Hey y'all! I'm Caroline York, and I'm a '25 from Georgia! My hope is to share my Dartmouth experience with potential '29s, '30s, '31s and beyond! On campus, I write sports for The Dartmouth, am a Center for Social Impact SIBS mentor, am in Christian life, a Tour Guide, a Dartmouth Emergency Medical Services (EMS) member, and do medical research! Otherwise, you'll find me at the Norwich Farmers' Market, studying in the Tower Room, and running along the Appalachian Trail. Welcome to my world!
I initially took this class because I wanted to know more about Dartmouth’s history with Native Americans. It ended up being my favorite class because Professor Duthu was so enthusiastic about Native American affairs. He related the lectures to his own experiences growing up on a reservation, which made the class come to life.
As a potential Classics major on the pre-health track, this class was perfect for me! We learned about different medical practices from Rome and Greece and how medicine had changed in the past 2,000 years. We had a class in the Geisel School of Medicine and got to hold human organs!
I took this class because I wanted to learn more about the economy. Econ 2 focuses on the current economic climate in the US, so we would follow the DOW Jones on a daily basis to establish trends. In an economy impacted by a pandemic, inflation, and a war, this class was so helpful in my understanding of the financial climate of the country.
Physics with Professor Blencowe was delightful. His enthusiasm for the subject matter created excitement for students. The labs were hands-on and interactive to learn about the mechanics of the world.
This class fulfilled the Interdisciplinary Approach to my Global Health minor, and I enjoyed every minute of it. With Professor McCabe, we discussed gender and how its structure impacts our daily lives. My final research project studied gender within "Grey's Anatomy," which was created by Shonda Rhimes '91.
I used my "off-term" to travel to Hanoi, Vietnam for a Dartmouth Dickey Center Global Health Internship. I worked for the Institute of Population, Health, and Development, and studied health disparities in Vietnam.
This class was taught by a visiting professor, and she did an excellent job of engaging the class and making the material exciting. We learned about the historical Jesus figure in a Jewish context, and we connected the class content to modern day movies about Jesus.
I did a transfer term at Trinity College, Dublin, which means I took three courses at Trinity. My favorite was "Roman Archaeology" because I had never taken an archaeology course yet for my Classical Studies major.
Math 3 with Professor Erp was such a delight! He made math so understandable and accessible. I can honestly say I enjoy doing integrals after this class!
This class was fantastic! Professor Kramer is very knowledgeable about this field. Although I don't have an engineering background, this class was a great introduction. I learned how everything from medical tools to the Colosseum were made and built.
SummerAtlanta, GA
This was my first off-term (meaning I wasn't taking any Dartmouth classes) since my sophomore spring! I did a wonderful internship that was completely funded by Dartmouth; I'll write blog posts to share more!
FallAtlanta, GA
This was another great off-term internship that was funded by Dartmouth!
WinterAtlanta, GA
For winter term, I decided to do an internship with an Atlanta-based ophthalmologist that was completely funded by the Center for Professional Development (CPD). I worked for Dr. Jordan Stanley, who specializes in glaucoma and cataract surgeries, and I had the opportunity to shadow him and gain hands-on clinical experience that is invaluable to a future career in medicine. Thank you, CPD and Dr. Stanley for this incredible term!
SpringAthens, Greece
Favorite Class: Ancient Literature and History
I finished my time at Dartmouth on the Classics Foreign Study Program (FSP) in Athens, Greece. For seven weeks, we took classes at a partner institution, College Year Athens, and for the remaining four weeks we travelled to Sicily, the Greek Peloponnese, the Cycladic Islands, and a week on an archaeological dig on Despotiko Island. This was an incredible experience and a great way to finish my Classical Studies major.
As you seek admission to Dartmouth's Class of 2029, what aspects of the college's academic program, community, and/or campus environment attract your interest? How is Dartmouth a good fit for you?"
Sophomore Summer, Ancient History major, yes, but creating connections at Dartmouth excites me most. Talking with students and staff in theCenter for Social Impact, I could sense their genuine enthusiasm. Despite COVID's looming threat, they remained externally focused, upbeat. I'll forge bonds throughSIBS and connect with Upper Valley residents and the New England countryside through Outdoor Learning Experience. The D-Planwill propel me, learning and serving, around the world. I'll write for The Dartmouth and hike the Appalachian Trail with the Dartmouth Outing Club. Dartmouth students help others. Alongside these change-makers, I want to be a '25.
Reading this five years later, I realized that a lot of what I wrote about ended up being true of my Dartmouth experience! I loved my sophomore summer (a tradition of students taking summer courses after sophomore year), I was involved with the Dartmouth Center for Social Impact (DCSI) through SIBS, a mentoring program, as well as through the Social Impact Internship program, and I did in fact hike the Appalachian Trail on multiple occasions with the Dartmouth Outing Club, both casually and during First-Year Trips (Dartmouth's one-week program during orientation in which students are split into small groups to explore the New England outdoors).
The D-Plan—Dartmouth's unique quarter system—did, in fact, propel me around the world, as I had the chance to study abroad in Dublin, Ireland, and Athens, Greece, as well as do anoff-term internship in Hanoi, Vietnam. Writing for The Dartmouth was certainly a highlight of my Dartmouth experience, and I wrote about seventy articles, covering everything fromRoger Federer as the 2024 commencement speaker to a Q&A with former Secretary of the Treasury Hank Paulson '68. I also connected with Upper Valley residents–many of whom are Dartmouth alumni–and was able to really explore the broader New England area with trips to Burlington, Stowe, Acadia National Park, and Woodstock, among others.
Despite many of my wishes about joining the Dartmouth community coming true, I also tried new opportunities. Instead of being an Ancient History major, I was a Classical Studies major. Though both are housed in the Classics department, they have different focuses. While I loved Classical history in high school, my interests changed during my time at Dartmouth as I was exposed to more classes, and the Classical Studies major felt like a better fit for me. I also did new activities that I never dreamed of doing when I wrote my "Why Dartmouth" essay. I had the chance to intern at theHood Museum of Art and came away with a new appreciation for the art world. With the Admissions Office, I gave tours and wrote for this blog, which helped me develop into both a better speaker and writer as I welcomed prospective students to Dartmouth.
My sister and I in Hanover when I first visited campus five years ago!
Overall, there is no singular "Why Dartmouth" essay, and that's its beauty. Everyone comes to Dartmouth with unique experiences and interests, and the Admissions Office wants to know why Dartmouth is the right fit for your academic, professional, and personal path. If you've had the chance to visit Dartmouth, you can write about what stood out to you, whether that be a class you sat in on or something that your tour guide told you about. If you have extra time outside of your tour to explore campus, you can email professors to sit in on classes or visit centers (like the Dickey Center, Tucker Center, and DCSI) to speak with involved staff and students. When I was writing my college applications and came across a "why [this school]" essay that was difficult to write, I didn't apply because I took it as a sign that the school wasn't the right fit for me. When approaching your essay, write about what genuinely excites you, and the writing process will be much easier. Thankfully, what I wrote about five years ago still excites me to this day!
This term, I competed in the annual Speech at Dartmouth competition, but would never have had this opportunity without the support of Dartmouth faculty. Read on as I share how I got here!
Dartmouth has so many academic resources, including free newspaper subscriptions! Although this may not seem like a big deal, it's a great accessible way to learn about local and national news!
When I look back on my time at Dartmouth, and it is hard to believe I will be graduating in just two weeks, I know that Africa Week will always stand out as one of the moments when this campus felt most alive, most joyful, and most like home.
