Dickinson College Top Questions

Describe the students at your school.

Rachel

There are a wide variety of students.

Kristen

My classmates are all impressive people with the determination to accomplish their dreams and make a difference in the world today instead of waiting for tomorrow.

Carolinao

Classmates were often unprepared for class discussions, and often afraid to be truthful at the cost of sounding politically correct (i.e. not racist or sexist, etc)

Jordan

Very nice and fun student body that I have found to be pretty open about new experiences.

Jesse

In response to the question- "What kind of student would feel out of place at Dickinson?" I would say no one. I have met so many students from each class year from a multitude of countries and states within the US. These interactions have made me a more cultured person. Being a female from Massachusetts, I had not experienced much diversity in my hometown, but my college experience is making up for that. Students on this campus are extremely politically active. We have both a Democrat and Republicans Club on campus, and both groups are often organizing events, and staging protests if they do not agree with a campus event. Things never get violent however; so these protests are merely a healthy form of activism for a college campus. We are taught in the classroom to challenge ideas, pose questions, and to always look for a better solution. Students at Dickinson take this advice and apply it outside of the classroom as well, as evidenced by our political activities. In addition, students can involve themselves on a number of student organizations involved with college policymaking, or be a Senator on the Student Senate.

Marci

Usually very intelligent, motivated, and talented, but depending on their interest in the subject matter they may or may not apply these assets to the course in question.

Jamiee

My classmates in college are vibrant and eager to learn both in the classroom and on their own. They are diligent and express themselves freely.

Jacob

My classmates are very helpful and engaging in class.

Arielle

People who work hard to do what is expected of them but do not always go above and beyone.

Kim

Dickinson, for a small school of mostly rich kids in a conservative small town, is incredible tolerant. I know gay students in fraternities and sororities, students of all religions who practice freely (Muslim students with hijab; Orthodox Jews), and less-fortunate students who are not ashamed of their humble backgrounds. One day I was at a party where there were scantily-clad bleached-blonde sorority girls, several gay students, and a Muslim girl in hijab and I thought to myself "where else, but Dickinson?". No matter what you are, you can probably fit in at Dickinson. There is the Arts Haus for more artsy types, the Tree House for environmental activists, clubs for LBGT & allies, and vibrant and active religious groups. You will see students in class wearing anything from sweatpants and sneakers to a designer dress off this season's runway. There are also active political groups on both ends of the spectrum that recently worked together to sponsor a voter registration drive. And while groups of students tend to sit at the same places every day in the dining hall (certain sororities and fraternities, frisbee kids, theatre kids, etc.), there is definitely a place for everyone and tons of interaction between these niches.

Caitlin

Dickinson students appear homogeneous, but aren't really. Though the school is heavily populated by white, upper-middle class students, students have lots of different interests and finding a group of friends with whom you share interests and values is not hard. There are not too many students who would feel completely lost here, there is a group for pretty much everyone and people don't have to look to hard to find their niche. Most students dress casually in class. Some wear sweatpants but that usually occurs during 8:30 or 9:00 classes. Heels are rare and dresses are common during the fall and spring. It is generally a casual atmosphere. One sweep of the caf during lunch gives a visitor a pretty good idea of Dickinson's student body. The Greek organizations sit together, the athletic teams, Posse, the non-Greek's, the gamers, the frisbee team. Everyone has their table or area and I like it that way. Most students are from New England and the mid-Atlantic region, but there is a wide variety of students hailing from elsewhere. There was a bit of political activism during the 2008 election but one great thing about Dickinson is that there is a fair number of students on the left and fair number on the right. Business majors are pretty much the only students that will outwardly talk about their dreams to be rich.

Selasi

There are overachievers, average students, and those who get good grades with minimal work.

Andrea

They're friendly, fun, and I love to hang out with them.

William

My classmates are from all over the US and some know what they want in life and some don't.

Elizabeth

Energetic, enthousiastic, intelligent, fun-loving, crazy, happy, ambitious, relaxed.

Alyssa

People are usually wealthy and from private schools but friendly and open minded. Theres is also still diversity though. It is hard to exactly pinpoint students here, but there is definetly someone for everyone.

Erik

Some are nice, but too many of them are hypocritical hippies that are incredibly ignorant