Gabriela Jimenez

My "Why Dartmouth"

The "Why Dartmouth" supplement was the hardest for me to write. How would I explain all the reasons I loved Dartmouth in 100 words? 

I chose Dartmouth because of how the people and campus made me feel. Dartmouth radiates excitement. The students my mom encouraged me to go up to were welcoming and answered all of my questions, even if they were in a hurry on their way to class. Any alumni I asked about their time at Dartmouth instantly began raving about how their four years at Dartmouth were incredibly memorable and how the people you meet at Dartmouth are for life. 

The scenes I observed at Dartmouth captured my attention and solidified my impressions of Dartmouth as an intimate campus full of passionate and intellectually curious individuals. 

For any inquisitive individual like me, Dartmouth is home. I chose Dartmouth because I was excited to be surrounded by curiosity. The beautiful campus and rigorous academics were just a plus. 

I also appreciate how Dartmouth has very interesting and creative supplements each year. I actually enjoyed writing them, even though it was challenging to convey my love for the school in 100 words! I was very appreciative of the fact that the prompts were personal. It felt like Dartmouth really wanted to get to know me as an individual, not just as a student.  

I appreciated how personal the Dartmouth supplement questions were. It reflected on Dartmouth that it was an institution that valued you as a person, not just as a student. They want to make sure every student would be an amazing addition to their community as a whole. I felt the same way about the peer recommendation; the fact that Dartmouth valued what a peer had to say about an applicant proved to me once again that Dartmouth emphasized creating and cultivating an environment full of exceptional students and passionate individuals. 

Dartmouth was the very last school that I visited on my college search. I had not even considered Dartmouth as an option for me until I set foot on the campus a week before the start of my senior year. I instantly envisioned myself studying on the green, studying at Baker, or even joining one of the club sports teams running around campus. My experiences at Dartmouth have only confirmed that this is the school for me, even a year in.