Howdy! My name is Crystal and I'm a '28 from 1899.2 miles away in Fulshear, Texas hoping to study Biology on the pre-health track. Outside of being on the grind in my classes at Dartmouth, I enjoy dancing (poorly and with dance groups on campus), cooking (microwave oatmeal), and taking Buzzfeed quizzes to find out what breakfast food I am. While I'll miss Bucc-ee's and brisket from my native state, I'm beyond excited to explore all that the woods have to offer! Hopefully I'll see y'all around!
Chem 11 is my first pre-health course (and consequently my favorite course thus far); I came into Chem 11 with a bit of apprehension over what to expect since the course takes the place of the two-course alternative Chem 5 and 6 sequence. I’ll admit, there was a bit of a learning curve, especially since I hadn’t taken chemistry since junior year of high school, but Prof. Wenlin Zhang’s office hours have become an excellent way for me to gain a better grasp of the course content and work with other students through new concepts. I’m super glad that I chose this course for my first fall!
My First-Year Seminar, a Dartmouth requirement for all first-year students, concerns poetry that has a unique focus on the visual nature of the work. From pieces that cover an actual description of a work of art, to pieces that form a unique shape, we discuss how form can have a meaningful impact on the interpretation of the poem itself. I originally wasn’t too sure if I would enjoy this class since my experience with poetry is pretty sparse, but I found myself really enjoying the analytical discussions that we have. Features of the class include trips to the Hood Museum of Art and the Book Arts Workshop!
So You Want to Join the Woods: Tackling Interview Season (Part Four)
By this point in the year, application season may be over for many, with the final Common Application submission button hit right around the holidays. Cheers! You've made it to the end of what was likely a long process of writing essays, revising essays, and adding on the final details before sending off your applications into the void of admissions. Yet for certain colleges, including Dartmouth, you may find yourself in the position of completing an alumnus interview as well. While daunting at first, the interview becomes another way that the school can get to know you beyond what you've already included in your application. Let's dive in!
When I began the interview process during my application season, it would be generous to say that I was a bit nervous. After carefully curating my application, I was anxious about the prospect of speaking with an alumni and completely blanking on everything I knew about myself. In my mind, the interview could literally make or break everything that I had put into my application.
Spoiler alert: it did not.
Truthfully, the interview is meant to be a way for the school to get to know an applicant better beyond the traditional application and can be used as a means for the applicant to understand the school better from the perspective of an alumnus. It can certainly seem terrifying to be placed into a position where you are expected to answer questions on the spot, but as I found out, nearly every other student feels the same way. So what did I do to help me get prepared for my Dartmouth interview?
This varies for everyone, but I found it helpful to prepare a resume for your interviewer to glance at prior to speaking with you. It may also be a helpful tool for you to refresh your memory on what key points you may want to discuss during your interview. A common prompt asked during an alumni interview is the classic "Tell me what you like to do or are interested in." As interviewers tend not to know anything about you when being assigned, I found that including my resume in my email response to the interview request was a good way to provide a bit more information about myself.
As the old adage goes: just be yourself! I'm sure that this is a piece of advice that you've heard countless times before, but I really do believe that it is helpful when it comes to getting rid of your nerves and presenting your most authentic self. I recognized that by allowing my personality to come out during my interview, I was able to share more details about myself that would allow the admissions committee to gain a more holistic picture of who I am and how I'd be able to fit in on campus. Speaking with my Dartmouth interviewer in a casual, yet still professional, manner allowed me to convey my interests and demonstrate my personality in a way that might have otherwise been challenging to communicate through my application.
Lastly–and this circles back to the point about how you end up where you are meant to end up–remember that there can be no "bad" interview. I found that worrying about how my interviews went ultimately caused more harm than good in the long run. How I managed to circumvent this perspective was my realization that an interview could never truly be unsuccessful, rather, it may simply be that I was not a good fit for a school. This perspective allowed me to approach interview season with a greater sense of confidence that translated into interviews that I ended up enjoying the most out of my entire application process!
While I was fortunate enough to speak with an alumnus who allowed me to gain greater insight into the inner workings of Dartmouth, I would also like to highlight that interviews are granted on an availability basis. As in, if you are not given an interview opportunity during the application process, it tends to be solely due to the amount of alumni in your area. Either way, take a deep breath, you've made it through!
Let's Get Lost in the Library! A deep dive into the known, unusual, and hidden study spots all around Dartmouth's campus! Up first, the Berry Library—the iconic modern half of the central Baker-Berry Library!
50% of Dartmouth students are unaffiliated and find community through non-Greek social spaces. One such space is an undergraduate society. In this post, I interviewed Marion Caldwell '25, who has been a member of Amarna since her junior fall
The sorority rush process is a flexible, three-round experience each fall and winter where potential new members gradually narrow down their choices and receive an invitation to join their matched sorority.
As I reflect on my first semester at Dartmouth, I can't help but think about how one year ago, I wrote my "Why Dartmouth" supplemental essay. Let's see what has changed since then!
