Darting to Dartmouth

Decked out in Dartmouth merch, senior Daniel Choi huddles around his computer, preparing to open the email of a lifetime. Thrilled, he reads the congratulatory message and races to tell his father he’s been accepted to his dream school. 

“The only person in the house was my dad at the time. I went to my dad and he was in a meeting. So he quietly came to the door and gave me a big hug and went back to the meeting. I was like screaming,” Choi said.

Choi, who has wanted to attend Dartmouth since his freshman year, was motivated throughout the grueling application process and his entire high school career by his dream of calling the campus home. 

“The essays were such a pain. I procrastinated a lot, and my common app personal statement took me about two months, just getting it perfect. And then the supplementals, I had to write three more essays. They were very broad, so I just stuck to my gut and wrote,” Choi said. “Being accepted feels wonderful. It’s been over a month, but I still can’t believe it.”

When Choi visited Dartmouth, he felt that the college’s tight knit community fit him, with class sizes of about 1000. Hearing about the school from his sister, who graduated in 2020, also fueled his dream 

“My sister would come home talking about her college experience and I wanted that for myself. Now I actually do,” Choi said. “I feel really happy about getting to experience the same things she did.”

Though Choi doesn’t want to go to Dartmouth just because it’s an Ivy League school, he is hoping to benefit from the connections that can be gained at such a prestigious institution.  

“You could probably get a similar education somewhere like Georgia Tech. But the connections are going to be way different,” Choi said.“I will be going to a school with people from an elite society, so I’ll be getting to know them and their backgrounds. That’s what I really want.”

Among other things, Choi co-founded the Cedar Shoals Science Energy and Education Team, which won best in the state and nation during June 2022 at the National Energy Education Development Youth Energy Conference and Awards. The team’s sponsor, English teacher Brittany Blumenstock, appreciates Choi’s humor and dedication. 

“What he brought to the team I’d say was his personality, like being charismatic, having goal focus and experience, I think he knows a lot about energy conservation,” Blumenstock said. 

Another addition to Choi’s application was his work co-founding Cedar’s Minority Excellence (M.E.) Club, which aims to foster a stronger sense of community among Cedar’s minority students and promote their academic advancements. Senior Marlon Castro Bojorquez, who is chair of the club’s Education Committee, enjoys the meetings, as they give him an opportunity to socialize and work with others. 

“It gives students get a chance to exercise their leadership skills in a group and collaborate,” Castro Bojorquez said. “I get to meet new people and improve my leadership skills having this (Education Committee chair) position.”

While helping to manage these organizations, Choi has also been a member of Cedar’s swim team, the Aqua Jags. This being his sixth year swimming for the team, he anticipates missing the team’s community and is considering swimming club at Dartmouth.

“I’m going to miss it a lot, and the community it has. Suffering together through practice, going to meets and cheering each other on,” Choi said.

Head swim coach, Makayla Powell, describes Choi as an important source of team spirit and peppy energy. She’s excited to see what his future holds. 

“He already has shown such amazing leadership qualities in starting all these other clubs. That is a crazy thing for any high school students to take on. So I think as long as he maintains that level of involvement, he can do so much good in the world,” Powell said. 

Choi’s extracurriculars don’t stop there; he’s involved in Cedar’s orchestra as an All-State violist and was Vice President of Beta Club. Dual enrollment at the University of Georgia also keeps him busy. 

“To be honest, I would sacrifice sleep. I would have a two hour practice every day after school. In the time between school and swim practice, I think I could have done a lot more work if I didn’t procrastinate so much,” Choi said.

Though he applied as an environmental studies major, Choi isn’t sure what he wants to study or pursue after college. But he’s excited to be challenged by the transition from a southern public high school to an Ivy League in secluded New Hampshire.  

“I’m ready for a challenge and a new experience, so I’m really excited about it,” Choi said. “But it’s definitely going to be a huge change.”