Frequently Asked Questions by Parents
(1) What Facebook groups / Instagram should I join/Follow?
➔ Use the group Dartmouth College Parents of 26's '27' 28 39 30's with ~4K members
(There are a few Dartmouth parent pages which bots create to scam unsuspecting parents the low # of members give them away)
but be sure to use the search button to see if your question has already been asked and answered.
The students have their own class Facebook group set up by admissions. The parent
groups are set up by parent volunteers.
Be sure to check out Instagram for Dartmouth Dining, Dartmouth sports, etc..
https://www.instagram.com/dartmouthadmissions
https://www.instagram.com/dartmouth_ols/
(2) When will we hear more information?
➔ The college waits until regular decision students are notified and after the
acceptance and waiting list deadline to give details to all the committed students. If you
are early decision it is a long wait so be patient.
(3) How do you ship items to your student at Dartmouth?
➔All students get a “Hinman” PO box number for their time at Dartmouth. Hinman is
the college post office which is located next to the Hanover Inn in the basement of the
Hopkins center.
They will accept packages up to two weeks before the term starts so feel free to
Amazon ship early but not too early.
If you are flying to Boston Logan you can pre order at bed Bath and Beyond and pick it
up on the way to Dartmouth. If you can buy in New Hampshire there is no sales tax.
Good reason to buy the computer from the campus store or phone when there.
Jane Smith
XXXX Hinman (check the housing StarPortal for #) or https://lookup.dartmouth.edu/
Hanover, NH 03755
(4) What kind of clothing/footwear will my kid need for Hanover winters?
➔ It is cold. Many people buy Sorel boots. Focus on warm coats vs. expensive, this is
New Hampshire not Rodeo drive. Usually, you only need the really warm clothes for
winter term that starts in January since Fall term ends in the fourth week of November.
If they have an expensive coat put an apple tag in it . https://amzn.to/3XZx1yN
Here is the webcam overlooking the Green http://webcam.dartmouth.edu/
(5) When will we know about the dorm assignment, what do the dorms look like and what
is the furniture/fridge/microwave situation?
➔ The dorm assignments come out around the last week of July. Dartmouth Parents
23/24/25/26/27 Facebook group has pictures of various dorm rooms.
All the beds can be raised 30 inches to allow for storage under the bed and do not need
to be any higher. The Choates cluster is all freshman and have fridge/microware
combos. They may all have them now because of covid.
(6) First Year Trip / FYT
➔ Dartmouth has an incredible program to welcome students. Three days of
orientation and three days of a trip in New Hampshire. Students get to make friends
called “Trippies” which will last a lifetime in addition to friends they meet at class or in
the dorm. Making friends is critical to getting the most of the college experience so
whether you want white water rafting, moderate hiking, yoga or just museum tours it is
a wonderful experience and an opportunity to make more friends. Post pics your
student sends to the group so other parents can find their student.
https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2022/09/first-year-students-bond-trips
(7) Class registration
➔ Students pick their classes at orientation and the computer picks classes the
weekend before classes start.
(8) Should my kid have a bike/Scooter on campus?
➔ Many people have cheap bikes and expensive locks. It’s a “sharing” community so if
you don’t want to share your bike lock it up.
Scooters are used also but be sure to lock them up also…don’t just rely on the key
(9) What's the deal with "Frackets"?
➔ It is a sharing economy so jackets are regularly borrowed especially at Frats….hence
Frat/Jacket = Fracket. Regardless of Frat views it is good to send a nice jacket then a
cheap ugly jacket with your student regardless of what Friday night activity they chose
to attend.
(10) Should I sign up for the Laundry service, I don’t want my student to be the only one
doing laundry?
➔ About 15% of freshman used the service so make your decision on your student’s
need not marketing brochures. Expect 10% now that Laundry machines are new and
free.
➔ There are laundry machines in every basement which are now free and an app tells
you student when a machine is available or their wash is done
(11) Parent’s weekend?
➔ This is held in early October with activities on Friday/Sat/Sun so plan to arrive
Thursday night. There are discounted tickets to the football game. The acapella concert
is a top attraction along with the Baker tower tour.
(12) What about transportation?
➔ The Dartmouth coach (not affiliated with the college) is used by most students who
fly to Boston/Hartford/NYC. They supply multiple coaches in high demand times. Check
the transportation file for local options.
(13) Where do we store stuff during the summer?
In the dorm basements https://www.dartmouth.edu/resops/storage.options/controlledstorage.html
➔ TrueValue storage https://hanovertruevalue.net/storage-contract/
Greenbox storage
(14) Can my student vote in NH?
➔ The college makes it very easy for students to register and vote, so no need to get a
drivers license in NH.
(15) What is the Twilight walk to Bema, what is the Matriculation ceremony, and the pin?
➔ great Dartmouth traditions…make sure your student participates and sends pictures
to share so other parents can find their student.
(16) My student received a letter in their college email about a paid internship from a
college professor but the grammar is terrible.
➔ Yes there are scam artists that create fake google accounts, use the college directory
to send emails that include college graphics, but their poor grammar gives them away.
**Tell your student today to no give out their phone number or bank information to scams on their
Dartmouth email account***
They also try to join the Dartmouth parent Facebook groups to collect credit card info
from fake t-shirt ads. The questions to join are to catch them and all new members are
on 30 day post approval to catch and ban them before they can publicly post.
(17) I already have medical insurance; can I avoid paying for Dartmouth college health
care?
➔ Yes but you must get a waiver every year by July 1st as the plan is yearly.
(18) Do I need to buy/rent that mattress expander replacement?
The dorms come with a Twin XL plastic covered mattress which is ok, but I would buy a topper. So Yes…send
below for recommendations on how to make it a real mattress.
(19) What is the LayUpList?
It is the Dartmouth version of RateMyProfessor, but private and only available to registered students with a dartmouth.edu email.
(20) "The Woods" what does that mean?
"Vox clamantis in deserto" means "A voice crying out in the wilderness" The College was created out of the wilderness while most IVYs are in a city. Dartmouth has 269 acres in its main campus, 4,500 acres at Mount Moosilauke and 27,000 acres in Northern New Hampshire.
(21) Useful Bookmarks:
https://www.dartmouth.edu/orientation/family.html
https://www.dartmouth.edu/finance/tuition/billing_paying_tuition/dpay.php
https://students.dartmouth.edu/residential-life/undergraduate-housing/first-yearhousing/housing-locations ➔ click on the dorm name and see the floor plan