Planet Dartmouth

NEARLY 61 PERCENT OF Dartmouth students participate in at least one of the College's 48 study abroad programs. Last November the Institute of International Education ranked Dartmouth third in the nation—and first in the Ivies—for undergraduate study abroad participation. What makes these programs so enticing? Here's a glance at five popular Dartmouth off-campus program offerings.

PROGRAM: Anthropology/ Linguistics FSP

LOCATION: Auckland, New Zealand

PROS: Typically students live three weeks with a familysometimes Maoris; the program is offered winter term, which means it's summer (and warm) in New Zealand

CONS: The program is only offered one term a year; anthropology classes are notoriously difficult

PROGRAM: Spanish LSA

LOCATION: Barcelona, Spain

PROS: Gaudi's architecture is scattered throughout the city; Barcelona is on the Mediterranean coast

CONS: Exchange rate; pickpockets; the native language is Catalan, not Spanish, which can be confusing for beginnerlevel Spanish speakers

PROGRAM: Classics FSP

LOCATION: Various locations throughout Greece, Turkey and Macedonia

PROS: Students go on spectacular hikes and see ancient ruins up close

CONS: The constant travel means that students have to live out of suitcases from hotel to hotel and are always, always together

PROGRAM: Environmental Studies FSP

LOCATION: Pretoria, South Africa

PROS: Students travel extensively throughout the region; they also learn how to shoot AK-47s and watch the sun rise over the sand dunes in Namibia

CON: Subsisting on pap, a "cornmeal mush" that's a staple of the African diet

PROGRAM: Theater FSP

LOCATION: London, England

PROS: Students get to see more than 20 plays in a term, all paid for by the department; students live together in fancy flats

CON: London is expensive