Dartmouth College, nestled in a small scenic town of Hanover, New Hampshire, is one of the eight most prestigious Ivy League universities in the United States. It was founded in 1769 and is cheered for its blend in rigorous academics, Greek cultures, strong traditions and community service. Having the most beautiful campus, commitment to undergraduate students and ranking 18th Nationwide, it has become the main attraction for students.
Dartmouth has a highly competitive selection process with an acceptance rate of 6%. This requires students to excel academically and having a strong extracurricular background. If you wish to attend Dartmouth, you should understand its application process and what the admission officers look for in an applicant. This guide is essential as it provides an insight on how to stand out in the college admission process, Overview and unique features of Dartmouth.
Adrian Russian claims that when she spends her first night at Dartmouth at a friend’s room, the friend greets her with the words,
“welcome to the best place on earth.”
Dartmouth has a unique four 10 week terms that help students research and decide on what they want to study during their undergraduate career. Their student body consists of both graduates and undergraduates; approx. 6,292 students in total. They have a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs but they are best known for their liberal arts.
1- Outdoor activities: Dartmouth is surrounded by forests and rivers so can be used for activities, which is a tradition in Dartmouth.
2- Great research Opportunities: Dartmouth has become a research university ever since 2019.This allows students to gain a hand on experience with edge cutting equipment.
3- Diversity:Dartmouth aims to provide financial aid to a broad range of students in order to help minorities and in need.
4- Focus on undergraduates: the faculty is highly accessible, small classrooms foster an intimate learning environment. Unlike most Ivy League universities, Dartmouth is more undergraduate focused.
5- Plan-D: It’s a unique quarter- based academic program that allows students to personalize their courses around their internships , off campus programs and research.
GPA and School rank
Dartmouth has a highly competitive GPA requirement. The average admitted student usually possesses a between 3.9-4.0 GPA and rank at the top 10% in their high school. During recent admissions 95% applicants ranked top 10% in their high school.
A strong SAT score ranges from 1460-1570 and ACT score in between 33-35. However it is now optional to submit these scores after a new policy introduced in 2023.
Earn A grades in their courses. The admission officers love when students take on heavy course load in order to challenge their ability including Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. The admission committee values strong performance in these courses because it aligns with the rigorous curriculum at Dartmouth.
Letter of Recommendations
Applicants must submit at least two teacher recommendation letters and one letter from the school counselor. Letters of recommendation can be written by anyone who knows you for a long time and has a positive view about your personality.
Joel Butterly, Co-founder and CEO of InGenius Prep, who also graduated from Dartmouth says,
“To prepare for a school like Dartmouth, there are 4 things in particular to focus on: Your numbers, activities, personal statement, and letters of recommendation.”
Mason Felix, an undergraduate at Dartmouth university states,
“I did submit a peer-rec, which was written by one of my oldest friends. By the time I applied to college, I had gone to the same school since fifth grade, and the girl who wrote my rec was my first friend there in fifth grade. I also knew she was a good writer, so she would write eloquently about me.”
Dartmouth requires its applicants to submit a supplemental essay where they have answered questions about themselves, their achievements, extracurricular activities, their interest in Dartmouth and their contribution to their community. These essays give an insight of you character, personality and interest as these are the main factors that the admissions committee is interested in. Dartmouth applicants must submit three essays: a personal statement and two short-answer supplemental questions.
An anonymous reddit user says,
“Write an essay that shows a side of you that isn’t in the rest of your app, get a friend who can write well about you as a person, and pray.”
Another user states,
“I got rejected from Swarthmore, Northwestern, UChicago, and even got waitlisted at Wesleyan, but got into Dartmouth, Georgetown, and Emory. I think the absolute biggest thing for Dartmouth is the essay, because everyone is gonna have a good GPA (above 3.7 probably) and a good test score (above 33/1480 probably).”
Apply for a Dartmouth Bound Program or other programs during summer as they take these into consideration and make your application stand out.
Nearly all of the Ivy League universities seek students who actively show interest in the contribution of the community. This includes showcasing leadership qualities in athletics, volunteering, art or internship. The depth of involvement is more important to Dartmouth than the quantity of activities you participate in. These activities give the admission officers an idea of how you cultivated your personal qualities like passion, teamwork , organizational skills and resilience.
Look into Dartmouth’s values and community. Show how you align with them. They prefer students with intellectual curiosity, engaged and prepared to tackle the challenges presented by the rigorous curriculum and vibrant campus life at Dartmouth.
Even though it is not required, visiting campus, attending virtual events and talking to current students or alumni can help demonstrate your interest in Dartmouth. It’s important to know about the college you are wanting to attend because admission officers do consider that.
