Winter Break in New York City!

This holiday season I have enjoyed spending time at home with family and friends, in New York City. New York is a great place to be during the holidays because there is always so much to do. Thus far I’ve gone out to eat at a few great restaurants, seen rising artists in concert, had a mini high school reunion, and seen some great movies. It’s also possible to see Broadway and off-Broadway shows, go ice skating in Rockefeller Center or Bryant Park, visit various museums and spend time in Times Square, amongst other things.
New Year’s Eve is definitely going to be a busy time in the city. Every year thousands of people come out to watch the ball drop in Times Square. Although I’m from New York I’ve never gone to this event because the crowd is too big and it’s always really cold outside.

I hope everyone has a great New Year’s!

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jazzlog/2151741061/

Happy Holidays : )

For the holidays, I plan to just spend time with my friends and family. My mom always cooks the best holiday meals, so I am very excited for Christmas dinner. Also, the holidays are a great time to catch up with my friends since most of us are away at school. So this year after I eat and open up gifts, I am going to watch the new Disney movie The Princess and the Frog with my best friend.

I just want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday season and a wonderful New Year!!

Acapella Tour then Relaxation

My acapella group, the Dartmouth Dodecaphonics, like most acapella groups at Dartmouth, always goes on tour at the beginning of winter break. This year we toured in the D.C./Maryland area for about a week. The highlight is being able to spend so much quality time with the other members of my group. We sang at a few schools and alumni clubs in the area. I just returned home this past Friday! Now, I am going to run around Chicago looking for Christmas gifts for my family (that I have yet to get) and afterward, catch up with friends from home and lounge around the house.

Happy Holidays!


More info on the Dodecs: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~dodecs/

Christmas in the Nation's Capital

I will be enjoying the holiday season with my family and friends in Washington, DC. Christmas in New Hampshire is quite special because the snow covered landscape looks like something straight out of a fairytale. Christmas in DC is also very special because everything becomes bright and colorful. One thing I always look forward to during the holidays is sleeping in and watching television specials that remind me of my childhood: Home Alone, Charlie Brown, Rudolph the Red–Nosed Reindeer, etc. I remember watching them when I was younger and seeing them now definitely brings back great memories. Another thing I look forward to, which is somewhat of a new family tradition, is ice skating in front of the National Archives building. It's so much fun!!






Left Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevharb/4191941958/in/set-72157607530840478/

Right Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidclow/2306168184/

NEW QUESTION OF THE WEEK

What are your plans for the holidays?

Previous question of the week:

The posts below answer last week's question:

LAST WEEK'S TOPIC: What do you think are the top 3 reasons prospective students should apply to Dartmouth?

Top 3 reasons...

...for applying to Dartmouth are:

1. THE PEOPLE
The people at Dartmouth are amazing. I've met so many great people who have become some of my best friends. There have been many times when a 45 minute dinner has turned into a 2hr+ dinner because of the great conversations that were going on. Also, there is not a competitive atmosphere. Students are willing to help each other out with homework and study together for exams. I've experienced a lot of this collaborative nature in my math and science classes which not only helped me understand the material better but also allowed me to meet wonderful new people.

2. THE CAMPUS
I absolutely love the scenery. From the foliage to the snow, the campus is beautiful no matter what season it is. I am from the city, so living in a rural area made me a bit nervous at first. After I arrived, I knew that this would be a perfect break from the city life. I do not have that many distractions such as malls (I love to shop lol), so I can really focus on getting my work done. Plus, being in a rural area allows for Dartmouth students to be apart of a tight knit community.

3. THE PROFESSORS
Almost all of the classes are taught by professors which is really great because you have the chance to ask them questions not only about class material but about their own research. I've had the opportunity to work with one of my engineering professors in his biomedical engineering lab helping research different aspects of knee replacements. Next term, I will be working in the same lab to do more research as my own independent study project.

