Dartmouth's Sophomore Summer: A Unique Tradition

Sophomore Summer at Dartmouth College is a distinctive and cherished tradition. It marks the midpoint of a Dartmouth education and offers a unique experience for rising juniors. Thanks to Dartmouth’s distinctive D-Plan, as a rising junior you’ll be on campus together with your entire class the summer following your sophomore year. This tradition involves students remaining on campus to take classes during the summer following their sophomore year. It's a time when leadership positions for many student organizations transition into the hands of rising juniors.

The Essence of Sophomore Summer

Sophomore Summer is essentially when Sophomores at Dartmouth come together and take an extra term of classes the summer before their Junior year. At a typical college/university, this wouldn't be the norm at all, but it's both typical and possible at Dartmouth because of the way the college is academically organized year-round through a quarter system.

A Time for Reflection and Planning

The midpoint of your Dartmouth education, Sophomore Summer is an important moment to plan your major, explore career options, and even get to know your subject area librarian-a key partner for upcoming research projects.

Academic Pursuits in the Summer

First and foremost, summer term means summer study. A typical course load is three classes, just as it is for any other academic term. Most students elect to do 2 or 3 less intensive courses in order to ensure they can make the most of the summer with their friends. Some students opt to take only two courses, or perhaps three but with one layup that they rarely attend.

One student shared their experience of taking ECON 20: Econometrics, a rigorous yet rewarding course, alongside EARS 5: Natural Disasters and Catastrophes. This combination allowed for a balance between major requirements and broader scientific exploration.

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The D-Plan and its Flexibility

Due to our academic calendar operating on ten-week quarters instead of semesters, there is more flexibility when you are on Dartmouth's campus. Sophomore summer is a "requirement" for Dartmouth students-unless they have an internship or job, are going on an abroad program, or are international students. Most students take an off-term during their sophomore or junior years to make up for the additional sophomore summer term.

However, some students choose to spend their off-term experiencing sophomore summer.

The Allure of Summer in Hanover

There's no denying it, summer is a beautiful time to be at Dartmouth. The skies are blue, the mountains are green, and the Connecticut River swim docks are just a few steps from the Green on a hot day. The region around Hanover is fun to explore by foot, bike, and car or through Dartmouth Outdoors.

A Unique Sense of Community

With the entire campus dedicated to your class, you're in charge. I'm definitely still experiencing this profound sense of belonging through Sophomore Summer, but it's a very different experience of belonging-it feels way more empowering.

To give some extra context as to how I'm feeling, in all senses, Dartmouth is extremely compact and collaborative. The student body here is undeniably cohesive across all years, and the lines between first-year students and upper-level students are incredibly blurred. We're making our own memories, and strictly collaborating with each other. During sophomore summer, students embrace campus community to an extent never before witnessed. The typically face-timey phrase “we should grab a meal sometime” is said with sincerity, and the small campus populace guarantees that, no matter where you go, you’ll see a familiar face. It is unsurprising, then, that students so often declare this summer the happiest time of their Dartmouth experience.

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Extracurricular Opportunities

Examples of extracurricular opportunities that will be uniquely yours include leadership programming from the Rockefeller Center and volunteer service with SEAD, Dartmouth's summer enrichment program for students from under-resourced high schools.

Having fewer classes (in number, though not necessarily in workload) allowed me time to say yes to other opportunities! I juggled several on-campus jobs, spent a lot of time with my friends (shoutout to Mario Party sessions at Collis), and sang my heart out in my summer a cappella group.

Embracing the Outdoors

Another thing I'm loving so far is taking classes in the actual physical setting of summer in Hanover, NH. Although my feelings for 10 weeks of college summer school were relatively ambivalent at first, the outdoor scene here at Dartmouth in the summertime has nearly counteracted all my mixed feelings. Overall it's shaping up to be a phenomenal term, I'm truly stoked to experience all that Sophomore Summer has to offer.