Faith Daley, a former freshman at Dartmouth,
“As a Dartmouth freshman, I realized the importance of researching the school’s values. Its focus on curiosity, community, and adventure, especially through traditions like the Outing Club, resonated with me and confirmed Dartmouth as the right fit.”
she further says that most admission officers look for this in your essays and during your interview.
Dartmouth seeks for applicants who have the ability to go beyond just academic excellence and stellar test scores. Here are a few tips to make your application stand out in a competitive pool of applicants:
Be original. Don’t write what you think the admission officers want to see. Focus on sharing genuine experiences, interests and challenges that shaped who you are. Be personal and sincere. Avoid generic answers, instead focus on unique aspects of Dartmouth that align with your personal qualities.
Adrian, a graduate with a degree in environmental science says,
“I’ll never know for sure, but personally I think my decision to write about a relatively small moment of kindness—being nice to my secret buddy—helped me stand out from applicants who wrote about more stereotypically impressive topics like community service. My experience was probably something not many other people wrote about, and it showed what I’m like on a daily basis”
You’ll want to ask the friend that knows you the best. This letter should genuinely discuss your personal qualities. Often, applicants will think they need to ask a Dartmouth affiliated peer.
The other two should be written by your subject teacher who has seen your growth as a student in a classroom over a long time.
Dartmouth seeks for students who are eager to learn both inside and outside the classroom. Mention events in your life where curiosity took over and urged you to try something new that’s helped you develop skills like leadership, sustained involvement and quantifiable achievements. Show the admission officers that you weren’t just involved in an activity but played an integral role.
Explain why Dartmouth is a fit for you. Research Dartmouth’s unique features, connect your passion to Dartmouth’s values and highlight your contribution to campus life.
Showcase your academic interests and achievements, extracurricular activities and personal values that make you different.
In 2024-2025, the cost of attendance (tuition, room, board and fees) were at $91,312.
Dartmouth guarantees to give out 100% support to students whose families earn less than $125,000 per annum, getting all the cost of attendance covered without loans. Dartmouth provides generous financial aid packages that include grants and work-study opportunities.
Dartmouth, like any other Ivy League member, offers optional interviews to some of their students. Even though they try their best to provide as many interviews to all their applicants, it’s not possible. As of 2024, there has been a total of 31,657 applications from which only 1,685 applicants were accepted.
These interviews are taken by Dartmouth alumni volunteers. Once your application has been submitted, the admission officers will connect you to an alumnus in your area if available.
Even though the interview is optional, it’s still recommended because it’s an excellent opportunity to showcase your interest in Dartmouth, your personality and academic achievements.
This interview can be either video or in person depending on your location and availability of alumni interviewers.
Monica Herbert who just started her freshman year talks about the interview she had,
“We had a pretty casual, open conversation about my own life and about his experience at Dartmouth, and I asked him some questions that helped me get a better sense of what being a Dartmouth student is like. I actually saw him at a Seattle-area accepted students event in the spring, and it was great to chat with him again.”
The interview allows you to share your personality, interest and passions.
At the end of your interview you get a chance to ask your interviewer questions about their experience at Dartmouth, just to learn more about the college. You should also demonstrate why Dartmouth is a perfect fit for you by highlighting curiosity in their culture, campus life and specific programs.
Research Dartmouth thoroughly
The interview lasts 30-60 minutes and it is designed to be relaxed and casual so that you don’t take much stress. You will be asked a few questions like:
strong>Extracurricular activities:Your leadership involvement and community services. Here you could talk about sport teams, volunteering in orphanages or hospitals etc.
strong>Your interests and passion:Questions for the interviewer:Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer about their experience at Dartmouth, their interests and extracurriculars and advice for your future.
The alumni submits a report of your interview to the admission officers. Even though the interview is just one part of this holistic admission process, a strong report could give the admission committee a valuable insight of your interest and enthusiasm to Dartmouth.
To wrap up, gaining acceptance into Dartmouth College can be indeed very challenging as it requires you to excel academics, personal authenticity and a clear alignment with Dartmouth’s values. Aspiring students should make sure to achieve a high GPA, perform well on standardized tests like SATs and ACTs moreover they should be able to ace rigorous coursework. Crafting interesting and thoughtful essays that highlight your personal experience and a genuine interest in Dartmouth. Additionally, extracurricular activities that demonstrate leadership and commitment are as important as securing three strong letters of recommendation from subject teachers or school counselors and peers.
Having a deep understanding of Dartmouth’s values such as intellectual curiosity, aspirations, goals and community services that help your application to stand out. Engaging in interviews and campus visits can further showcase your enthusiasm to attend Dartmouth. Ultimately, Dartmouth’s admission process takes a holistic approach and everything is equally as important. By balancing everything mentioned above you enhance your chances to get into, not only Dartmouth but gnarly all the Ivy League institutions
