Hello there, friend! My name is Love and I am a '23. Aside from being on the pre-med track, I'm currently interested in studying math and public policy. I have a penchant for old things, learning languages, and the arts. I also love personality tests, irrespective of their actual validity—in case you're curious, I'm an INFJ, Scorpio, dragon, and type 2w1.
BIOL 11.07 (Major Events in the History of Life and the Human Genome) is a very unique class. We learn topics such as oxidative phosphorylation in conjunction with evolution and paleontology. In other words, where and when did ETC come from, and how can we support our hypothesis? Though not an easy class by far, every day the material I learn amazes me with the wonder of life, which is how biology should be!
MES 7.03 (Jerusalem: Vision and Reality) was my First-Year Seminar and such an interesting class to take! We explored Jerusalem through three main viewpoints (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). The class had a bit of religion, literature, anthropology, sociology, and even geography—all things I love to study but don't necessarily have the space for with our three-class quarters. I often found myself going to office hours just to talk with my professor about questions I had outside of the reading!
COSC 10 (Problem Solving with Object-Oriented Programming) is a data structures course and the last pre-requisite for the computer science major. Though I added it as a fourth class on a whim because of COVID-19 and remote learning, it quickly became my favorite class this term because I loved the problem solving that CS has to offer. It is a difficult class but the emotional and academic rewards make it all worth it!
This was one of four classes I took during fall term and it was super interesting! We learned about healthcare systems and innovations from around 4 guest lecturers per week, and were able to do research on our own and propose a new system at the end of the term. Students came from all over campus and the course was very enlightening for me in terms of understanding how care is dispensed in the U.S. and how we can improve it.
Though this was my first "foundation" course in the Biology department and I still found it challenging, I really enjoyed learning the material and found it all super exciting! We learned about DNA replication, mRNA transcription and protein translation, genetics, and had the opportunity to do a literature review at the end of the term.
The dreaded Organic Chemistry sequence of my pre-med track came upon me faster than I thought it would, but it surprised me by being one of my favorite classes to date! I found it intellectually interesting (even though it was time-consuming), probably because I treated it like a STEM-and-logic puzzle instead of pure STEM or pure memorization. Am I great at it? Not necessarily. Do I remember everything I've learned? I'm not too sure! Am I mentally ready for Organic Chemistry 2 next term? Not at all! But I had a lot of fun doing this class and surprised even myself with how I tackled it.
I love dancing, story-telling, and learning about different cultures so I knew going into this course that I would enjoy it. Cross-listed in the theater and AAAS departments, this course let students have the privilege of working with Dance Theatre of Harlem members who were in Hanover for a summer residency. As a group, we analyzed a play ("The Purple Flower" by Marita Bonner) and transformed the text into a physical movement piece. Each student also had complete ownership of a personal final project, and I opted to do a self-choreographed dance. Overall, I loved getting the chance to work creatively in my academics this term and I also was able to broaden my perspective and knowledge of the African-American story in the process!
As a pre-med, I am constantly trying to learn more about the U.S medical system. This course was extremely engaging in all aspects, taking students through all of American history through the lens of healthcare within the span of 10 weeks. I particularly liked having a discussion session that replaced a lecture, since we were able to talk about the issues with the professor and think out loud about our readings. The course was definitely challenging and required a lot of synthesis across different time periods and topics, but I feel like I came out of it with a deeper and more profound understanding of our healthcare system and why it functions the way it does today.
WinterDetroit, MI
For my junior winter, I did an internship in clinical research! With COVID affecting so much of my college experience, this practical, in-person work internship was very important for me to not only hone my employable skills but also see what having a 8am - 5pm job looks like and how it could fit into my future.
Much like my other pre-med courses here at Dartmouth, Biochemistry was quite rigorous and fast-paced. It was certainly challenging, but I found the work extremely rewarding and I enjoyed learning about all the different mechanisms that happen inside of our bodies. Additionally, many of my friends were also in this class as well, rounding out final prerequisites for graduate school, and this fact made it all the more fun.
