attended 5 years ago and just dropped off my freshman about 2 weeks ago. This freshman class feels heavily quirky/artsy and as an aside is also very Asian (easily 1/3?). Dartmouth has always had a balance of white, prep school culture balanced with the quirky/artsy/outdoorsy set but it seems like the the direction they're headed is heavily the later. This is also true from the others attending from my kid's high school (3 out of 4 are what I would type-cast as artsy/quirky) and the accepted student event and Dartmouth Club of NYC event for accepted students we went to (about 75 matriculants at the later and a tiny handful of typically mainstream kids). My kid actually wanted the traditional work-hard/play-hard culture and is talking of transferring because they can't find their people. I keep saying "it's very early!" and it 100% is but it does seem like the institution is changing and it's a small school so this can happen very quickly. Depending on your kid's perspective, this is the best thing ever or makes it a terrible fit. Right now I would not send my mainstream, preppy, work-hard-play-hard kid there at all.

I shared this because it does seem likely that there will be a fraction of current drinking with this current class. These are the kids (in my kid's experience) who didn't drink at all in high school. It remains to be seen if it's a one-off year or a (gradual or abrupt) institutional change. They got a new admissions director this year so perhaps that's behind it.

Wow. This is fascinating. Not what I'd expected.

A lot of these schools are heavily nerdy/segregated Asian kids who don't want to mix with the larger (more socially extroverted) rest of the student population.
Give it a few weeks. You will know by Thanksgiving.

(Uncleverly) disguised heterophobia message that you don’t want to mix with anyone non white, which is fine. But stop blaming others when usually it’s the white people who self segregate.

[Anonymous]

My DS is a junior at Dartmouth. Asian, non-athlete, very studious - but also pledged a frat and definitely enjoys a party. Is there a 'party' culture? Yes, but no more so than all the other schools his high school friends attend. Also the Greek system is surprisingly inclusive (there seems to be a house for everyone who wants to rush), and anyone can go to any party. You'll also regularly see people hanging out and not drinking. 'Pong' is a big part of the social life, but that's kinda what also make it way more nerdy and inclusive than the schools that regularly have the more traditional kind of frat parties. It's a way nerdier vibe than I ever imagined. The quarter system makes it intense, so this isn't a school where there is a party every day of the week - most weekday nights are very quiet, and when there are midterms/finals, weekends are quiet too. (some of his friends who go to schools where there is always a party have in many cases struggled with managing deep FOMO and maintaining their grades). There is also a thriving performance arts-based club culture around dance, improv, voice, and top notch mock trial/debate teams - and a lot of social life revolves around those clubs as well. And as mentioned before, there is a huge outdoor culture. Most kids spend a lot of their free time in the winter term making use of Dartmouth's skiway. So don't let the reputation of Dartmouth keep you from digging into the truth behind the stereotypes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know Dartmouth well. I was there for residency, met my husband who was a grad student, lived in Hanover, have a family member who attended 5 years ago and just dropped off my freshman about 2 weeks ago. This freshman class feels heavily quirky/artsy and as an aside is also very Asian (easily 1/3?). Dartmouth has always had a balance of white, prep school culture balanced with the quirky/artsy/outdoorsy set but it seems like the the direction they're headed is heavily the later. This is also true from the others attending from my kid's high school (3 out of 4 are what I would type-cast as artsy/quirky) and the accepted student event and Dartmouth Club of NYC event for accepted students we went to (about 75 matriculants at the later and a tiny handful of typically mainstream kids). My kid actually wanted the traditional work-hard/play-hard culture and is talking of transferring because they can't find their people. I keep saying "it's very early!" and it 100% is but it does seem like the institution is changing and it's a small school so this can happen very quickly. Depending on your kid's perspective, this is the best thing ever or makes it a terrible fit. Right now I would not send my mainstream, preppy, work-hard-play-hard kid there at all.

I shared this because it does seem likely that there will be a fraction of current drinking with this current class. These are the kids (in my kid's experience) who didn't drink at all in high school. It remains to be seen if it's a one-off year or a (gradual or abrupt) institutional change. They got a new admissions director this year so perhaps that's behind it.

Wow. This is fascinating. Not what I'd expected.

A lot of these schools are heavily nerdy/segregated Asian kids who don't want to mix with the larger (more socially extroverted) rest of the student population.
Give it a few weeks. You will know by Thanksgiving.

