Jun 24, 2020

Dartmouth Admissions The SAT, ACT Scores, and GPA You Need to Get In

How to Get Into Dartmouth Today we’re talking about how to get into Dartmouth Collegeso let’s get the mandatory New Hampshire weather joke out of the way well if that snow doesnt deter your, then you must be pretty serious about going to Dartmouthand were serious about getting you there! In this post, we’ll take a look all things Dartmouth Admissions, including heaps of information on Dartmouth SAT and ACT scores and a really detailed profile of Dartmouths newest incoming freshman class. Then, once we get through the data, well take a look at what your best path to admission will look like! Applying to Dartmouth? Its not surprising that youre interested in Dartmouth. The school is extremely prestigious, and its been around for a long time. The college was founded by Eleazar Wheelock (what a name!) in 1769, making it the ninth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. A private research university, and member of the Ivy League, Dartmouth is located in Hanover, New Hampshire. But Dartmouth is a lot more than a fancy pedigree: Dartmouths curriculum spans % Eligible for Pell Grants15% Students in top 10% of their high school class97% Students With Need-Based Financial Aid 60% African American 9% Asian American21% Caucasian65% Latino12% Native American4% Multi-Racial7% Low-Income Households18% Financial Aid Recipients50% Average Need-Based Grant$51,859 Dartmouth FAQ Now, youve seen all the facts and figuresdoes that mean all your stats have to line up with the numbers in this post to get accepted to Dartmouth? Well.not necessarily. How else can you stand out? As Dartmouth makes sure to remind everyone on their own website: [] keep in mind that we treat every application holistically. You dont have to match all of these numbers to be the right person for Dartmouth. So, what does the ‘right person for Dartmouth’ look like? Let’s go straight to the source and see what Dartmouth has anything to say about who theyre looking for. On the college’s Application Advice page, the school says: What will impress us is YOU. You, letting your application express some aspect of your own story. You’ve established a great track record. Let your application clearly reflect your interests and motivation. This tells us that Dartmouth’s admissions officers are looking for someone genuine. Dartmouth wants students who are comfortable being themselves. Want to make sure your essay best captures your genuine self? Heres some advice from JonathanAlter, Class of 2021, through AdmitSee: Start writing your essays early and seek advice from professionals! Common App essay prompts are released in the spring or summer prior to the fall of senior year. Do not wait until fall to begin your applications! The Common App main essayis one of the longest essays you will have to write, and is one of the most important. I went through multiple iterations of my Common App essay, though ultimately ended up changing my entire essay topic midway through December before my Regular Action applications were due. I presented my Common App essay to my guidance counselor at the start of December. She thought my original essay was ineffective in capturing me as a person, which is the goal of this essay! On the former High School Curriculum page, more is revealed: We don’t have specific high school course requirements, but students are encouraged to take the most rigorous classes available in their school. We dont just look at your grades and classes when we review your SSR. We review your academic achievement in the context of your high school. Given the courses that your school offers, have you enrolled in a challenging curriculum? Have you had academic success that suggests that youll thrive in the classroom at Dartmouth? If we answer YES to these two questions, then we look deeper into your application to better understand your particular areas of academic strength and weakness, subjects that interest you most, and your motivation for learning. Still wondering about how else to stand out and increase your chances of getting into Dartmouth? Mike M. from Transizion can help you out! Dartmouth, perhaps due to their reputation as an outdoorsy humanities-focused Ivy, wants the most multifaceted students possible. If you’re in three different clubs, that’s great, but if the three clubs are film club, science-fiction club, and mystery club, then you might not be sending the right message. Try to show that you enjoy both physical and intellectual pursuits. Just remember not to overdo it and sign up for too many clubs and activities, because that can signal indecisiveness. Another great way to increase your chances of being accepted to Dartmouth is by applying for early decision. This means that you are applying in the earliest application period, and you agree that acceptance is binding. The benefit of applying during this period is that Dartmouth has one of the highest, if not the highest, early decision acceptance rate among the Ivy League schools – it usually hovers just under thirty percent. So, if you have your heart set on Dartmouth, and every other school is second place, then applying as an early decision applicant would be a great choice. Whats the takeaway? Clearly Dartmouth College wants students who are capable of rigorous academics and who enjoy a challenge. Last but not even close to least, Dartmouth College wants students who are self-motivated and love learning for learning’s sake. One of Dartmouth’s unique selling points is their attitude toward undergraduate students and research. So obviously theres more to your application than just the numbers! But of course, your scores are still important. Improving Your Test Scores As we just talked about, scores aren’t everything, but theyre also not something that you can afford to ignore. While your GPA is formed over the course of four years, your standardized test scores are decided in a few hours. You cant go back to freshman year and un-fail Algebra 2, but you can retake your test. Or, better yet, prepare well ahead of time. Were all busyfind a study schedule that fits in between all those AP classes and extracurriculars. Like one of our SAT or ACT study plans! You can test drive our SAT and ACT prep for free, and see if its a good fit, with our Free 1-Week SAT Trial or the Free 1-Week ACT Trial from Magoosh)! With a little luck and a lot of hard work, you can make your Dartmouth dream a reality. And well be here to help you with your test prep along every step of the way. We cant help you with the snow though. 🙂 Happy studying!