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.
The great thing about college admissions through the internet is that there's a wealth of information about schools across the country. Endless Reddit posts question the culture of a place just to answer one question—is this the place for me? I was like that too, nearly three years ago, equally excited and confused by all the things I read online about Dartmouth.
Having been here three years though, I think I'm equipped to dissect three of the most popular pre-conceived notions I've seen about this school.
1. Dartmouth is only meant for "outdoorsy" people
I read this one a lot online and was a little apprehensive because of it. I've spent my entire life in the city so I was unsure about how I'd adjust to this new "outdoorsy" life. Having been here a while, I can say that this generalization is definitely misleading—Dartmouth isn't only meant for outdoorsy people. However, as you spend more time here, I think you'll find yourself gaining an appreciation for the outdoors and finding new ways to explore them. For example, one unexpected outcome of my freshman year was how much I enjoyed hiking!
2. Dartmouth is very rural.
This is a leading 'fact' about Dartmouth, one that you'll see all over as you navigate any online forums about the school. Again, I think this is misleading. It's important to note that Dartmouth has great connectivity to two massive east coast cities—Boston and New York—with coaches that run everyday at all hours. Also, while Dartmouth is nestled away in the woods, there's an ample amount of life within the town of Hanover itself. Having lived in a city all my life, there was definitely some adjusting to be done but the shift wasn't as drastic as people had me believe it to be.
3. Dartmouth isn't great for the arts.
This one's just wrong. One of my majors is Film, and while it's a small department, that's precisely what sets it apart from other film/art programs across the country. In the department, there's a heavy emphasis on collaboration between the small cohorts of students. I've met some of my best friends and found fantastic collaborators because of the ways in which the Film department supports each of its students. Also, because of its smaller size, there's greater individual attention to each student's work.
These are just three preconceived notions I've seen a lot of that I thought I'd dismantle. If you want to talk further about your college plans, please feel free to reach out!
Once you are here, Dartmouth ensures that you have the tools you need to thrive, regardless of where you start. Read on to discover some of Dartmouth's lesser-known resources!
Dartmouth professors truly make all the difference, especially when you have the opportunity to take them out to lunch and get to know them outside of the classroom. Read about my Differential Equations professor Professor Robert Dougherty Bliss.
