Enrollment: 4147
Average SAT: 510
Average ACT: 21
Most Popular Majors: Economics, General,Political Science and Government, General,Psychology, General,
Regular Application Deadline: 01/01
Student Faculty Ratio: 8:1

Undergraduate Receiving Need-Based Financial Aid: 233
Average Freshman Total Need-Based Gift Aid: $34,927.00

2009 Best Value Colleges – Private

Students Say - Academics
Dartmouth College "has a reputation of being like summer camp, and it's true: Students take their academic work very seriously, but they're also all extremely happy to be here, and they have a lot of fun, no matter what their idea of fun is." A school that is small "without being suffocating or lacking opportunities, challenging but not too competitive, has good academics and access to professors, and has its own ski hill" obviously has a lot to offer; how else could it entice "artists, athletes, musicians, and future leaders to all gather together in the middle of nowhere?" Students love that Dartmouth is "very undergraduate-focused, unlike the other Ivies that neglect their undergrads to only concentrate on research." They also love the D-Plan, which divides the academic year into four 10-week terms in order to provide maximum flexibility and study-abroad opportunities ("many students use the D-Plan to study abroad up to three times"). Dartmouth professors "are some of the greatest minds in the country, and they're almost all willing to just sit and chat if you feel like it. I've had at least one professor each year who's invited the whole class to her/his house for dinner and discussion (sometimes with famous guests). It's a great way to learn information that is above and beyond what you're learning in the classroom." No wonder "everyone is happy here."

Students Say - Campus Life
Dartmouth's greatest strength, students tell us, "is its incredible sense of community and tradition," traditions that include "singing the alma mater, dancing the Salty Dog Rag, and running 100-plus laps around a 40-foot bonfire." One undergrad notes, "[Students] have a ton of school spirit," and "from the first day on campus, students are learning all about what it means to be a Dartmouth student." Situated in the Upper Connecticut River Valley, Dartmouth has "a great location for skiing and outdoor activities," and it's a place "where the student body is very active, both outdoors (i.e., hiking, biking, rock climbing, ice climbing, and skiing) as well as indoors partying. Whatever you want to do, you can find it here." That is, unless what you want is constant big-city entertainment; hometown Hanover is a "very small town," and "Boston and Montreal, though available, are rarely sought." Students are more likely to flock to the campus' popular Greek scene: "Most people like to go drink at frats on weekends and attend parties. I think like 20 percent of the student population abstains from drinking, but everyone else is pretty into it." Students are also "very involved in on-campus organizations and sports teams." As one junior explains, "There's always more to do than can ever be done, and the hardest thing is making time for sleep along with classes, clubs, and friends."

Students Say - Student Body
The typical Dartmouth student "is hard to define. If I mashed them all up into one person, it'd be a kid from Jersey driving a Lexus with a kayak on the top. His collar popped but his pants torn. In his bag there'd be the works of Marx next to those of Friedman. We're all so different, but at the same time, we're just all here to learn, to love, and to live." Dartmouth "strives to create a world of very different people," and its reputation allows it to cherry-pick top students from all around the globe. The school has a reputation for political conservatism that some argue is overblown: "There are very liberal students at Dartmouth, and there are very conservative students...but most tend to fall in between." Also, while the school "has a stereotype of being a big party school full of jocks," it's "not really that way," and "That should be more recognized." Across the board students tend to be "well-balanced" and "outgoing," and everyone from the "sweet frat dude to the library dweller all find a place to fit in."

Brown University
Cornell University

More at PrincetonReview.com