Paulina Cuadra

Dartmouth is one of the oldest colleges in the United States, and as such, it has a profound history with many traditions. By coming to Dartmouth, you will be getting an experience you can literally get no place else. Here, we walk into the woods holding candles, get challenged to plunge into ice water, walk around a giant bonfire, learn lingo, throw tennis balls into the ice rink, and so much more. Religion Professor Susan Ackerman, who was part of the class of 1980, said that, ​"Religion is about community and how societies organize and structure themselves." Dartmouth definitely structures and organizes itself in distinctive ways, and because of this, it is no wonder that there are classes here titled “Is Dartmouth a Religion?" Dartmouth is an incredibly vibrant place that has a distinct culture. It's a tight knit community that participates in these traditions so that the experience you get here will be unlike any other. These activities make us stand apart from other academic institutions while also creating strong bonds with previous alumni who also experienced this same culture. 

Money! It really does make the world go around. At Dartmouth, financial aid is really good and meant to help you! This was one of the most important factors I was considering when applying to Dartmouth, and thankfully, the financial aid I received did not disappoint. Dartmouth financial aid makes it so that not only one can attend the college, but can also participate in other programs and opportunities. Financial aid travels with you if you go abroad, and there are also thousands of other forms of funding available for you to participate in other projects and internships. 

I know what you're thinking, this sounds like something that should draw people away from Dartmouth. I was certainly hesitant about Dartmouth’s rural setting before coming here. Would it feel alienating? Would there be nothing to do? I have found that Dartmouth’s location neither makes it feel alienating nor boring; instead, the fact that Hanover is pretty far away from major cities is one of the reasons I love this place so much. By being located in a rural setting, students have to look inwards when searching for forms of entertainment. Without the added factor of having hundreds establishments vying for your money and attention, people will participate in events that are made available to them by the College. There is a really high turnout for school events. It feels amazing to have the entire school come out and experience the same things. This might be the middle of nowhere, but at the end of the day, we are definitely in the middle of nowhere together. In Hanover, I do not feel the alienation of big cities where I am one amongst many, an invisible person to others. I like being able to walk down Main Street and encounter friendly faces. Here, you will never run out of friendly “Hey’s!” and Hi’s!” while walking anywhere. A place that envelopes everyone within the same opportunities and experiences creates a pretty strong community and campus culture and I’ve found that that makes Dartmouth extremely special. It definitely feels like a summer camp where one is surrounded with thousands of other students who are all incredibly driven, smart, and different. And the best thing is, you get to experience all of this and immerse yourself in the college experience while also just being a couple of hours away from New York City or Boston by Dartmouth Coach.

Teaching focused on undergraduates. World-renowned professors. Stellar liberal arts curriculum. Interdisciplinary environment. Yeah, academics at Dartmouth are really awesome.