I'm Asian American and I went to Dartmouth, am an active alum and have visited several times and have a kid who will be applying this fall. Unlike HYPSM, there really aren't that many Asian Americans at Dartmouth as a percentage of the student population and therefore, the Asian Americans are necessarily involved in clubs, sports, music groups, and other activities that have a lot of students from other backgrounds and that is the norm at this college. Also, in sophomore fall, 55% or so pledge fraternities or sororities, which results in more integration. I did not drink at all and there was plenty to do, from outdoor activities (tons of opportunities for hikes, skiing, snowshoeing, etc. through the Dartmouth Outing Club), road trips to Maine or Boston, movie nights, concerts (Dartmouth has the largest performance venue in the upper valley so a lot of music events take place on campus), speaker series, driving to get dinner or brunch in nearby cities/towns, volunteering, intramurals, etc. So, it depends on your kid and whether they're heavy partiers. I was not but I had a wonderful experience nonetheless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS is a junior at Dartmouth. Asian, non-athlete, very studious - but also pledged a frat and definitely enjoys a party. Is there a 'party' culture? Yes, but no more so than all the other schools his high school friends attend. Also the Greek system is surprisingly inclusive (there seems to be a house for everyone who wants to rush), and anyone can go to any party. You'll also regularly see people hanging out and not drinking. 'Pong' is a big part of the social life, but that's kinda what also make it way more nerdy and inclusive than the schools that regularly have the more traditional kind of frat parties. It's a way nerdier vibe than I ever imagined. The quarter system makes it intense, so this isn't a school where there is a party every day of the week - most weekday nights are very quiet, and when there are midterms/finals, weekends are quiet too. (some of his friends who go to schools where there is always a party have in many cases struggled with managing deep FOMO and maintaining their grades). There is also a thriving performance arts-based club culture around dance, improv, voice, and top notch mock trial/debate teams - and a lot of social life revolves around those clubs as well. And as mentioned before, there is a huge outdoor culture. Most kids spend a lot of their free time in the winter term making use of Dartmouth's skiway. So don't let the reputation of Dartmouth keep you from digging into the truth behind the stereotypes!

DS is a junior also. They have "On" nights for parties. There are two designated On nights during the week and one on the weekend. For comparison, at my college, parties were much more frequent. I wouldn't call Dartmouth a party school but I guess it depends if you're used to zero On nights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone suggested starting a new thread. DC wants to ED at Dartmouth, but the many articles on binge drinking and fraternity/sorority culture are worrisome. If a student doesn’t want to spend four years playing beer pong, is Dartmouth not a good fit?

Why don't you see if your kid gets in before you start borrowing trouble. Odds are, you won't have to worry about this...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know Dartmouth well. I was there for residency, met my husband who was a grad student, lived in Hanover, have a family member who attended 5 years ago and just dropped off my freshman about 2 weeks ago. This freshman class feels heavily quirky/artsy and as an aside is also very Asian (easily 1/3?). Dartmouth has always had a balance of white, prep school culture balanced with the quirky/artsy/outdoorsy set but it seems like the the direction they're headed is heavily the later. This is also true from the others attending from my kid's high school (3 out of 4 are what I would type-cast as artsy/quirky) and the accepted student event and Dartmouth Club of NYC event for accepted students we went to (about 75 matriculants at the later and a tiny handful of typically mainstream kids). My kid actually wanted the traditional work-hard/play-hard culture and is talking of transferring because they can't find their people. I keep saying "it's very early!" and it 100% is but it does seem like the institution is changing and it's a small school so this can happen very quickly. Depending on your kid's perspective, this is the best thing ever or makes it a terrible fit. Right now I would not send my mainstream, preppy, work-hard-play-hard kid there at all.

I shared this because it does seem likely that there will be a fraction of current drinking with this current class. These are the kids (in my kid's experience) who didn't drink at all in high school. It remains to be seen if it's a one-off year or a (gradual or abrupt) institutional change. They got a new admissions director this year so perhaps that's behind it.

Wow. This is fascinating. Not what I'd expected.

A lot of these schools are heavily nerdy/segregated Asian kids who don't want to mix with the larger (more socially extroverted) rest of the student population.
Give it a few weeks. You will know by Thanksgiving.

