Finding Your Place

For would-be college applicants, questions about “place” are crucial to the discovery and search process. Place may mean the geographic setting and physical attributes of a campus, and whether students can envision themselves there. But it can also encompass dorms and classrooms, and whether classes are primarily taught by faculty or assistants; the quality of support services, whether academic or social-emotional; and climate, not just the average temperature but also how welcoming and inclusive a college community is. This week on the Admissions Beat, in an encore episode of its predecessor broadcast, The Search, from April 2021, host Lee Coffin of Dartmouth walks students through the many dimensions and definitions of place, and ways they can take the measure of it as they finalize their application plans as the deadlines approach. He's joined by two guests, both from Duke University: Mary Pat McMahon, vice provost and vice president of student affairs, and Gary Bennett, a professor of psychology and neuroscience who is vice provost for undergraduate education.