Former Student Body President Noah Riner '06 has launched a website that allows high school students to post questions about the eight Ivy League schools, and for current and former students to answer them.
The website, CodeIvy.org, addresses topics ranging from eating clubs to financial aid and include questions regarding all eight Ivy League institutions.
"Despite the colossal cultural shadow they cast," the site explains, "the eight ancient schools of the Ivy League remain a mystery to thousands of interested high school students. By utilizing the communicative power of the internet, CodeIvy.org allows students of the Ivy League to share their expertise."
Although users post about all Ivy League schools, questions about Dartmouth comprise the majority of inquiries.
On Feb. 3, for example, one CodeIvy user asked if Dartmouth's social scene "[revolves] around alcohol, or [if it is] possible to have fun without drinking." (Most answers assured that Dartmouth students who do not drink can also enjoy themselves.)
CodeIvy functions "on a point-based incentive system." The ability to ask questions depends on a user's site points, which the website defines as "intellectual capital."
Questions are worth from 10 to 50 points, depending on the difficulty of the question and how quickly the student wants a response. Students possess an allotted number of points which are replenished three days after running out. Current Ivy League students can receive points by posting answers to the questions.
There are many reasons, the website claims, for college students to earn points: "Because you want to help people. Because if you're the top respondent, you get featured as our Ivy Expert for the month, and we post a picture and profile of you and people of the opposite sex will stare and swoon. Because you care about the glory of your college, and want it to be the League Leader. Because it's fun and easy to contribute."
Riner said that the idea behind CodeIvy came from his personal experience in choosing a college.
"Personally, I had barely stumbled across Dartmouth my junior year of high school while searching online, and I wanted to make raw information more accessible to high school students who, like me, didn't know much about schools like Dartmouth," he said. "CodeIvy is about giving others the opportunities to learn about the Ivy League that I didn't have."
For now, Riner himself personally funds the website. The web design work is done by Lars Mortimer '08, who has donated his time to the project.
Riner said that CodeIvy was a collaborative effort between many students at Dartmouth and the other Ivy League schools.
"CodeIvy is Dartmouth inspired, but it has become a cross-Ivy effort thanks to [my] friends at other colleges," he said.
Riner said that Dartmouth students Dax Tejera '07, Mortimer and Jon Sheller '09 contributed much time and effort into CodeIvy (Tejera is a former member of the Dartmouth senior staff).
"We're even looking for a few new people to bring onto the team who have exceptional ideas or web capabilities," Riner said.
Riner remained vague about the future of CodeIvy, but said that he and his team are working on a feature that will distinguish it from other college networking websites.
