The location is something that few other colleges of its caliber offer. That said, it is difficult for people who are accustomed to spending their time in Manhattan boutiques and clubs. Hanover, New Hampshire is far from metropolis. The town proper is really one main street, and it feels a lot like a gilmore-girlsy quiet New England town. There's a cute family breakfast diner, a few bookstores, a few clothing stores, the Gap, CVS, and a coffee shop or two - all within 5 minutes walking distance from the college green. But that's the end of town.
The small-town aspect of Dartmouth does a lot to the social structure. Everyone talks about how there is a definite sense of community - the focus of all 4000 undergrads is directed towards the school itself and the people around them, rather than the city. So by the end of four years spent in the middle of nowhere with awesome people, the personal bonds are intense, a sense that is tougher to create when the school scatters off into the city each weekend. But, that's definitely a matter of personal preference. Some people will nonetheless feel restricted by the size of the town.
Being small and undergraduate focused has a big impact upon life at Dartmouth. I was personally looking at places like UCLA and USC as well as Dartmouth, and have been surprised that the size has been one of my favorite parts of the school. It's a wonderful feeling to know that if you're feeling lonely, you can just walk to the campus center (it's nicely organized around a large green, the library, the theater/arts center, and food) and be guaranteed to run into someone you know. But at the same time, it's unlikely that in 4,000 people you wont find SOME people you click well with, and you'll never be able to get to know everyone. Size changes things a lot; if you meet someone one day at an a capella show, you're quite likely to run into them on multiple occasions again, so it's entirely possible to get to know people thoroughly, without having to live next door to them.
The students are friendly and not at all competetive. Honestly, the people are probably the best resource. If you dont understand math, there are 5 people who live a few doors down in either direction who are brilliant at it and willing to help. But even with an overwhelming number of friendly people, Dartmouth is real, and you will run into the occasional person you dont like. Also, Blitzmail (email) instead of cell-phones dominate life, and we write emails like crazypeople. Nobody owns a cell phone. I told you, unique.