Dickinson College

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a physics instructor and taught at both Dickinson and Bucknell, and the students at Dickinson were much more with-it and focused.

Interesting. The students we've known who headed off to Bucknell definitely were more academically advanced than those going to Dickinson.

Dickinson is sort of like the Elon of the mid-Atlantic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a physics instructor and taught at both Dickinson and Bucknell, and the students at Dickinson were much more with-it and focused.

Interesting. The students we've known who headed off to Bucknell definitely were more academically advanced than those going to Dickinson.

Dickinson is sort of like the Elon of the mid-Atlantic.

Dickinson alum here. There's definitely a white privileged type that's smart but not brilliant but I'd put Dickinson quite a bit above Elon. Both for academic rigor and the quality of career opportunities and name recognition. There were many student-faculty research opportunities and some profs invited us to their homes for dinner and beers. My classmates got recruited by companies that never would have bothered years ago. And unlike Kenyon or Hamilton at least we had a walkable, affordable town at our doorstep. I chose Dickinson over these schools and some NESCAC schools because being at an even tinier college on a hill drinking in the woods sounded awful. It wasn't a real college town but miles better than Clinton, NY or Gambier.

[Anonymous]

The school is very small.

[Anonymous]

I have 4 kids, ages 15 - 24, all current students or grads of DC independent schools. Over the years, I've seen Dickinson emerging as a popular choice among very good students who weren't admitted to the top SLACs. I can think of several current Dickinson students from my kids' circle of friends who are really bright and talented. For whatever reason, they didn't get into NESCAC schools, so they chose Dickinson (NB: I know there are great SLACs outside of the NESCAC, but these kids wanted to stay on the east coast). Even though Dickinson might not have been their top choice, once they arrive on campus these students have good things to say about Dickinson and seem to be finding great opportunities to grow there.

[Anonymous]

I know that Franklin and Marshall is their big rival, which is only an hour east.. Any comparisons between the two schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a physics instructor and taught at both Dickinson and Bucknell, and the students at Dickinson were much more with-it and focused.

Interesting. The students we've known who headed off to Bucknell definitely were more academically advanced than those going to Dickinson.

Dickinson is sort of like the Elon of the mid-Atlantic.

Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The school is very small.

2400 students, which is normal by SLAC standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a physics instructor and taught at both Dickinson and Bucknell, and the students at Dickinson were much more with-it and focused.

Interesting. The students we've known who headed off to Bucknell definitely were more academically advanced than those going to Dickinson.

Dickinson is sort of like the Elon of the mid-Atlantic.

Dickinson alum here. There's definitely a white privileged type that's smart but not brilliant but I'd put Dickinson quite a bit above Elon. Both for academic rigor and the quality of career opportunities and name recognition. There were many student-faculty research opportunities and some profs invited us to their homes for dinner and beers. My classmates got recruited by companies that never would have bothered years ago. And unlike Kenyon or Hamilton at least we had a walkable, affordable town at our doorstep. I chose Dickinson over these schools and some NESCAC schools because being at an even tinier college on a hill drinking in the woods sounded awful. It wasn't a real college town but miles better than Clinton, NY or Gambier.

It's really a different kind of school than Elon. Elon is a university and more pre professional - you can major in things like accounting, marketing, early childhood education, etc. Dickinson's SATs are about 100 points above Elon and the acceptance rate is at least 10 points lower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have 4 kids, ages 15 - 24, all current students or grads of DC independent schools. Over the years, I've seen Dickinson emerging as a popular choice among very good students who weren't admitted to the top SLACs. I can think of several current Dickinson students from my kids' circle of friends who are really bright and talented. For whatever reason, they didn't get into NESCAC schools, so they chose Dickinson (NB: I know there are great SLACs outside of the NESCAC, but these kids wanted to stay on the east coast). Even though Dickinson might not have been their top choice, once they arrive on campus these students have good things to say about Dickinson and seem to be finding great opportunities to grow there.

Or they couldn't afford NESCAC schools (none of which give scholarships), and Dickinson gave them merit aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have 4 kids, ages 15 - 24, all current students or grads of DC independent schools. Over the years, I've seen Dickinson emerging as a popular choice among very good students who weren't admitted to the top SLACs. I can think of several current Dickinson students from my kids' circle of friends who are really bright and talented. For whatever reason, they didn't get into NESCAC schools, so they chose Dickinson (NB: I know there are great SLACs outside of the NESCAC, but these kids wanted to stay on the east coast). Even though Dickinson might not have been their top choice, once they arrive on campus these students have good things to say about Dickinson and seem to be finding great opportunities to grow there.

Or they couldn't afford NESCAC schools (none of which give scholarships), and Dickinson gave them merit aid.

And that's a bad thing why? We looked at the Maine schools. I can appreciate the quality of education and natural beauty up there but as the PP said the isolation being hours away from any major city at an young adult version of a New England prep school with less than 2,000 students isn't everyones cup of tea. Most of the NESCAC schools don't have Greek life but my partner went to Middlebury, which has co-ed residential social houses that can be just as snobbish and insufferable as the frats we all love to hate.

There are also a very finite number of slots at Amherst, Middlebury and Bowdoin. It's nice to see people noticing other schools formerly under the radar that are now quite respectable.

[Anonymous]

^^^. I think what PP was saying is that you can't assume that a student at Dickinson is not as smart or did not get into Amherst ... Maybe they are smarter to take the merit money instead of paying for Amherst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can never remember the difference between Dickinson, Davidson and Kenyon.

Davidson is top ranked liberal arts colleges -- one of the best. People who should know that know that. Kenyon is a good but not great liberal arts college. Dickinson is ok. They are in three different states. Dickinson is in PA. I think Davidson is in NC. Kenyon is in OH in a location that is sarcastically said to be halfway between Columbus and nowhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have 4 kids, ages 15 - 24, all current students or grads of DC independent schools. Over the years, I've seen Dickinson emerging as a popular choice among very good students who weren't admitted to the top SLACs. I can think of several current Dickinson students from my kids' circle of friends who are really bright and talented. For whatever reason, they didn't get into NESCAC schools, so they chose Dickinson (NB: I know there are great SLACs outside of the NESCAC, but these kids wanted to stay on the east coast). Even though Dickinson might not have been their top choice, once they arrive on campus these students have good things to say about Dickinson and seem to be finding great opportunities to grow there.

Or they couldn't afford NESCAC schools (none of which give scholarships), and Dickinson gave them merit aid.

And that's a bad thing why? We looked at the Maine schools. I can appreciate the quality of education and natural beauty up there but as the PP said the isolation being hours away from any major city at an young adult version of a New England prep school with less than 2,000 students isn't everyones cup of tea. Most of the NESCAC schools don't have Greek life but my partner went to Middlebury, which has co-ed residential social houses that can be just as snobbish and insufferable as the frats we all love to hate.

There are also a very finite number of slots at Amherst, Middlebury and Bowdoin. It's nice to see people noticing other schools formerly under the radar that are now quite respectable.

It is not a bad thing. Just saying that NESCAC schools are not available to all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^. I think what PP was saying is that you can't assume that a student at Dickinson is not as smart or did not get into Amherst ... Maybe they are smarter to take the merit money instead of paying for Amherst.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^. I think what PP was saying is that you can't assume that a student at Dickinson is not as smart or did not get into Amherst ... Maybe they are smarter to take the merit money instead of paying for Amherst.

+1

I honestly could not imagine turning down Amherst for Dickinson. Dickinson may or may not be a cut above Elon, but Amherst is definitely miles ahead of Dickinson.