Instead of isolating themselves on 3FB, students can be found doing their readings on the docks, surrounded by friends and soaking up the New Hampshire sun-that is, when it’s shining.

Diverse Experiences and Perspectives

While sophomore summer is described as a rite of passage, the truth is that there is no one sophomore summer experience.

Alternative Paths

Last year, Priyanshu Alluri ’26 took his sophomore summer off to do research in a cancer immunology lab in Memphis, Tenn. Angela Shang ’27, an international student from Shanghai, took the summer off and is working at Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont, N.H., as an emergency room technician.

Navigating the D-Plan as an International Student

According to Shang, it is very difficult for international students to customize their D-Plans in a way that allows for them to be “on” for sophomore summer because they must take classes for three consecutive terms before taking a term off. Prisha Aggarwal ’27, also an international student, is “off” from classes this summer as well. “I chose to spend my off-term here because I wanted to experience sophomore summer,” Aggarwal said.

Finding Community Regardless of the D-Plan

Alluri, on the other hand, is experiencing being “on” during another class’s sophomore summer - and, despite being one of the few ’26s who are “on” this summer, said he doesn’t feel like an outsider looking in. “I’ve been able to do a lot of … outdoor activities,” she said. Even though she works four 12-hour shifts at Valley Regional Hospital every week, Shang also tries to engage in classic sophomore summer activities.

The Significance of Sophomore Year

This year is the springboard for your academic career. For one, this is the year you choose your major. But more than that, many of the choices you make this year will shape the remainder of your academic experiences at Dartmouth: Will you write a thesis? Will you do an off-campus study program? How will you integrate your interest within your major with your electives?

Utilizing Resources and Planning Ahead

For more information about navigating your sophomore year, please refer to the advising guide: The Sophomore Guide. We created this guide to encourage you to be proactive about exploring options and opportunities, engaging with resources, and taking full advantage of the major decision process. Apply for off-campus programs (LSA/FSP) (most deadlines are Feb.

Making the Most of Sophomore Summer

Like most things in life, sophomore summer is exactly what you make of it.

Embracing the Summer Camp Vibe

While it may look like my sophomore summer was essentially a summer camp for young adults, I was in fact also enrolled in courses.

Perhaps the highlight of the entire summer quarter was finding swimming holes, waterfalls, and rope swings. Every day, it seemed like there was a new spot to hit. My personal favorite find was a pickleball court next to a beautiful lake.

Exploring Beyond Hanover

Another major pro of the summer quarter was exploring food options outside the immediate Hanover area. We also had the opportunity to cook and eat off campus.

Personal Growth and Reflection

Sophomore summer is not merely a product of its actual greatness but the result of one’s own expectations. It is also the result of your own perseverance, bordering on stubbornness, to not see its flaws. As students meander through the many highs and lows of their first two years at Dartmouth, they are told that they may look forward to a light at the end of the tunnel. Sophomore summer is that light.

A Time for Connection

During sophomore summer, students embrace campus community to an extent never before witnessed.

I lived in my sorority house for the first time this summer, which was a fantastic experience! I enjoyed being in closer proximity with my sisters, and I knew I could always head downstairs to join spontaneous movie nights or study sessions.

Beyond the Summer: Carrying the Spirit Forward

Upon completing sophomore year, you have another two years left at Dartmouth. Instead of hereafter relegating ourselves to living in the past, spending our junior and senior years wanting to “run 25X back,” we should learn from the freedom and positivity that we have found in sophomore summer. We should take it with us for the rest of our time here.

A Springboard for the Future

I just want to remind you that sophomore summer should not be the apex and thus the end of the great Dartmouth Experience.

A Reminder to Enjoy the Moment

So, go on. Enjoy your sunset hikes, breakfasts at Lou’s without having to wait for a table, and pick-up pickleball games. And yes, enjoy your newfound carefree persona.

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