My Top Three Reasons

3. The Seasons

As Ben posted, it did finally snow here! Winters at Dartmouth are great because of easy access to Dartmouth's very own ski slopes at the Dartmouth Skiway and other mountains in the area. It is also a wonderland of other winter sports (Dartmouth students have to do 3 gym credits, and winter is a great time for people to learn how to snowshoe, ice fish, snowboard, or ice skate in addition to learning how to snowboard or ski). More importantly, the campus and surrounding area are beautiful when covered with snow. However, the other seasons are great as well. The fall is my favorite season. The mountain and hillsides look like patchwork quilts because of the wide spectrum of colors of the leaves. The spring is gorgeous as well. It is welcome after a long winter and students treat the green like a beach. The summer is how I think Dartmouth is supposed to be experienced however. While Dartmouth can get very cold, it can also get very hot and swimming in the Connecticut river provides the perfect refreshment.

More information on:

The Dartmouth Skiway - http://skiway.dartmouth.edu/

2. The Opportunities

The D-Plan splits the academic year up into four parts and since classes, responsibilities, and the student body on campus change every term, learning opportunities, on-campus leadership and extracurricular opportunities, abroad and internship possibilities, and new friends are always at your reach. The campus has a number of institutions that help facilitate the latter two options. The Tucker Foundation, the Dickey Center for International Understanding, and the Rockefeller Center are a few of the institutions that give money to students to do internships or volunteer work across America or abroad. Career Services can help students find internships as well.

More information on:

The Tucker Foundation - http://www.dartmouth.edu/~tucker/
The Rockefeller Center - http://rockefeller.dartmouth.edu/
Dickey Center - http://dickey.dartmouth.edu/
Career Services - http://www.dartmouth.edu/~csrc/

1. The People

While it is frequently said by my fellow interns and I, the people are Dartmouth are what really makes this place special. I have met some of the most friendly, fun, intelligent, outgoing, and inspiring people that I have ever encountered in my life here. I have learned more from my peers than in my courses and have shared unforgettable experiences with them at Dartmouth, across the US, and abroad. I know that without my Dartmouth community, my experience would not be the same.

IT SNOWED!

It took a little longer this year than normal, but it finally snowed here in Hanover and the Holiday Tree in the middle of the Green is all lit up.

I think it makes studying for finals just a little bit easier, though I can't stop thinking about skiing.

My Top 3:

1. The Food - It goes unsaid that Dartmouth has one of the best dining options! We have at least three different locations where you can find food at at those three different locations we have at least five different dining options you can choose from. Also, you can find something to eat on campus until 2 am, which is great if you are a night owl like me. There is always a vegetarian option available. Also, we have a sushi chef come on campus to Collis Late Night to make fresh sushi. My favorite meal at Dartmouth was during freshmen orientation, they provide lobster dinners and it was great seeing everyone get down and dirty. My second favorite is Homeplate brunch, where they serve anything from pancakes to french toast, eggs and potatoes. You also have the option of making your own waffle, which I do every week.

2. The Opportunities - Every school says this, but I do think Dartmouth gives you endless opportunities to choose from. Whether its interning at a non-profit internship or building houses in Argentina, Dartmouth will provide you with money so that you can not have any financial burden on your shoulders. Additionally, they will help you prepare your resume and cover letters free of charge. Because of Dartmouth's strong alumni network, you can find someone who is working in the same field that you would like to work in and get your foot in the door. Dartmouth attracts a lot of the top business to our career fairs, and so if you are looking to meet someone who works at Teach for America or Goldman Sachs, they will come to you. Dartmouth sets you up to achieve great things because they believe in providing a well rounded experience to all their students. We don't just study in the classroom, we also volunteer in different organizations, or sing at different events, or dance at nursing homes, or travel cross country on a bus running on vegetable oil. Dartmouth provides its students with endless opportunities.

