There is no denying that Dartmouth is isolated, that the population of Hanover is miniscule at a mere 10,000 and that there are likely more squirrels than cars.
Some chose this school for its rustic charm; others were hesitant for the same reason. But since Sept. 11, those students who complained about the rural location of Dartmouth may have a different perspective.
As the threat of terrorism makes some more inclined to avoid urban areas, Dartmouth is poised to see an increase in interest from prospective students.
Although it is still too early to tell whether the number of applications to the College will go up for next year, the number of visits by interested students is already up 25 percent since the Sept. 11 tragedy.
Guidance counselors contacted by The Dartmouth said that urban campuses might be a liability -- even those far from the crash sites. According to the Wall Street Journal, three students from the American University in Washington, DC have left, and another 12 have dropped out of the "semester in Washington" program since Sept. 11.
"Travel might be an issue; we had a couple of information sessions that had smaller turnouts because people feared Boston might be in harm's way, " Massachusetts Institute of Technology admissions officer Gisel Thomas said.
Georgetown University is taking a proactive approach. "We've had some current undergraduates email prospective students about campus safety, but quite honestly, it is too soon to tell," Georgetown undergraduate admissions officer Amelia S. Unger said. "Our number of campus visitors has declined, but everything else is going completely on schedule."
Some Dartmouth students said they were glad to be at a rural school. "I came to Dartmouth because of its distance from the city, and now after the terrorist attacks, I am definitely even more glad to be here," Jason Lau '05 said. "I have friends at colleges in big cities who are scared of what, if anything, might happen next."
"It's really comforting to be someplace that's not in the city. If I was a freshman, I'd be more comforted with rural New Hampshire instead of New York," Anna Low '03 said.
And then there are the nonchalant ones who seem undisturbed. "I would feel safe anywhere," Welton Chang '05 said.
If high school students are shaken by the attacks, they aren't letting it affect their college plans.
"Nobody's really talked about changing their choice of schools. There might be some subtleties, but nothing over it. We still have a number of students interested in Washington schools," Tim Norris, guidance counselor at Proctor Academy in Andover, N.H., said.
J. P. Stevens guidance counselor Joan Hill voiced similar ideas. "We don't see any effect as of now; the counselors are not hearing any less interest in New York schools," she said.
Here at Dartmouth, Director of Admissions Maria Laskaris was upbeat but hesitant to attribute any success to fallout from the terror attacks.
"I think we've had a positive turnout at all of our off-campus events. We won't be sure until we see all the applications come in, but we've had a good response to off-campus information sessions," Laskaris said.
So will more students apply?
"It's hard to know as of now. There might be students who aren't willing to fly across the country because of air travel issues," Laskaris said. "There are also some parents who want their children to go to schools in non-urban areas. We're asking ourselves the same question."