Hello there! My name is Shuyi and I'm a '23, which means it's my senior year here at Dartmouth! Follow me for my last year at Dartmouth as I reflect upon my college experience. At Dartmouth, I enjoy playing squash, eating at late night, and of course, blogging. You can ask me about studying social sciences, coming to Dartmouth as an international student, and anything else really. I hope you enjoy the blog!
I actually wasn't planning on taking this class but it eventually became my favorite class. The professor was very funny and created a relaxed classroom environment where I enjoyed looking at diversity in different contexts, such as college admissions and group dynamics.
This class was a perfect mix of philosophy, classical studies, and writing. We were able to reflect on societal views, our own ideas of optimism and pessimism, and how we can lead more fulfilling and compassionate lives.
My first experience with computer science was my Freshman winter, and I quickly became interested in the subject. I followed up CS1 with CS10 in the Spring, which I found just as cool. I love how you can solve problems by applying logic and math with computer science, and I look forward to diving deeper into the major!
Econ 21 is required for all Econ majors, and I loved my experience with Professor Gustman. He made the material super easy to digest and allowed me to take exams in my timezone, which I thought was really nice.
It was really interesting to study public speaking in an asynchronous environment, and I came away with a deeper understanding of not only public speaking but speech writing. I wrote a separate blog post about the class, so check it out!
Since English was one of my favorite classes in high school, I wanted to take another writing course at Dartmouth. This was a great choice, as it was a perfect mix of lecture and discussion. I loved reading and learning about several American dramas, and even discussing modern topics such as Trump's rhetoric!
SummerShanghai
I took my Sophomore Summer off, which many international students do, and got involved with the Tuck School of Business through the Bridge and Paganucci programs! You can read more about my summer experiences in my blogs!
This was my first class from the QSS department, which was long overdue considering that I'm a QSS major! I really enjoyed picking up some coding skills and tackling problems like transitional justice with quantitative approaches.
I took Econ 25 in the Fall, and Econ 35 was the next course in the game theory sequence! It was really fun to apply game theory to cool concepts like sports, Covid-19, and auctions.
This was my first time taking a music class even though I have been involved with music my entire life, whether that was playing the piano or learning how to make beats. I loved this class because I not only learned more about music, but more about Native culture as well!
SummerNew York
I took my junior summer off to pursue a management consulting internship in New York. I had a wonderful experience!
I absolutely loved this class! Theatre was one of my favorite classes in middle school, and so it was great to reconnect with theatre again in college. The professor was amazingly kind and passionate, and the final project was a really fun group performance!
This was a small class of around 15 people, which allowed us to have intimate discussions of readings and theatre. I loved hearing from my classmates, as we used our personal experiences to guide us in our understanding of materials. My final project was a protest on campus, which also really fun and refreshing take on performance!
Applying Early Decision (ED) v. Regular Decision (RD)—what are the benefits and drawbacks?
A:
Thanks for the question! Personally, I applied ED (Early Decision) to Dartmouth and haven't looked back since. However, I also know some of my friends applied RD (Regular Decision) and couldn't imagine picking a school without applying to more than one. Therefore, I thought it would be a good idea to collect a variety of college application experiences to answer your question, from ED to RD! Although you should know that Dartmouth's ED acceptance rate is higher than its RD acceptance rate, I'll focus on the benefits and drawbacks of the actual application experience, rather than talk about your chances of getting in. For that aspect of the application process, you should probably talk to an Admissions Officer!
I applied ED because I was sure that Dartmouth was the school for me! I learned about the college primarily by talking to current students and visiting campus, and loved the overall vibe I was getting. Getting accepted ED was great not only because I was able to end my application process early and enjoy my senior year, but also because I had more time to get excited about Dartmouth. Instead of choosing between colleges in the spring, I got to explore the different dorms I might be living in and the different classes I'm interested in!
Jack '23 says, "I applied RD to Dartmouth and was lucky enough to pick between Dartmouth and other top schools. I really enjoyed the RD process, because I got to reflect on what was important to me while writing my essays and going to prospective student programs! I actually got into the school that I had originally applied Early Decision to after getting deferred, but I chose Dartmouth after going to Dimensions! I'm really grateful for the RD process, as I learned a lot about myself and what I want in college. Of course, I wish I only had to write one essay instead of 10+, but you definitely learn a lot through writing them!"
Emily '22 says, "I applied ED, got deferred, and then accepted to Dartmouth! Although it would have been nice to got accepted the first time round, getting deferred from Dartmouth gave me an opportunity to reflect on if Dartmouth was really my first choice. As I applied to other schools, I was able to picture myself at other schools and even fall in love with them! However, when Dartmouth gave me that acceptance letter, I realized I still wanted to go to Dartmouth. The way I picked a school was by picturing how I would grow at each one, and which version of myself I liked best. Ultimately, I liked the Dartmouth version and I'm happy with the way it turned out!"
As you can hear from these stories, there isn't a right answer on ED vs. RD. Each path has its benefits and drawbacks, and it depends on where you are in your application process and what kind of person you are! I would advise you to make your decision with your high school counselor, who know the process best, and your friends and family, who know you best! No matter what, I think most everyone is ultimately happy with where the college application brings them, so just enjoy the ride. Good luck!
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.
