Hello! My name is Chase and I am a '25 from South Carolina. I'm currently considering studying more film scoring and video game composition to learn about writing music for movies and games! But when I'm not hanging out with friends or doing classwork, you can find me composing music. I'm involved in the Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble (DCWE), Dartmouth Chamber Orchestra (DCO), and the fraternity Zeta Psi.
I remember when I had to write my "Why Dartmouth" essay. My biggest piece of advice about writing essays is to be genuine, and it is important to remember genuine does not mean being a superstar. Be proud of yourself and naturally be you! However, I am not here to tell you what I actually wrote my essay about nor much more advice. Instead, I am going to describe why I actually decided to commit to Dartmouth and how my why for Dartmouth has changed. As Stephen Chbosky wrote in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, "We can't choose where we come from, but we can choose where we go from here." And although I was somewhat scared about going to Dartmouth, I am glad I decided to go here.
A view of Rauner Library from the second story!
It is truly the community that makes my "Why Dartmouth" come to life. Of course I love all of the random joys Dartmouth brings but there is something so ornate about the collection of people Dartmouth attracts. Everyone here is immensely cool, intelligent, and caring, but most importantly unique. There are so many people here who do so many things I never have even thought about doing ever, such as competitive horseback riding or playing squash. In addition, there are so many people with such a wide variety of perspectives on life.
During homecoming weekend, it was so much fun to watch alumni come back and talk with current students. The fact that so many alumni come back to visit shows how important this place is to them and hearing their stories made that even more true. As I learn more stories from alumni or older students, I become more aware of why people love Dartmouth. Also, I get to hear about the wonderful opportunities that Dartmouth has provided them.
These are the people who live in the wing of my dorm building. Let's go Bissell 103!
Originally, my reason for applying to Dartmouth was to put myself out there and to get to experience something truly different from my home. I was so intrigued in learning about the traditions at Dartmouth and to explore more than I was told during my virtual tour. However, I have found that I appreciate the people here the most. Your why Dartmouth will change as you learn more about the school and even more if you end up attending.
I wrote my "Why Dartmouth?" essay a little under two years ago, and I've had a year in-between to fully experience Dartmouth: how I've grown, changed, and how Dartmouth has been a part of all of it.
