— Tuyen Nguyen, St. Petersburg High School IB Program (St. Petersburg, FL)

Day-By-Day Schedule

When preparing for my trip, I received an email from my Dartmouth Bound Leaders (DBLs). My DBLs were Chase and Ale, and their email was far from the norm. It was full of different colored text that rhymed like a poem. Otherwise known as the Dartmouth Blitz, this type of email is one of the many quirky traditions at Dartmouth. 

My trip consisted of three days. 

Day 1

The first day was the day of arrival. Most students were dropped off at the Boston-Logan International Airport, where we would meet up with Eric and Laura from Dartmouth. We would be led to the Dartmouth Coach, where we traveled 3 hours to Boston, MA to Hanover, NH. Dartmouth Bounders arrived throughout the day. When we arrived, we walked to Richardson Hall to receive our room assignment, keys, and program materials, which included a Dartmouth map, water bottle, and bag. I would recommend bringing an umbrella because the weather was rainy throughout the day and the weather in Hanover is unpredictable. Overall, we had lots of free time on our first day, as it was just a day for arriving at Dartmouth. I got a single dorm and I had time to explore the campus with other bounders. At dinnertime, I met my DBLs and my small group. My DBLs were nice and informative, and they provided a great deal of insight into student life and traditions of Dartmouth. We also had a welcome ceremony where we met the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid. 

Day 2

On the second day, we had breakfast with our group at 8:00 am. We ate at Foco, more formally known as Class of ‘53 Commons Dining Hall. Another Dartmouth tradition was eating a Foco Cookie, which is a delectable cookie from the dining hall. After that, we had a mock class with a professor. I got to sit in a class about urban gardens. We talked about the research and findings the professor was working on. Then, we had an information session where we learned about the place, people, and programs that make Dartmouth distinctive. Throughout the session, we were able to ask lots of questions. 

We broke into groups again to go on a campus tour. My favorite building was the SECS building, otherwise known as the engineering building. I love the nature and rustic feel of the buildings throughout Dartmouth’s campus. There was a genuine down home feeling and the students were interactive and nice. Everybody in Dartmouth loves to use acronyms and made-up words, which is what makes the culture at Dartmouth so uniquely tight-knit. 

Afterwards, we had lunch with professors, an information session going over Dartmouth’s D-Plan, a financial aid overview, and posed for a group photo. I liked learning about Dartmouth’s unique D-plan, which consists of four academic quarters each year. The plan allows lots of flexibility in choosing the quarters you want to attend class, go on vacation, conduct research, or pursue internships. Although you are required to take a summer quarter, the ability to take time off school at different times of the year can help you stand out when applying for internships because you will not be restricted to only being able to work in the summer. 

The financial aid overview was also helpful. I got to ask lots of questions and I learned a lot about the mindset that Dartmouth has towards financial aid. Their philosophy is to provide students with as much aid as possible. We had dinner and a daily group meeting with our DBLs. I loved eating and talking with the DBLs in our group because we got to hear about their personal experiences at Dartmouth. Our DBLs also took us on a walk around Occom Pond. The nature was lush and the neighborhood houses were huge. The campus and surrounding community is peaceful and tranquil. We also got to see some deer along the way! The nature that you are surrounded by in Dartmouth is like no other. We had an outdoor movie that night where we see millions of stars across the beautiful Dartmouth sky. You are expected to be in your residence hall by 10:30 pm, however, I had lots of time to talk with other bounders and I felt that I was in a group that I belonged to, as many of our bounders were FGLI or people of color.

Day 3

On our third day we had breakfast with our DBLs and attended an admissions case studies session. It was a bit disappointing. Although we were able to meet and talk to admissions officers, they were vague in what they were looking for in a prospective Dartmouth student. A positive is that they heavily emphasized their positive attitudes when going over sample applications. It seemed that the admissions officers were always trying to find reasons to accept students to Dartmouth rather than find reasons to reject students. The goal of the admissions officers is to see if you are truly a good fit for Dartmouth, hence their reason for hosting a fly-in program for prospective students. 

My advice for students applying to Dartmouth is to not only research the school and the programs, but research the community and their traditions. The Dartmouth community is very strong, and Dartmouth wants to admit students that can contribute positively to their sense of community. Dartmouth is friendly and welcoming, and they are looking for students that are willing to try new things. In fact, one of Dartmouth’s required activities is to choose a class that helps you explore the area, whether that be mountain biking or hiking. 

We had an essay workshop with the admissions officers where we brainstormed essay ideas based on the things that were important to us. After that, we had lunch and a college interview workshop. You had lots of freedom in where you wanted to go, so I used my extra time to explore the Baker-Berry Library. The college interview workshop covered the interview part of the Dartmouth admissions process. It was informative as it walked us through the process of our interview and things to do and not to do. Interviews from Dartmouth are limited as they are done by alumni that are available in your area. If you don’t get an interview, it is not a bad thing as they probably just don’t have enough people to interview you. However, if you o get an interview, it is a great chance to express yourself and connect with Dartmouth on a more personal level. 

After that, we had a resource fair at the Hanover Inn, where we got to explore student organizations at Dartmouth. There was a Questbridge stand, and I got to talk to a student that went through the Questbridge process. After that, we had free time. I was able to explore the town of Hanover, which is  small and quaint, and go into shops. Finally, we had the Gary Love ‘76 Dartmouth Bound Founder’s Dinner at the Hanover Inn. We celebrated our time on campus with the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid and we were able to eat with an admissions officer. I was able to talk to her and ask many questions. After that, we had one last group meeting with our DBLs and then I spent the night in the resident hall Common Ground talking with other people. 

Throughout the whole trip, I was able to talk to many bounders and students and learn things. I met kids my age that I related to, and we shared our thoughts on colleges and our aspirations. I still keep in contact with these students.

My Advice

Throughout the trip, I was aware of the attitudes of students and staff at Dartmouth. Again, they have many unique traditions and their very own Dartmouth culture. A student that attends Dartmouth is unique in their own way, but they are their true self. Being your true self is the kind of student that Dartmouth looks for, as your passions can most clearly shine through in your application. If you are passionate about something, I encourage you to write about it or emphasize it in your essay. Additionally, in my Dartmouth Bound essay, I emphasized my Vietnamese immigrant and FGLI background. Dartmouth, along with other schools, love diversity, and they are always more than willing to give you opportunities. I recommend researching the school and seeing if Dartmouth sounds like a good match for you. If so, ask yourself why, and write about that in your essay. 

— I’m Tuyen Nguyen, a member of the Pinellas County School Cohort in St. Petersburg, Florida