Dickinson College Top Questions

What are the most popular student activities/groups?

Jordan

Social life can be tough in the beginning, as it is hard to find parties unless you know someone who already knows about a party. Greek life is big here, but it doesn't dominate, as many sports teams have social events and parties also.

Jesse

The social scene at Dickinson flourishes. There are over 100 existing organizations on campus, and if a student has a new idea for a club they would like to start, they can easily apply for funding from the Student Senate. There are a number of varsity D3 sports teams on campus for both men and women, and a college choir, Collegium, two theatre organizations, and 4 a cappella groups on campus for those interested in the arts. In addition, there is a step team, a hiphop dance troupe, a women's dance team and an alternative dance troupe as well. Greek life appeals to about 23{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students on campus, it is not necessary to be a member of a greek organization on this campus to be "cool." In fact, there are numerous other options for a weekend besides a fraternity party. If a student organization is not hosting a event (a lot of them do; for example the TreeHouse hosts Open Mic nights on Fridays) the College MOB (Multi-Organizational Board) coordinates at least 2-4 events per weekend for students to attend in either the student center, a social hall on campus or another designated location. Whether it's a GirlTalk, Regina Spektor, Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco or Chiddy Bang concert, a movie showing projected on the side of a dorm outside in the spring/fall, a comedic performance, a fall formal/winter ball/spring fling dance, the options are endless for students to busy themselves. That being said, some of the best memories made during college are from random nights in the dorm. Students often leave their doors propped open, hang out in the common rooms, order takeout, make food in the dorm kitchens, or watch movies on the bigscreen tvs. If students are interested in going out to a party, that is an option as well. Underage drinking will be found at any college; if students choose to engage in that sort of behavior here, they do risk getting in trouble with campus safety and the college itself. In terms of our location, Carlisle is a great spot for students. Most students typically do not like to leave campus for fear of missing out on fun events, however there is an independent theatre right down the street from the academic quad that hosts a myriad of films for students to go see at a discounted price. There are over 36 restaurants within a 3 mile radius of the college, and students can always sign out a bike for free or rent a car from campus safety if they wish to travel through town. Moreover, MOB coordinates numerous bus trips to NY, Baltimore and Washington DC for students who are interested in seeing broadway shows, attending concerts, going shopping, or just sightseeing.

Kim

There is so much to do on campus that you could literally have every minute of every day M-F filled with something. Clubs meet most evenings, guest speakers visit at least once a week for one academic department or another, and there are all kinds of theatrical performances. Student clubs and organizations organize events like cultural dinners, performances, and educational presentations. If you want to party, you could find one every night. However, the academic courseload doesn't really allow for that (if you want to do well). While social life does sometimes seem to revolve around Greek Life, you certainly don't need to be Greek to have a terrific social life. I'm not in a sorority but go to Greek parties and non-affiliated parties hosted by Greeks all the time. There are also a lot of large common spaces on campus to host impromptu events if you are looking do so something alcohol-free on a weekend night. I often see students playing pool in the Quarry (campus coffee shop) on a Friday or Saturday night or checking a movie out of the library.

Caitlin

Greek life at Dickinson is more prevalent than admissions would like prospective students to think. About 1/3 of eligible women (sophomores) join Greek organizations. Though my social life has not been impacted by my non-Greek status, it is pretty pervasive. Outside of Greek life, 25{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students are varsity athletes. Other large student organizations include the frisbee team, student senate, and CommServe. There are clubs for just about everyone. I met my closest friends through pre-orientation (now extinct) and on my freshman floor. It seems that a lot of people become close to the people they live with freshman year. If you are awake at 2am on a Tuesday, you are getting kicked out of the library and are heading to bed or, if you are unlucky, the microroom. Students tend to party Thursday-Saturday and keep it fairly low-key during the rest of the week. Generally, people party anywhere from 1 to 3 nights a week. The drug scene is very underground and not in-your-face at all. It is easy to avoid. On a sober Saturday you can catch a great, cheap movie at the Carlisle theatre, go swing dancing, watch the hockey team, or catch a movie in your room.