Caroline York

Veteran Life at Dartmouth

This week, the Dartmouth Student Veterans Association sent an email to the student body, inviting us to meet student veterans on campus. I was so excited to attend the event because my dad is a proud Army veteran. I met with the president of the association, Ryan '24, and he agreed to answer some questions after the event. 

1. What was your prior service?

I was a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Section Chief in the Marine Corps for four years and got out as a Sergeant. I enlisted straight after high school and deployed twice. I took online classes from an American online university while I was stationed in Japan for six months so when I applied to Dartmouth, I was technically a transfer student. When I did my application for Dartmouth, I was actually stationed in Afghanistan, which caused some extra difficulty to the application process.

2. Why did you choose Dartmouth in terms of veterans admissions?

I applied through Service to School, which is a non-profit organization that helps veterans apply to college. My mentor recommended I apply to three partner schools, and Dartmouth was a partner school that stood out to me initially because of its longstanding history helping veterans. President Emeritus, James Wright, was supremely influential in the Post 9/11 GI Bill and helped create the Yellow Ribbon Program, which opened up the doors for veterans to attend private colleges. His commitment to veterans showed how much Dartmouth cared about admitting veterans. 

Dartmouth also has mental health resources for all of its students, especially veterans. The college acknowledges that being a veteran is stressful and wants us to make a smooth transition to civilian life. 

3. What is your social life like as a veteran?

Here on campus, I'm involved in Psi Upsilon Fraternity, Club Hockey, Student Veteran Association, and I have a role for veterans within Admissions.

At first, I thought I was too old to be in a fraternity. However, during my freshman year I met upperclassmen involved in Greek life who encouraged me to try it out. I joined Psi Upsilon and immediately felt the sense of brotherhood I had when I was in the Marine Corps. It's been a great experience exchanging stories with the brothers. They tell me all the amazing things they did in high school, and I share my experiences from different countries and what it's really like to be a Marine. I'm 24 years old, but they all see me as one of them. Without my fraternity brothers, my experience would definitely not be as rewarding. 

4. What is Dartmouth like academically as a veteran?

I picked Dartmouth because I heard stories from alumni praising Dartmouth's work-life balance and how generally happy they were. I'm not going to lie, academically it's tough, but there are so many opportunities in and outside the classroom. 

5. What would you say to veterans thinking about applying to Dartmouth?

Dartmouth is the perfect place for veterans who want to immerse themselves in a community with so many organizations to be involved with. You can immerse yourself in different activities like skiing, Greek Life, the Dartmouth Outing Club, and academic societies. There is a place for everyone. Faculty here are so flexible in helping you navigate harder life experiences. Dartmouth gives veterans a chance at going to an elite college and making great friends. Everyday I wake up and think about how lucky I am to be here!

Ryan during a Student Veterans Association Event

Thank you Ryan and all other veterans for your service to our country! If you have any questions about veteran life on campus, email Student.Veterans.Association@dartmouth.edu for more information.