Asian=nerdy? Racist much?

Oh come on now. The DMV magnets are dominated by Asian kids for a reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know Dartmouth well. I was there for residency, met my husband who was a grad student, lived in Hanover, have a family member who attended 5 years ago and just dropped off my freshman about 2 weeks ago. This freshman class feels heavily quirky/artsy and as an aside is also very Asian (easily 1/3?). Dartmouth has always had a balance of white, prep school culture balanced with the quirky/artsy/outdoorsy set but it seems like the the direction they're headed is heavily the later. This is also true from the others attending from my kid's high school (3 out of 4 are what I would type-cast as artsy/quirky) and the accepted student event and Dartmouth Club of NYC event for accepted students we went to (about 75 matriculants at the later and a tiny handful of typically mainstream kids). My kid actually wanted the traditional work-hard/play-hard culture and is talking of transferring because they can't find their people. I keep saying "it's very early!" and it 100% is but it does seem like the institution is changing and it's a small school so this can happen very quickly. Depending on your kid's perspective, this is the best thing ever or makes it a terrible fit. Right now I would not send my mainstream, preppy, work-hard-play-hard kid there at all.

I shared this because it does seem likely that there will be a fraction of current drinking with this current class. These are the kids (in my kid's experience) who didn't drink at all in high school. It remains to be seen if it's a one-off year or a (gradual or abrupt) institutional change. They got a new admissions director this year so perhaps that's behind it.

Wow. This is fascinating. Not what I'd expected.

A lot of these schools are heavily nerdy/segregated Asian kids who don't want to mix with the larger (more socially extroverted) rest of the student population.
Give it a few weeks. You will know by Thanksgiving.

Asian=nerdy? Racist much?

Oh come on now. The DMV magnets are dominated by Asian kids for a reason.

What’s the reason?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone suggested starting a new thread. DC wants to ED at Dartmouth, but the many articles on binge drinking and fraternity/sorority culture are worrisome. If a student doesn’t want to spend four years playing beer pong, is Dartmouth not a good fit?

Why don't you see if your kid gets in before you start borrowing trouble. Odds are, you won't have to worry about this...

Because if it wouldn’t be a good fit, why bother applying at all, let alone ED?

[Anonymous]

I am also a parent of a freshman ('29). After you say goodbye at drop-off, the whole freshman class walks together in a parade. It’s a small class, only around 1,100 students, so you can really see what the full group looks like. I agree that Dartmouth’s new freshman class seems very geeky and yes very Asian/South Asian — we were surprised. My husband and I even joked, “Did we come to Swarthmore by mistake?” (Of course, Swarthmore is a great college, but the type of student that chooses it is very different than those that typically chose Dartmouth). It's a tiny college so it doesn't take a large demographic shift to make a class that feels very different.

The new admissions director came from UPenn. She is unique and a somewhat polarizing. She gave a speech to the freshman class which is online somewhere in which I think this shows.

If your kid is considering it, I strongly recommend to visit in person. Talk to students and parents who are in the current freshman class.

[Anonymous]

Spent four (happy) years at Dartmouth without playing beer pong once. Same case for most of my friends there (although I assume some might have tried it once or twice). The fraternity scene is there for students who want it, and many do and thrive in it (not just about the drinking), but many don't and have equally happy experiences, drawing on Dartmouth's other strong and in some cases unique offerings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am also a parent of a freshman ('29). After you say goodbye at drop-off, the whole freshman class walks together in a parade. It’s a small class, only around 1,100 students, so you can really see what the full group looks like. I agree that Dartmouth’s new freshman class seems very geeky and yes very Asian/South Asian — we were surprised. My husband and I even joked, “Did we come to Swarthmore by mistake?” (Of course, Swarthmore is a great college, but the type of student that chooses it is very different than those that typically chose Dartmouth). It's a tiny college so it doesn't take a large demographic shift to make a class that feels very different.

The new admissions director came from UPenn. She is unique and a somewhat polarizing. She gave a speech to the freshman class which is online somewhere in which I think this shows.

If your kid is considering it, I strongly recommend to visit in person. Talk to students and parents who are in the current freshman class.

can someone link it?

[Anonymous]

The three kids who went to Dartmouth from DC’s private school this year were definitely NOT the nerdy/academic type described above.