Dartmouth College

Dartmouth’s Latin motto “Vox clamantis in deserto” translates into “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness.” Source

As a Homecoming tradition, the freshman class builds a bonfire and runs around it a set number of times in concordance with their class year, while upperclassmen cheer them on.

Ranked No. 1 in undergraduate teaching for the last four consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report and recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as a “research university with very high research activity,” Dartmouth combines elite academics with thriving research and scholarship.

In another well-known tradition, hundreds of students plunge into the icy water of Occom Pond for the annual Polar Bear Swim that takes place during Winter Carnival.

The majority of each incoming class take part in “trips”, a pre-orientation, student-run five-day outdoor program, designed to welcome them to Dartmouth and bond with other freshmen.

  • Color: Dartmouth Green
  • Mascot: Keggy the Keg
  • Admit Rate: 8.7% (Class of 2022). Read more