Hi everyone! I'm Kabir, an international member of the class of '26, from New Delhi, India. I'm thinking of majoring in Psychology and Film & Media Studies. Outside the classroom, I enjoy watching movies, going on hikes, hanging out with my friends, and going on runs (if you see me on the streets of Hanover, say hi!) In the short while I've been here, I've come to love Dartmouth, so if you're interested in what I have to say, stick around! This should (hopefully) be fun :)
My Writing 5 class was definitely my favorite class this term — it opened my eyes to the realities of the food industry, strengthened my skills as a writer, and helped me make a ton of new friends.
My seminar was possibly the best class I've taken so far at Dartmouth. I learned about the importance of free speech and journalists in a democratic society, and how those rights to freedom are being stripped everywhere, all the time.
I've loved Cognitive Psychology as a class so far, especially because of the cool demos that the professor uses to illustrate every type of phenomena we learn about. From illusions to memory tests, it's so cool to see how the human psyche can be tricked so very easily.
Early Decision Comes Out Soon — Here's What To Do And What Not To Do
Early decision results for Dartmouth come out around the second week of December (historically). I was an early decision applicant just two short years ago—it's absolutely insane how quickly time flies. Here are some things I recommend doing and not doing while you wait.
To Do:
Staying calm. This is an important one, though people throw it around very often. When you apply early decision somewhere, in this case Dartmouth, it's often because you're showing a higher level of commitment to a school and you believe that it's the perfect (or near-perfect) fit for you. If going through two admissions cycle, once as a senior in high school and once seeing people doing it as a freshman in college, has taught me anything, it's this: there is no perfect fit. Staying calm and not over-hyping the idea of a college will do you good.
Keep searching. In an ideal world, where success was guaranteed, it'd be great to focus all your attention on a school like Dartmouth and what it could offer you. But college admissions is tough and rigorous; while you wait for a decision, think about what it is that Dartmouth gives you that no other school can. And start your search from there. Even while I was an early decision applicant, I was still looking for other schools that offered me something similar to Dartmouth. While there was no perfect replacement, there are other schools that could help you develop in a similar way to Dartmouth—so keep looking!
Being positive. It's hard to be positive, especially because there are enough college admission horror stories. Being positive doesn't only involve thinking that you're a shoo-in for admission, it's more about being positive about your capabilities and how they're not informed or determined by one decision letter. If one year of selling yourself constantly to admissions officers across the country (and the world) should teach you anything, it's that you're pretty awesome. And nothing changes that.
To Not Do:
Stop listening to people on the internet. There are more than enough people on a Reddit thread or on some niche college website that are willing to give you advice on how to read signs. "Has the admissions committee reached out recently? It's probably because they're interested and want you at Dartmouth" is something that every single class year has heard. There's no sure-shot way to success, and your road to Dartmouth is not determined by these externalities. So drown out all the noise, stop listening to people and stay focused.
Pretend that this is life and death. Unfortunately, nothing is that serious. An early decision acceptance, rejection or deferral is not an indicator of your college admissions future or even your future as a whole. It is simply an indicator of how well you and Dartmouth fit together. There is no point in spiralling (like I did) and thinking that this determines your future entirely. It doesn't. You do.
Best of luck for your final decisions! And remember everything I said!!
Last Friday, I met with my undergraduate dean to learn a little more about undergraduate deans and the academic and social support they provide for students!
The transition to college is never easy. But going to an academically rigorous and lively school can make it twice as hard. At Dartmouth, it's all about balance. Here are some things I would've liked to be told at the start of the term.
