For some of us, choosing to attend Dartmouth was an important decision that we were confident in making; however, when such a decision involves traveling 7,000 miles across the globe to a completely unfamiliar country, the choice can be more difficult.
For some international students, coming to Dartmouth means seeing their families significantly less frequently and being introduced to an completely different way of life. However, in speaking with a few international students about how they chose Dartmouth and how they maintain a connection with their home, it quickly became clear that besides the distance between Hanover and their hometowns, international students and American students are not actually all that different.
Most other countries' higher education systems require students to decide upon a course of study immediately upon enrollment in college, and stay on that track without any other options for study.
While American students may take for granted the option of having an undecided major, the opportunity for more academic freedom is what draws many international students to schools in the U.S.
"I'm still undecided in my major, and America is probably the only country where you can go to college without knowing what you want to do," Mayuki Shimizu '12 who was born in Japan and raised in Singapore, said. "I definitely had the option of going to school in the U.K., Japan or Singapore, but you have to declare right away. I wanted to expand my horizons, which I might not be able to do other places."
Besides allowing more freedom in courses of study, American colleges also provide a different experience than do other types of universities these students said. Some students expressed the curiosity and desire of going to college in the United States as key in their decision to attend school far from home.
"I had always heard that the combination of great academics and campus life made the college experience that much better," Jan Gromadzki '10, who is from Switzerland, said of attending college in the U.S. He explained how most universities in Europe are just schools, not campuses where you work, live and party.
However, other international students came to Dartmouth for more defined reasons.
The United World Colleges, a group of 12 schools on five different continents, many of which are major feeder schools for the College.
The schools are two-year pre-university programs that award the International Baccalaureate diploma, and while the student body at these schools is extremely diverse, classes are taught entirely in English.
"I'm almost certain that I wouldn't have gone to school in the States if not for UWC," Poland native Kamil Adamczewski '11 said. "In some countries there is a culture of going to school in the states, but in Poland, we either stay home, or, because we're in the European Union, it's very easy to study at other European universities."
A key program with the UWC, however, encourages a liberal arts education at American universities. The Davis United World College Scholars program, started by Shelby and Gale Davis, provides scholarships to UWC students if they attend any of the participating institutions, which currently include 91 American universities, mostly of which are small and liberal arts-focused.
As Dartmouth is one of these partner institutions, UWC students often choose to study in Hanover.
Once a student has decided to attend an American university, their reasons for choosing Dartmouth are often the same -- whether that student is from South Carolina, or South Africa.
"Dartmouth seemed different than the other schools," Shimizu said. "It had a really tight sense of community, because it's in the middle of nowhere, and it's small, and I liked the sense that it's focused on undergraduates."
He explained that he liked that Dartmouth was in a rural setting, because that was something he had never experienced before, and he figured that the four years of college might be the best time to experience an outdoorsy lifestyle.
"The outdoors also played an important part in my decision, as it reminded me of home," Gromadzki said. "And, it has a mountain I can ski on in the winter."
While all of the students I interviewed said they have enjoyed their Dartmouth experience so far, most expressed a desire to return home to their native countries after graduation.
Whether for economic reasons, or because of a desire to maintain a connection with their culture, the general sentiment among the students I spoke with was that the experience of going to school in America was very valuable, but has only made them appreciate home more.
When asked if international students ever feel like they have to act differently at Dartmouth than they do back home, however, Adamczewski quickly sent the question right back at me.
"I mean, I think it's more or less the same as you; you act a certain way here and a certain way back home," he said.
