With four professional and graduate schools, an undergraduate population of 4,500, and a postgraduate population of 2,150, one might think that Dartmouth College would opt to call itself “Dartmouth University.” But the Ivy League institution values nostalgia and their long history of focusing on undergraduate education, and has hung onto the “College” moniker as a result. The world-famous university is located on a Georgian colonial campus in lush Hanover, New Hampshire. It’s home to a culture of lively social life, athleticism, and high academic achievement. The alumni base from the Big Green is incredibly close-knit, and has included U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, actress Mindy Kaling, television creator and producer Shonda Rhimes, and beloved children’s book author Dr. Suess.

Dartmouth’s liberal arts college offers over 60 majors, including a world-famous economics program and a robust offering of engineering B.S.E.s. The academic schedule, referred to as the D-Plan, offers students the autonomy, unique within the Ivy League, “to schedule their classes and breaks around their academic, research, and professional interests.” Each year is broken up into quarters organized around the four seasons. Students can mix and match which quarters are “residence terms,” and which are “leave terms,” creating more opportunities for research and internships. Students must live on campus for their first three terms, stick around for a summer term at least once (most students opt for their sophomore summer), and fulfill a writing requirement in their first year. “Distributive and World Culture,” “Language,” and “Physical Education” requirements must be fulfilled prior to graduation.

Dartmouth was founded in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, a Congregationalist minister. In its 255 year history, Dartmouth has been at the forefront of major innovations in the fields of language acquisition, computer science, public policy, and American arts and letters. Faculty member John Rassias pioneered the Rassias method of foreign language teaching while at the College, leading to the creation of The Rassias Center for World Languages and Cultures. The original version of the BASIC programming language was created at Dartmouth in 1963 by Professors John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz. The Nelson A. Rockefeller Center, named for the famed Dartmouth alum and Vice President of the United States, is devoted to the study and advancement of public policy and social sciences, and offers undergraduates opportunities for internships, leadership development, and research. 

You might be wondering, where did the name “Dartmouth” come from? William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth was appointed the head of the trust created to raise funds for the newly minted college. Wheelock named the school in Dartmouth’s honor, hoping to induce him to offer his own personal financial support, but Legge actually opposed the creation of the college and did not donate a cent. So much for flattery!

When it comes to campus life, around 50% of the student body participates in Greek life, while an unknown number participate in the secret society scene. Three out of every four students play for the Big Green on varsity, club, or intramural sports teams, including nationally-ranked golf, skiing, and collegiate rugby teams. Dartmouth is famous both within the Ivy League and across the nation for some of the longest standing and numerous student traditions in higher education. These include: Dartmouth Night, in which the first-year class builds a huge bonfire and run around it in a circle corresponding to their class year; Winter Carnival, which has been organized by the Outing Club since 1911 and consists of sports competitions, concerts, a drag ball, and a snow sculpture contest; and Green Key Weekend, a three-day long party. Leaving campus to explore the great outdoors is another integral part of student culture, and to this end Dartmouth administers large swathes of land in the New Hampshire area, such as the Second College Grant, a 27,000 acre forested area with trails and cabins maintained by the Outing Club.

Perhaps it goes without saying, but getting into Dartmouth is no walk in the park. For admission to the Class of 2029, 28,230 students applied, and 1,702 were admitted, for an acceptance rate of 6.03% that tracks with the increasing competitiveness of all Ivy League schools. As the smallest of the Ivies, Dartmouth seeks to ensure that everyone entering into its community will contribute to its renowned academic and social culture. Here at New Ivies, we’re known in many circles as The Dartmouth Whisperer, and we’ll work with you to make you seem irresistible to the Dartmouth admissions committee!

What are Dartmouth College looking for?

Every student we admit brings something unique to the community: a combination of qualities, experiences, and point-of-view that isn't duplicated by any other student. Our holistic selection process is grounded in the concept that the whole is more than merely the sum of its parts. At Dartmouth, this idea is at the forefront of our application review process.

Admissions Statistics

ADMISSION INFORMATION

APPLICATION DATES & DEADLINES

Additional essay questions of the application.

1. Required of all applicants. Please respond in 100 words or fewer:

As you seek admission to Dartmouth's Class of 2030, what aspects of the college's academic program, community, and/or campus environment attract your interest? How is Dartmouth a good fit for you?

2. Required of all applicants, please respond to one of the following prompts in 250 words or fewer:

A. There is a Quaker saying: Let your life speak. Describe the environment in which you were raised and the impact it has had on the person you are today.

B. "Be yourself," Oscar Wilde advised. "Everyone else is taken." Introduce yourself.

3. Required of all applicants, please respond to one of the following prompts in 250 words or fewer:

A. What excites you?

B. Labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta recommended a life of purpose. "We must use our lives to make the world a better place to live, not just to acquire things," she said. "That is what we are put on the earth for." In what ways do you hope to make—or are you already making—an impact? Why? How?

C. In an Instagram post, best-selling British author Matt Haig cheered the impact of reading. "A good novel is the best invention humans have ever created for imagining other lives," he wrote. How have you experienced such insight from reading? What did you read and how did it alter the way you understand yourself and others?

D. The social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees have been the focus of Dame Jane Goodall's research for decades. Her understanding of animal behavior prompted the English primatologist to see a lesson for human communities as well: "Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right." Channel Dame Goodall: Tell us about a moment when you engaged in a difficult conversation or encountered someone with an opinion or perspective that was different from your own. How did you find common ground?

E. Celebrate your nerdy side.

F. "It's not easy being green…" was the frequent refrain of Kermit the Frog. How has difference been a part of your life, and how have you embraced it as part of your identity, outlook, or sense of purpose?

G. The Mindy Kaling Theater Lab will be an exciting new addition to Dartmouth's Hopkins Center for the Arts. "It's a place where you can fail," the actor/producer and Dartmouth alumna said when her gift was announced. "You can try things out, fail, and then revamp and rework things… A thing can be bad on its journey to becoming good." Share a story of failure, trial runs, revamping, reworking, or journeying from bad to good.

The Essay: The Fine Art of Telling Your Story

As high school seniors take a deep breath, open a blank document, and begin to craft their college essays, Admission Beat host Lee Coffin empowers them to ask this question: "Who do I want the admission officer to meet?" Coffin and his guests offer words of advice on contemplating audience, the art of brevity, and framing "lived experiences" as addressed in the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision on race and identity as factors in admissions. Parents and peers can be helpful editors, but at the heart of every memorable essay is the writer's authentic voice telling the story only they can tell. With guests Kathryn Bezella, Dartmouth's new dean of undergraduate admissions, and Jacques Steinberg, former New York Times journalist and co-author of "The College Conversation," the trio set the stage for each student to introduce themselves through all parts of the application.