3. The People - This is the third time it is being said but that's how true it is! The people you meet here are incredible. I constantly stay up till 3 in the morning talking to my peers, finding out how they ended up in Hanover and what they are planning on doing after. One of my friends has already mapped out a 10 year plan of how he is going to become a chief operating officer of a hospital while my other friend is thinking about going into architecture. Everyone is nice and friendly and I can't believe how many times I've heard "you can do your own thing here, and no one will judge you" at Dartmouth. If you are looking for a cool, laid back and friendly gatmosphere, full of people who are ambitious but not cutthroat, Dartmouth is the place for you!

My Top Three

1) Research Opportunities
Although Dartmouth has all of the resources of a university, its main focus is on its undergraduate students, not graduate students. At Dartmouth, college students have the opportunity to engage in research with professors from as early as their freshman year. Through programs like WISP (Women in Science Project) and the Presidential Scholars program (honors research program for juniors in the top 40% of their class), college students are able to participate in research with the professors of their choice. This is a great way for students to gain out of classroom experience in topics of interest to them.

2) Dartmouth Alumni
Dartmouth alumni truly love their alma mater. As a result, alumni constantly give back to the college in numerous ways and current undergraduates benefit from their generosity. Whether alumni are donating their time as career mentors through the alumni database at the career services office or throwing 50 year class reunions during big weekends like homecoming, current undergraduates have the ability to meet and learn a lot from the amazing alumni who came before them on a regular basis.

3) Location
Dartmouth's location offers students the opportunity to have a great college experience. Since the school is not located in a city, college life is truly focused on the campus. Students bond as a community and really get to know each other in a way that's not possible at a lot of other schools.



Photo Credit: Dartmouth Image Gallery

My top three....

Here is why you should apply to Dartmouth conveniently laid out numerically.

1. The D-Plan. So I know that we may have beaten this one into the ground, but the D-Plan is awesome. It is out flexible calendar system which uses four 10-week quarters instead of semesters. Each term you take 3 classes (no more than 4, no less than 2) for ten intense weeks. The cool part is that other than your freshmen Fall - Winter - Spring, senior Fall-Winter-Spring and the Summer after your sophomore year, you get to choose when you want to be here. Essentially, this means you move what would be your summer breaks around. In the end, this means you get to study abroad when you want, or makes you way more competitive for internships etc.

2. The People. Its been said before, but the students, faculty and administrators here are amazing. Dartmouth, as an institution, will bend over backwards to make sure you can accomplish whatever it is that you want to do. The students, specifically, are among the most interesting, passionate people I have ever met in my life. Here is an experiment you can conduct wherever you are: if you see someone wearing a Dartmouth shirt, hat, or hoodie, just go up to them and ask them why they love Dartmouth. Don't forget to mention you are thinking about applying. I guarantee it will be a memorable experience.

3. Study Abroad. Maybe this is part of the D-Plan, but it is amazing enough that its worth repeating. If you want to study abroad, you can and will at Dartmouth. I was able to live with a home-stay in Barcelona, Spain for 10 weeks while taking classes at the University of Barcelona. It was easily the best experience of my Dartmouth career. If you are even remotely thinking about studying abroad, do it. And if I may say so, Dartmouth is the best place to send you on your way.

More info on the D-Plan here.

More info on Study Abroad here.

Photo credit: Joe Mehling and the Dartmouth Flickr

My Top Three

1) People
The people at Dartmouth are absolutely AMAZING!!! Definitely the best reason to apply because everyone is so talented and yet so down-to-earth. I've met some of my best friends here and I'm very grateful that Dartmouth has given me the opportunity to learn from a myriad of incredible individuals.

2) Teaching
According to US News & World Report, Dartmouth is the #1 institution for undergraduate instruction in the country. Dartmouth professors are leaders in their respective fields but the best part is that they come to Dartmouth because they really want to teach. So many other schools flaunt renowned faculty but students barely have access to them because they're so busy doing research. At Dartmouth, students can really connect with their professors...I've taken hip hop dance classes, cooked dinner, and gone star gazing with some of mine!

3) Financial Aid
Need-blind admissions for EVERYONE, including international students and Need-based financial assistance for students who qualify meaning %100 scholarship...what more can I say??