Boston College vs Dartmouth

As KC said, she is trying to decide between these two very fine schools. We will both work on this post to compare the merits of each place. I will use a list format.


Boston College                            
Strong professional program for nursing                            
Strong alumni connections in business                            
Slightly more conservative "feel"                                        
Strong academics, no engineering          

Dartmouth                  
World's best network to get into finance
Annoyingly ultra liberal at times
Great academics, slightly more offerings
Quarter system allows a greater selection of classes at a quicker pace  
                                 


KC's take:

     Hey everyone! I'm sorry it has taken me such a long time to post this piece. As my co-blogger has stated, I have been quite conflicted between choosing the right school for me. Both colleges are prestigious, academically rigorous, and offer wonderful educations.
     For me, Boston College, a Jesuit Catholic school, is the more practical choice. The honors nursing program has many benefits, such as a set curriculum, the opportunity to study abroad (usually during junior year), a fantastic network of hospitals to practice at, and a generally very supportive faculty. I know that if I choose BC, I will not have to worry as much about finding a job after graduating from college. After all, nurses are always in high demand despite the dreary job market. The students currently in the nursing program at Eagle Day showed genuine passion in their choice of career; they were bright, enthusiastic, caring, and lovely women. Listening to their own experiences made me want to work for what they have. The campus at Boston College is extremely beautiful; the landscaping is spectacular (especially in the springtime when the trees and flowers are in bloom). At the admitted students Eagle Day, the college-aged tour guides were very friendly and inviting. Chestnut Hill is a really great place to be. BC's campus itself is somewhat secluded from Boston. However, the very best tastes of high and diverse culture were only a walk or bus-ride away. Access to Boston is akin exposes one to museums, theatres, eateries, libraries, new streets, and cute stores. Being there is gives you the freedom to explore practically everything. Unfortunately, the food on campus is less than satisfactory (for me at least; I am a relatively picky eater but never before been so thoroughly disappointed with a college cafeteria). There are no buffets there, only less than fresh a la carte items (rather much like my high school cafeteria). The first-year dorms are also frightening small and squashed, but this a a very common problem at many colleges.
     Dartmouth has a lot of benefits for me. Firstly, I am extremely impressed by the people there. Most people seem happy and have the great desire to be at Dartmouth. The inviting sense of community is really wonderful; it makes one feel secure and wanted. The professors are top notch (I can say this from personal experience since I am actually enrolled in a class there- more on that later) and very supportive of the students. The facilities are also of the very best, what with the new Black Family visual arts center and life science buildings. Everything is fully equipped and the network is unsurpassed. Students are generally extremely talented, diverse, bright and studious. There is the downside of Dartmouth being a notorious party school, with about 75% of students participants of Greek life (I am a non-party-er). But at Dartmouth Dimensions (the regular admitted students weekend), many D students assured me that there are kids who firmly refuse to take part in the wild night life, and still are very happy and welcome. Everything seemed balanced. What more could I ask for? It's an ivy league! Moreover, I live less than 10 miles away from the Big Green's campus- a drawback because it is too close to my parents, but wildly beneficial because of the lack of distance's great convenience. But I had to face the truth. I have spent half my life in this area, was familiar with the weather and town of Hanover (Main Street is where all the action is- just that one street), and I had a great desire to explore the world, to expand and experience a fresh new area. Sure, I would miss the gorgeous nature, Connecticut River and lakes, the ski resorts, the mountains, the woods- but these were things I could always come back to. Was it time to clear out, leave behind my old life, and see what new adventures were up ahead?
     Contrary to what you may think, this decision was not a clear-cut or easy one. I really did not want the name or prestige of schools to be the deciding factor. I wanted to choose the school that is best for me, a place that will suit my needs and even go beyond what I expected. After weeks of deliberation, I realized that I wasn't as keen on nursing as I thought I was. It is a career I am still interested in, and probably suitable for me, but as a 17 year old, I do not want to limit my explorations in the academic world. The downside to nursing is that one does not have the opportunity to play around with different subjects and test one's interest. This realization scared me, as I did not want to miss out stumbling upon a potential interest that means more to me than nursing. I did not feel ready to commit a career already, something that i knew very little about. Dartmouth also offered me a bit more financial aid that BC- after 4 years, these sums do make a difference. In all manner of joking, Dartmouth is ranked as the second school overall in attractiveness and smartness;).         A couple days before May 1st, judgment day, I committed to Dartmouth. It was such a relief for me to do so; I no longer had to ponder over this conundrum and flip-flop between my options. I am incredibly excited to officially be a Dartmouth '17; these next four years will be a time of exploring, patience, anxiety, maturity, happiness, and many other things. Now that I have made my decision, I cannot be happier than I would be at any other school.