Dartmouth and Hazing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My current HS senior would not consider Dartmouth - even though it checked a lot of her boxes - because it is 65% Greek. This article is devastating but there are many of them, about many kids at many other colleges with the same type of toxic culture - the common denominator of the kids who die from hazing is they are almost never white, and never wealthy or legacies. It will be kids of color, often of immigrant parents and/or parents who did not attend that type of college/university, are middle or lower income, etc. They are outsiders who join Greek life because there want the acceptance and major transactional benefits (and btw the McKinsey spokesperson is FOS - it's not just having the name of the frat on your resume that gets you an internship or job, it's everything else - the contacts, networking, fraternity alumni, brothers who prep you for exams, entree to professional clubs, etc etc etc). As a prospective parent or student, I would pay careful attention to the campus culture - can the kid get the experience they want and need? Can they access the opportunities important to them? Will they only be happy or feel successful if they can penetrate an exclusive social culture that literally exists to make sure a certain type of student will always have an edge? And it's not just limited to a specific type of Greek life - it includes final clubs, eating clubs, etc. - there is a reason they exist and it is to maintain the status quo. Now that elite colleges and universities are not mainly filled with the progeny of "elite" families (though of course they get huge advantage in admission), there need to be other social structures in place to make sure only certain "others" are admitted, and to not water down the true intent of this structure. Go in with your eyes open, talk to current students - not just tour guides - about their experiences, and think hard about what you want out of your college experience.

That's such an important point. Students who generally already feel like they belong/have social capital are better positioned to say no to the worst excesses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also have a kid who loves it (sophomore) and barely drinks. And the type of kid they've admitted in recent years has changed, especially in 2025. Far more geeks and artsy kids, fewer partying bros. Go to the school and see who's walking around (although they're about to all come home until January). Don't listen to the DCUM authorities who just posts stereotypes.

Check back with us around September 1 with an update.

Huh? My kid is a sophomore at Dartmouth.

Dartmouth students (myself included 🫣) go feral sophomore summer. We thought it would be more contained this past summer after what happened in 2024 but that was not the case.

[Anonymous]

I am sure many of these posts are meant to discourage others from applying. Dartmouth is an almost impossible admission from the DMV and has one is the 4th highest yield rates of the Ivies, essentially tied with Yale for 3rd. From my kid's private alone there are 7 kids who submitted an ED for 2026 and if past precedent is held, likely one will be admitted.

My non-drinker is very happy. They drank some in high school, decided it wasn't for them and now has a whole crowd of friends like them at Dartmouth.

If your kid is seriously interested in the school, find someone in real life and ask them frankly about their kids' experience. Better yet, have your kid ask a peer. There are plenty around the DMV. I know my kid would be happy to talk and won't hold back on the good, bad, and any ugly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am sure many of these posts are meant to discourage others from applying. Dartmouth is an almost impossible admission from the DMV and has one is the 4th highest yield rates of the Ivies, essentially tied with Yale for 3rd. From my kid's private alone there are 7 kids who submitted an ED for 2026 and if past precedent is held, likely one will be admitted.

My non-drinker is very happy. They drank some in high school, decided it wasn't for them and now has a whole crowd of friends like them at Dartmouth.

If your kid is seriously interested in the school, find someone in real life and ask them frankly about their kids' experience. Better yet, have your kid ask a peer. There are plenty around the DMV. I know my kid would be happy to talk and won't hold back on the good, bad, and any ugly.

Amazing that the response to horrific, documented abuse of students, including frequent sexual assault is . . . . People are trying to discourage other kids from applying.

I guess as long as it isn’t your kid, Dartmouth is a great school,

[Anonymous]

Hi OP, if your kid is sincerely interested in Dartmouth - might I suggest that you listen to current students/parents of current students instead of people who really have no clue what it's like there? It seems someone tries to start a new post to tear down one of the most selective schools every few days. Maybe it's to reduce competition or maybe people are reacting to their own rejection - I'm not really sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP, if your kid is sincerely interested in Dartmouth - might I suggest that you listen to current students/parents of current students instead of people who really have no clue what it's like there? It seems someone tries to start a new post to tear down one of the most selective schools every few days. Maybe it's to reduce competition or maybe people are reacting to their own rejection - I'm not really sure.

+1 strongest opinions come from people who are unaffiliated.

[Anonymous]

Our DD is a legacy and has been wearing her dad's old Dartmouth sweatshirt around the house for years and dreaming of attending. All the other aspects of Dartmouth checked her boxes and she's competitive for admission. But when she toured, she was turned off by the Greek presence. She's an extroverted, outspoken kid who does party some within her high school scene so not naive, but after the tour she did more legwork and talked to a bunch of students who attend. She then took Dartmouth off her list completely due to the stories about Greek life dominating social culture. It's too bad because the school has so much to offer otherwise. Sure, there are kids who don't participate and are happy there. She just didn't want an environment where those kids are the minority.

Here's yet another recent article on the topic:
https://vnews.com/2024/12/15/dartmouth-student-and-mom-break-code-of-silence-over-dartmouth-hazing-58395612/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP, if your kid is sincerely interested in Dartmouth - might I suggest that you listen to current students/parents of current students instead of people who really have no clue what it's like there? It seems someone tries to start a new post to tear down one of the most selective schools every few days. Maybe it's to reduce competition or maybe people are reacting to their own rejection - I'm not really sure.

