Every once in a while I have a conversation with some person who hates Dartmouth. I have little patience for these types, because they tend to whine a lot and don't try to make the best of the situation they're in.
I'm not saying Dartmouth is perfect, because it's not. Far from it. However, it's one thing to say "I think this place has problems," and another thing to say "Whaaah! I hate it here! Whaaah!" Imagine if this person was somehow transported to the Third World where conditions are somewhat worse and he can't drive a Land Rover to a nearby city to be with a more hip (or as my grandmother used to say, "hep") crowd than can be found in Hanover.
A popular topic for whining is that we aren't getting our money's worth here. I would say that people on a lot of financial aid are getting their money's worth. Aside from this, people say that $100,000 is too much to pay for a Dartmouth diploma. I, myself, was undecided on this issue until this last winter break.
You are not paying big bucks for the education itself, because I am certain that at a handful of other schools you can get the same quality of education for a much lower cost. The State University of New York at Binghamton is an example of that kind of a school.
However, the rumors are true. You are indeed paying for connections. Take heed, underclassmen, there is a world of Dartmouth alumni who for some reason or another are willing to patiently listen to you babble on about your inaccurate perceptions of the career field you are looking at, and then advise you on how to break into it, give you the names of other people to talk to, and maybe even help you stick your foot in the door. Is it worth the balance of $100,000? In the long run, probably.
For the disbelievers, I will present to you a brief synopsis of my escapades this last break. I am from a working class family in Brooklyn, New York. My grandfather was a handyman and my father works with U.S. Customs. I shook McGuyver's and Phil Gramm's hands once each on separate occasions, and that's as close as I've gotten to power and prestige.
However, this break, I had an hour-long conversation with the president of Simon and Schuster -- the largest publisher in the world -- in his corner office in New York. He's a Dartmouth Trustee. I spoke with a senior editor at US News and World Report for 45 minutes. She's also a Trustee. She gave me the home phone number of John Leo, the magazine's staff columnist whose annoying columns are read by millions weekly. I called him and got lots of sage advice on how to choose column topics and maybe one day get a column of my own ("work hard, son"). In the meantime, I have spoken with editors and writers from Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic Monthly. I have more phone numbers of publishing and writing luminaries than I can afford to call. I have heard things like "Talk to William Whitcomb. He edits The Atlantic. When you call, tell Billy that Burton sent you."
Now I won't say who agreed to arrange interviews, because that would be rude, but suffice to say that while I don't yet have a job, I'm in immeasurably better shape than I would have been if I had sent out dozens of resumes to the personnel departments of these places.
As the summer approaches and people will be looking for jobs or internships, I feel compelled to offer the following advice:
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Proceed with great haste to Career Services and use the alumni directory to find people in the field you are interested in pursuing. Write these people polite letters and enclose your resume. Then call them and explain your plight.
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Make sure you ask for the names of other people in the field that they think would be good to talk to. Call them, too. Take copious notes and thank everyone profusely.
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Be shrewd. Do a little research, and know what questions to ask. Ask leading questions that will get you high-quality information, not "Duh, how are things goin' in your profession these days?" Apparently, alums know the game, and are happy to play it if you know what to say.
You'll still need to have substance, regardless of what connections you make. Very few alumni will out and out give you a job, some will expeditiously arrange interviews, and virtually all of them will offer good advice. However, as I said, this is just an important foot in the door. In the end, it will still be you and a potential employer alone in an office, the meeting perhaps facilitated by an alum. You'll still have to stand on your own.
So yes, you are paying for the name, "Dartmouth College." However, to just have it on the top of your resume is dismally failing to get your money's worth. After this winter, I firmly believe it is a $100,000 name, but only if you raid the coffers that we call the Dartmouth Alumni Network.
