Caroline York
You are here
Choosing Dartmouth
When people started asking me where I wanted to go to college my junior year of high school, I genuinely had no idea. People had many suggestions on where I would fit in, but I did not know myself.
I knew I loved running as cross country had been my main activity in high school. After my junior year season, my times aligned with some D3 programs, and all of a sudden I had the opportunity to run in college. At the same time I toured Dartmouth, I visited several NESCAC schools and looked into the running programs. Both Dartmouth and the running schools were appealing to me for different reasons.
I also looked at nearby state schools. One school was a twenty minute drive from my house, and I knew I wanted to branch out further than a couple miles down the road. My state's flagship school was further away and several people from my high school had always attended there.
So I was between a state school an hour away and New England schools 17 hours away. I decided to venture out because never before had I taken on such an adventure. I also reasoned with myself that I would never again live in a small New England town, so college was my chance to do something drastically different.
At this point, I was between applying to Dartmouth Early Decision or committing to a running program at one NESCAC school. As much as I loved running (and still do), I wasn't one hundred percent sure I wanted to be a competitive runner for another four years after four years of high school running. I didn't want to go to a school just for a running program when I didn't even know if I wanted to be a runner.
When comparing the two schools, Dartmouth's traditions stood out to me. No other school in the country had the same traditions and school spirit that Dartmouth had. I considered the D-Plan, which would allow me to take an internship during the school year, Winter Carnival, full of fun and uniqueness all of its own (the famous ice sculptures!), the Dartmouth skiway, one of only two in the country, and the general Dartmouth student population, known for its well-balanced school and social life.
Taking these traditions into account, I ultimately applied Early Decision to Dartmouth. I was the first person from my high school to come to Dartmouth in nearly 10 years, but I knew I wanted to take on something new and see what Dartmouth was all about. After being here for nearly half a year, I'm so happy with my decision!
Posts You Might Like
I'm still trying to get over my fear of mice…
Fellow blogger Joanna '26 and I rented a Zipcar to check off a long-time item on my bucket list: visiting the Ben and Jerry's factory in Vermont!
This spring in Spare Rib, the intersectional feminist zine and feminist collective on campus, has been quite busy and exciting with a bunch of new events. Keep reading to find out more!
After the last bit of snow melted, the sun brightened the entire campus. When the eclipse blocked the sunlight for a few minutes, Hanover was lively!
Turns out we have a new café in town since I've been gone: The Works! Of course, I had to put them to the test.
What major exploration and declaration look like at Dartmouth! And, an ode to the Government department.
Amid the pressures of schoolwork and occasional homesickness, the natural landscapes accessible from campus have become my sanctuary.
It's easy to forget how easy it is to access walking trails during the hustle of a Dartmouth term. As graduation nears, I am reminded of how special it is to step off campus and enjoy quiet moments in nature.
In this post, I write about why I think Dartmouth's undergraduate focus is valuable.