Welcome to the woods! My name is Natalie and I'm from California (3035 miles away from Dartmouth)! I'm a political science and crossword puzzle nerd who's excited to dive into the millions of activities we have on campus. I'm a Politics, Philosophy, and Economics major at Dartmouth, and am considering both a History and Human-Centered Design minor. I'm also the President of the Parliamentary Debate team! Go Big Green!
Have you ever wondered about the link between gang violence and after-school programs? Between a link between accessibility of doctors office and ADHD diagnosis? Between gender dynamics and drug usage? System Dynamics uses a systems thinking framework to explore policy that builds links between issues and their root causes.
Wow! Such an introduction to the Middle East... politically, economically, historically, artistically. I learned so much in this class -- and since taking it, I feel like I can really understand contemporary conversations about the region.
Udi Greenberg is the best lecturer I have ever had. Come to Dartmouth for the woods, stay for the teaching! Professor Greenberg's lectures flowed like stories... the most captivated I've ever been by a class!
Why is foreign aid so prevalent in conflict zones? Does giving money to areas in conflict help reduce violence? Answers to all this and more lie in this class.
Recently, I joined a sorority! From being a tour guide, I know that many people who are interested in Dartmouth have a lot of questions about Greek life and the recruitment process. Well, I just went through it, so I am happy to talk you through my experience!
Seven different sororities participate in recruitment at Dartmouth. Kappa Kappa Gamma, Chi Delta, Alpha Xi Delta, Kappa Delta Epsilon, Kappa Delta, Alpha Phi, and Sigma Delta. While you recognize Kappa Kappa Gamma, Alpha Xi Delta, Kappa Delta, and Alpha Phi as sororities common around the country, Dartmouth also has local sororities, meaning they exist only at Dartmouth. Both our national and our local sororities participate in recruitment together.
At Dartmouth, you do not rush until your sophomore fall, which is much later than other schools. I love this approach! I find that it allows you to have a firm grasp on your friendships and place at college before you decide if you want to join a sorority. I had heard great things about sororities from my friends, so I decided to join, but not everyone joins a sorority! Around 75% of upperclassmen are affiliated, between fraternities, sororities, and gender-inclusive greek spaces. In my year, 462 out of 617 sophomore women signed up for sorority recruitment, and in fall recruitment, 297 ended up accepting a sorority "bid" or invitation to join. There is another round of recruitment in the winter for people who chose not to rush in the fall or decided to withdraw in the middle of the fall recruitment process.
Sorority recruitment at Dartmouth happens in 3 rounds. Before the process begins, you are assigned to a group of around 10 potential new sorority members and a recruitment counselor called a Rho Gamma. Your Rho Gamma "disaffiliates" from her sorority during the process so she is able to give objective advice about your options and your opinions on the houses. During Round 1, you visit all 7 sororities for 1 hour each, meeting upperclassmen women and learning more about the houses. At the end of Round 1, you enter your preferences, and you are called back to anywhere between 0-5 houses for Round 2. I got called back to 3 houses during Round 2, and this is totally normal! During round 2, you visit your houses again for 1 hour each, and this time you may engage in 1:1 conversations or talk about slightly "deeper" conversation topics, but don't worry, it's still just chatting. At the end of Round 2, you enter your favorite 2 sororites and are invited back to anywhere between 0-2 houses. Round 3, or "pref night" is your night to decide which sorority you think is right for you! While Rounds 1 and 2 are more about the women in the house getting to know you, Round 3 is about you getting to know more about the house, asking about traditions, house policies, dues and more.
At the end of Round 3, you indicate your favorite sorority, and the next morning is Bid Day! You find your Rho Gamma and she hands you an envelope with your bid card in it. Your bid card is an invitation to join that sorority, and if you say yes, you are invited to Bid Night, a celebration with all the sisters of the house that night. I opened my bid card, and received a bid card from Kappa Delta Epsilon! I said yes, and joined my sisters at the house that night to celebrate.
One thing I appreciated about rush at Dartmouth is that it was very casual. I wore jeans to every single round, which surprised me, given the elaborate outfits I had seen on Bama Rush Tok. Rush can definitely be stressful at times, but all of the advice that was given to me was super true: Be yourself, and the rest follows. When asked about my hobbies, I totally admitted that I liked to read in bed and do crossword puzzles, even if that wasn't "cool." I think why I succeeded in the process is I trusted the fact that sororities would want me for who I am, not who I pretended to be.
Feel free to use my "connect with a student" button to email me with questions about rush! (My name is Natalie, and I'm wearing a blue dress in my photo!).
Some of my rising senior friends from New York have been in contact with me since graduation, and I've compiled a list of FAQs that might help you better understand life at Dartmouth!
From orientation week to your classes, you can easily find community at Dartmouth! Read on to know how I met my Dartmouth family and where you might also find yours.