SummerDresden, Germany
For my junior summer, I had a research internship in Eastern Germany, working at the intersection between math, computer science, and biology! The learning curve was very steep since my project focus changed once I arrived in Europe, but I had a lot of fun and learned a lot about the content and myself. I am extremely thankful for all the support that Dartmouth has given me throughout my time here, without which I wouldn't have been able to do a 12-week European adventure!
As a pre-med student interested in health disparities, SOCY 75 was an amazing class to take! We covered numerous topics concerning how where one lives can impact their health outcomes. At the end of the course, students were also able to complete a final project of their choosing and I loved being able to tie my personal experiences into an academic course.
Throughout college, most of my science courses have been at the introductory level: one term of genetics, one term of cell structure, etc. Rarely have I had the chance to engage with something on a deeper level or connect the pre-med courses to human biology. This course was super interesting because I could finally connect everything I've learned throughout college into one cohesive course that connects to something I want to do post-Dartmouth.
What a wonderful (and complicated) question! Applying early decision (ED) is something that a lot of high school seniors worry about since it is such a big commitment that you have to prepare for earlier than normal in the college admissions process.
I will note that I did not apply ED, although I did do an earlier process with Questbridge. However, many of my friends at Dartmouth did ED here and I had read a lot about doing early decision as well. From what I remember, there were some people I knew viewed ED-ing as a sort of short cut or game of chance: you can apply early to get the college application process out of the way, or you can apply early in the hopes of having better chances through the smaller pool of applicants.
While certainly practical, those two reasons do not truly get at the heart of what ED is supposed to be. For students applying to college, early decision is meant to give them the chance to demonstrate their interest in one "dream" school that they know they would be 100% happy attending if admitted. If this personal goal or wish isn't present, it is quite likely that the application itself is not as captivating as others.
Therefore, I encourage you to do some research and follow your heart! You should apply ED if, after all the time spent online or talking with others, you have come to the conclusion that Dartmouth is the place you want to be for the next four years of your life—nothing more (or less) complicated than that. I completely empathize that this level of commitment to a school that you may have never even visited can be daunting, so some questions that can help you decide whether or not to ED are:
1. Do I want to spend my college years in a rural place like the Upper Valley? Do I want to be so close / so far away from home?
2. What would my financial aid look like if I went to Dartmouth? Is this something that I am comfortable with?
3. What do I hope to get out of my college experience personally, academically, and professionally? What do I need to be able to accomplish these goals?
4. How do I feel about small campuses vs. large ones? Rural ones vs. city ones? Liberal arts schools vs. pre-professional ones?
5. What other opportunities (study abroad, internships, industry connections, etc.) do I hope to find at college? Is Dartmouth the ideal place to get them?
Hopefully by answering these questions, doing some research on your own, and talking to Dartmouth students and students at other universities, you can begin to learn about what type of school you'd enjoy going to. At the end of the day, if you find yourself gravitating towards Dartmouth, then it may be worth your while to ED! But if you are still on-the-fence and could see yourself being happy at many institutions, there is also no rush. I myself applied to Dartmouth January 1st like the majority of students and enjoyed the range of choices I had come March my senior year of high school.
College application season is very stressful for many people and can bring about a lot of doubts and reservations about which move is the "right" one. While the system is by no means perfect or understandable to outsiders like you or me, I do believe that everyone can grow in any place that they end up; treat this process as one of self-discovery and a culmination of all your hard work in high school and prior. Through your earnesty, dedication, and genuineness, I am sure that you will find the perfect place.
Planning on visiting Dartmouth as a prospective student or an interested person wanting to see our beautiful campus? In this post, I share insider tips to ensure your visit is fulfilled!
When I was in high school, applying to college seemed to be the hardest and scariest thing. I had no clue what to expect at all. So, I decided to share my thought-process regarding choosing to go to Dartmouth!
While conducting interviews, applicants have asked how I navigate academic stress and difficulties at Dartmouth. Answering this has made me appreciate the various resources available at Dartmouth that help students manage academic challenges.
