DCGB T-Shirt Delivery Night

Twice a year, Dartmouth alumni in the Greater Boston Area deliver T-Shirts to students who've just been accepted to Dartmouth. These students come from all over eastern Massachusetts and we like to give everyone in-person service. We have a great time, and the acceptees really love the attention.

The general idea is that a group of volunteers visits 1-3 students on Delivery Night, which is just a few days after the students receive their acceptance letters. We give them the shirt, talk about Dartmouth, let them know that we loved it so much that we stay involved as alumni, and answer any questions they might have.

The stories of our escapades reveal a wide range of experiences - we've serenaded students, we've been invited in to dinner, we've convinced people to come to Dartmouth through sheer force of spirit, and we've received thank-you notes and calls for further advice and questions. It's a great experience, and we hope you'll join us!

We’ve tried various ways to match volunteers with deliveries in specific towns, usually asking the volunteers to identify what towns they are willing to handle. Sometimes, DEDs and their fleets of interviewers offer to deliver to any accepted students whom they had interviewed. The Admissions Office divides these DED districts as follows:

Delivery Districts

District 17 Belmont Burlington Lexington Medford Melrose Waltham Winchester Woburn	District 18 Andover Billerica Bradford Dracut Lawrence Merrimac Methuen N. Andover N. Reading	District 19 Beverly Gloucester Hamilton Lynn Manchester Marblehead Newburyport Peabody South Hamilton Wenham	District 20 Cohasset Duxbury Hingham Milton Quincy Rockland	District 21 Dedham Needham Newton W. Newton Wellesley Weston Westwood
District 22 Allston Boston Brookline Cambridge Chelsea Chestnut Hill Dorchester Hyde Park Jamaica Plain Revere Roslindale Roxbury Somerville South Boston Waban	District 23 Brockton Canton Dedham Dover East Walpole Franklin Mansfield Medfield Sharon South Easton W. Bridgewater Wrentham	District 27 Attleboro Dartmouth Marion N. Attleboro N. Bedford Norton Raynham Rehoboth Seekonk Somerset Taunton	District X17 Acton Ashland Boxborough Carlisle Concord Framingham Holliston Hopkinton Lincoln Marlborough Maynard Milford Millis Natick Sherborn Southborough Stowe Sudbury Wayland

Frequently Asked Questions

What does T-shirt Delivery Night look like?

Basically, we attempt, for every student admitted to Dartmouth, to hand-deliver a Dartmouth T-shirt and some accompanying Dartmouth cheer to the doorstep.

How many deliveries are there to make?

Generally over 100 in the Spring, more like 40-60 in December for Early Decision candidates.

How many people do the deliveries?

There is no limit to the number of volunteers we can use! We have a full team of about 40+, but deliveries are often done by a much smaller band of dedicated volunteers! Often friends will work together as a delivery team.

Do I need a car?

You do not need to have a car to volunteer. You may team up with someone who does, or be assigned to deliveries that are "T"-accessible.

Why do we deliver on weeknights?

Because it's our safest bet for finding these super-active students at home!

Why do we have to try to do the deliveries all on the same night?

We try to do all the deliveries in one night for a good reason. Two students from the same high school who both get into Dartmouth should both get their shirts on the same night, for obvious next-morning-homeroom reasons. It's not nice when it happens any other way. Thus, the mad craziness of trying to pull this all together in one splendid evening.

Do we have to deliver at a particular time?

This is really up to you. Anytime between 4pm and 9pm should be ok.

How many deliveries are we each responsible for?

Depending on the area, this could range from 1 to 4.

How long should it take me to complete my "route"?

This depends on a lot of things: travel distance, number of stops, and time at each stop. We try to keep the traveling distance to a minimum, so for most of you, that will not be a large factor. (Some precious volunteers will be sent far and wide). The number of stops will be minimal, and hopefully in proportion to how long the travel distance is. As for time at each stop, it can be as simple as a friendly hello and here's your shirt, or as elaborate as singing Dartmouth songs around the dinner table and staying for dessert.

Where will my deliveries be?

We divide the volunteers up into the same districts that Dartmouth uses when interviewing the students. Please see the list at bottom to identify which district you are in. How do I sign up? Please send your name, year, email, and cell number to Andy Horne D'87, along with the town(s)/District you would like to deliver in, and a back-up district you'd be wiling to deliver to, if there is one.

HOW DO WE GET THE T-SHIRTS?

The DCGB buys the t-shirts from the Dartmouth Co-op, and it's our job to distribute them to you, the volunteers. Typically, we choose a convenient spot (a relative term) where people can stop by, have a slice of pizza and a beer, chat with some friends and pick up a shirt. In the past Pizzeria Uno at the Alewife T stop has worked well.

What gets delivered with the T's?

T-shirts are rolled up with a welcome letter and tied with a green bow. The friendly welcome note will, when possible, include an invitation to an upcoming event hosted by the Dartmouth Club of Greater Boston. This is yet another reason why time is of the essence.

Why you can't pick your ideal location?

There is no rhyme or reason to the locations where students will live. We may have 14 deliveries to make in Brockton, and only 1 in Lexington. However, we will have at least 7 volunteers from Lexington. The further you're able to go and the more flexible you can be, the more you will be loved by the organizer of this event. (And the more likely your chances of being featured in the post-game analysis).

You must provide your cell phone number

It is imperative that you supply your cell phone number, bc things change, bc people get lost,...

If your student is not home:

...it's nice to leave a note for them with your number, in case they'd like to talk sometime later. You might even want to leave your business card.

Do the students know we're coming?

No, the students are not aware that we are coming. It's a surprise.

There are no rules...

... for how you conduct your visit. Sometimes you'll hand over the t-shirt and say goodbye. Sometimes you'll be invited in for family supper. Sometimes you'll sing Dartmouth songs. Sometimes the kid will tell you he just accepted his offer from Harvard. (What you do with the t-shirt in that situation is up to you.)

After the visit

It's really nice for me to hear how it all went, and any stories you may have to share are also appreciated. This year, we can even post pictures to our website!

What kind of reaction do we get from the parents?

Here's a sample email I received:

"As the parent of a Dartmouth '11, I want to tell you how wonderful last night's unannounced visit was for my son and for us. When Dan Ames and Katherine Lawson showed up and said who they were and why they were there, my son had a grin from ear to ear. What a welcome to Dartmouth!!! We were all blown away. While I suspect some families may be a little surprised by an unannounced visit, it was great for us. Keep up the good work."

So, to sum up, what do I need to do?

TO SIGN UP:

Send your name, class year, cell phone number, and hometown to Andy Horne D'87.
Identify the town(s)/delivery District(s) you would like to work in.
Activate your alum.dartmouth.org email account so it can be used for all these communications.
If you are signing up with friends, let me know their names.
List all the towns you'd be willing to travel to.
Indicate whether you'll be available on Delivery Day.
If you cannot be available on Delivery Day, let me know which "make-up days" you could do, and we can assign you the overflow.

TO PREPARE FOR DELIVERY:

Have someone on your team pick up the T-Shirts.
Have someone on your team print out the welcome letter to attach to the T's.
Make sure you bring your list of addresses!
Bring plastic bags and a marker in case you need to leave any T's on doorsteps! Feel free to leave your contact information if you'd like.

AFTER DELIVERY:

Send Andy a report on how it went, including pictures! Click here to read what the volunteers for the Class of 2014 had to say about their delivery experiences and what some of '14's themselves thought.

Click to return to the events page.