Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 11:05     Subject: New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?
I think they pivoted and admitted different types of kids this fall with the new AD....after the recent drinking/drowning death in Hanover? Bet there was university pressure.

Commonly see this kind of pivot. It's more noticeable at a small school than it would be at a school like Cornell.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 10:57     Subject: New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?
Kids who "used" to target Dartmouth are now targeting schools like Vanderbilt, Wake.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 10:56     Subject: New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?
the kids from our dc private who go to Dartmouth are not partiers- I hear from the parents that most of them enjoy their time there
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 10:52     Subject: New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?
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.

You want a white dominant school, you can go outside of T30 because all top schools have significant Asian population.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 10:32     Subject: New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?
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?
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 10:32     Subject: New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?
Anonymous wrote:Yes. It's gotten considerably nerdier in recent years. I consider this a good thing!


Yes, this tracks with PP's observations regarding changing demographics. More non-drinking hard workers.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 10:30     Subject: New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?
Anonymous wrote:Yes. It's gotten considerably nerdier in recent years. I consider this a good thing!


Dean Wormer ???
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 10:27     Subject: New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?
Yes. It's gotten considerably nerdier in recent years. I consider this a good thing!
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 10:02     Subject: New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?
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.


Sorry to hear this. It's so early, though. Hang in there (for you and the kid).

I will say having a freshman at Northwestern this fall - who was afraid the vibe would be like that - has been shocked by the level of "mainstream" kids there. I think Northwestern did the opposite thing this year and admitted a lot of neurotypical, socially extroverted kids. Maybe they used their WL that way? The international component is large, though, and mostly Asian, so that is a very distinct group that tends to keep to themselves and socialize with themselves.

Agree that you should see what the kid feels like in a few months. If so, transferring can be an easier narrative from Dartmouth (given quarters, social isolation, rural) to schools that do take a lot of transfers and have robust transfer student programming (Michigan, Vanderbilt, USC, Northwestern).
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 09:53     Subject: New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?
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.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 09:45     Subject: New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?
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.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 09:13     Subject: New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?
DS is at Dartmouth and he's a non drinker (never had one sip). He is intellectual and social and absolutely loves it and is encouraging our younger son (also a nondrinker) to apply.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 08:58     Subject: New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?
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?


Then Dartmouth College is probably not the right choice to pursue for your child as his or her social options would be limited.

We were in a similar situation about a decade ago. Visited and attended a presentation by Dartmouth admissions which emphasized the country club atmosphere of the school. The presentation and seeing the students act like drunken jerks took the school from the top of the list to off the list.

Know several current students at Dartmouth who stress that the drinking culture is pervasive at Dartmouth College currently. Some of the stories about on-campus parties are gross.

Great school with seemingly nice kids, but not worth wasting one's ED option if not into drunken partying "in attics and basements" as stated by a current junior at Dartmouth.

Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 07:33     Subject: New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?
Winter and sophomore summer will likely be a drag because there truly isn’t much else to do. What is it about Dartmouth that appeals? Perhaps it can be found somewhere less isolated? My older daughter went to Dartmouth. My younger daughter, who doesn’t drink, chose Tufts and loves having access to other stuff to do when it feels like the only thing to do on campus is drink.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 00:05     Subject: New Thread - Can A Non-Drinker Thrive at Dartmouth?
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?