BCC in the Northeast: Dartmouth College

Next stop on my recent East Coast trip of college tours: Dartmouth College

A few takeaways from my campus visit:

- Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, Dartmouth is roughly 2 hours north of Boston. The smallest of the Ivy League colleges, it is surrounded by mountains and rivers, including the Connecticut River which is only a 5-10 minute walk from campus. Opportunities abound for hiking, canoeing, and adventuring in the woods (including freshman orientation) making Dartmouth a great fit for outdoor lovers.

- The Dartmouth academic calendar, affectionately called the “D” plan, consists of four ten-week terms. Students must take classes on campus for their first year (fall-spring), for two of the three academic quarters of their final year, and for a summer quarter of their choice. Otherwise, how/where they spend their time is up to them. This flexibility makes study abroad, mid-year internships, and time away to travel and reflect very easy. I was reminded of when I was a UC San Diego undergraduate and UCSD enjoyed an exchange program with Dartmouth, sending students in both directions for ten weeks. I had several friends participate, though as far as I can tell, this specific partnership is no longer officially administered.

- Students are assigned to a housing community when admitted, and live in their house's first-year dorms and then upperclassmen "clusters". While on-campus living is not required after the first year, 90% of students live on campus all four years.

- If your student plans to apply, the Admissions office emphasized that students should not feel pressure to declare a major with their application. Instead, students should apply with an area of interest, but understand that they are not bound to it.

- Lastly, some exciting recent campus news: Dartmouth just hired their first female president, Dr. Sian Beilock.

Go Big Green!