My kid, who is not into drinking or partying, was initially interested in Dartmouth. We visited, and the tour did very little to sway the decision either way. But what made a difference was seeing who was accepted from DC’s school last year: three spoiled rich kids who were not at the top of the class. That more than anything else helped DC decide to ED elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP, if your kid is sincerely interested in Dartmouth - might I suggest that you listen to current students/parents of current students instead of people who really have no clue what it's like there? It seems someone tries to start a new post to tear down one of the most selective schools every few days. Maybe it's to reduce competition or maybe people are reacting to their own rejection - I'm not really sure.

Or maybe people are alarmed about a school that facilitates the violent and psychological abuse of its students as documented by Boston magazine?

Apparently, that is hard for some Dartmouth people to comprehend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DD is a legacy and has been wearing her dad's old Dartmouth sweatshirt around the house for years and dreaming of attending. All the other aspects of Dartmouth checked her boxes and she's competitive for admission. But when she toured, she was turned off by the Greek presence. She's an extroverted, outspoken kid who does party some within her high school scene so not naive, but after the tour she did more legwork and talked to a bunch of students who attend. She then took Dartmouth off her list completely due to the stories about Greek life dominating social culture. It's too bad because the school has so much to offer otherwise. Sure, there are kids who don't participate and are happy there. She just didn't want an environment where those kids are the minority.

Here's yet another recent article on the topic:
https://vnews.com/2024/12/15/dartmouth-student-and-mom-break-code-of-silence-over-dartmouth-hazing-58395612/

Thanks for sharing. The article makes me sad and angry at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DD is a legacy and has been wearing her dad's old Dartmouth sweatshirt around the house for years and dreaming of attending. All the other aspects of Dartmouth checked her boxes and she's competitive for admission. But when she toured, she was turned off by the Greek presence. She's an extroverted, outspoken kid who does party some within her high school scene so not naive, but after the tour she did more legwork and talked to a bunch of students who attend. She then took Dartmouth off her list completely due to the stories about Greek life dominating social culture. It's too bad because the school has so much to offer otherwise. Sure, there are kids who don't participate and are happy there. She just didn't want an environment where those kids are the minority.

Here's yet another recent article on the topic:
https://vnews.com/2024/12/15/dartmouth-student-and-mom-break-code-of-silence-over-dartmouth-hazing-58395612/

we've done 2 tours and never noticed Greek life. Can you elaborate what you saw on the tour?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DD is a legacy and has been wearing her dad's old Dartmouth sweatshirt around the house for years and dreaming of attending. All the other aspects of Dartmouth checked her boxes and she's competitive for admission. But when she toured, she was turned off by the Greek presence. She's an extroverted, outspoken kid who does party some within her high school scene so not naive, but after the tour she did more legwork and talked to a bunch of students who attend. She then took Dartmouth off her list completely due to the stories about Greek life dominating social culture. It's too bad because the school has so much to offer otherwise. Sure, there are kids who don't participate and are happy there. She just didn't want an environment where those kids are the minority.

Here's yet another recent article on the topic:
https://vnews.com/2024/12/15/dartmouth-student-and-mom-break-code-of-silence-over-dartmouth-hazing-58395612/

we've done 2 tours and never noticed Greek life. Can you elaborate what you saw on the tour?

Just a lot of small things that added up. We were there on a Friday in April and there was a lot of day drinking in the frat yards. Nothing that looked concerning or out-of-control. Then, our tour guide kicked off the tour by spending ten minutes talking about the blue light system, other safety topics, proximity of local hospitals, and how students shouldn't worry about discipline from Dartmouth if they call for help when someone has alcohol poisoning or is blacked out because you'll have immunity - safety comes first. Then DD practiced with a club sports team, hung out with those kids that evening, and later said she wanted to talk to more students about social life and the Greek scene. We didn't get more details than that. After talking to more kids remotely, she told us she was no longer interested primarily because of the Greek scene. Now, I will say that only one kid from her school went off to Dartmouth last year, and that kid is a total gem - kind, down-to-earth with a strong moral compass and one of those "once in a decade" academic and leadership stars. I'm sure there are lots of kids like that there.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps suggest colleges to your child that offer some of the favorable attributes of Dartmouth but without pernicious Greek cultures? Consider, for example, Williams, Bowdoin, Hamilton, Carleton and Kenyon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DD is a legacy and has been wearing her dad's old Dartmouth sweatshirt around the house for years and dreaming of attending. All the other aspects of Dartmouth checked her boxes and she's competitive for admission. But when she toured, she was turned off by the Greek presence. She's an extroverted, outspoken kid who does party some within her high school scene so not naive, but after the tour she did more legwork and talked to a bunch of students who attend. She then took Dartmouth off her list completely due to the stories about Greek life dominating social culture. It's too bad because the school has so much to offer otherwise. Sure, there are kids who don't participate and are happy there. She just didn't want an environment where those kids are the minority.

Here's yet another recent article on the topic:
https://vnews.com/2024/12/15/dartmouth-student-and-mom-break-code-of-silence-over-dartmouth-hazing-58395612/

Thanks for sharing. The article makes me sad and angry at the same time.

+1

[Anonymous]

Whoa lotta parents trying to deter other students from applying. Go visit for yourself