Dartmouth College is a very special place to go to school, so we at Ivy Coach don’t blame you for having your sights set on it. But with an overall acceptance rate that most recently clocked in at 5.8% for the Class of 2030, Dartmouth College is no joke. You must weather a ton of competition and strategically present yourself to stand a chance in this process. But setting aside the granular details, how should you go about the basic process of applying, and what materials does this require? We’ll give you an overview of everything you need to know.

Step 1: Create a Common Application Account

Dartmouth only accepts The Common Application, the standard online portal used by almost all American colleges. Once you’ve added Dartmouth to your list of schools, you’ll need to wait until August 1st of your senior year to see the application in full, including the supplemental materials you’ll be required to submit in the coming weeks.

Step 2: Sit for Standardized Tests

There’s no way around Dartmouth College’s standardized testing requirement. You absolutely must submit either an SAT score or an ACT score to be considered for admission.

And yes, Dartmouth will superscore your SAT and ACT scores across different test sittings (i.e., they will consider the highest individual section scores from different testing dates). But before you avail yourself of this seemingly generous policy, consider the following: when students sit for more than one test, they’re sending a signal to Dartmouth that they had to take two or more tries to achieve the score that many Dartmouth applicants were able to achieve once. Superscoring can thus backfire if you’re not careful.

Step 3: Familiarize Yourself With Dartmouth College’s Admissions Rounds and Deadlines

Dartmouth offers two different admissions rounds: Early Decision (ED) and Regular Decision (RD). ED applications are evaluated earlier in the admissions cycle and are due on November 1st of each year (with decisions typically being made around mid-December), whereas RD applications are evaluated later on in the year, with an application due date on January 1st and a decision rendered by early April.

Early Decision is a binding round, meaning any student who applies under ED must contractually obligate themselves to attend Dartmouth if admitted. ED is thus a far larger commitment than RD, but with this greater responsibility comes a greater payoff. Early Decision applicants have a higher acceptance rate than Regular Decision applicants at Dartmouth and nearly all elite colleges because admissions officers see the commitment inherent in ED as a sign of a student’s enthusiasm (or dare we say Demonstrated Interest) in attending. It is thus almost always advisable to apply in the Early round to Dartmouth if you’re sure Dartmouth is your top choice school (all of Ivy Coach’s package clients do!).

Step 4: Respond to the Dartmouth Writing Supplement

The Dartmouth Writing Supplement consists of a series of questions to which all Dartmouth applicants must respond. And while these questions vary in length and content, and can change from year to year, they tend to cover the same basic ideas: testing an applicant’s knowledge of Dartmouth’s institutional specifics, probing and applicants writing prowess and willingness to play well with others, and daring the applicant to highlight their specific affinities and areas of expertise (or as we at Ivy Coach like to say, their singular hook). 

Step 5: Request Dartmouth College School Forms

As you dot your Ts and cross your Is in this writing supplement, also start assembling the following materials to complete your Dartmouth application:

• Every required component of The Common Application, including the 650-word Personal Statement
• An $85 application fee or a fee waiver
• Your secondary school report, including your transcript, school profile, and counselor evaluation
• Two teacher letters of recommendation
• A peer recommendation (a unique fixture of the Dartmouth application)

How Ivy Coach Helps Students Apply to Dartmouth

Ivy Coach has long been known as “The Dartmouth Whisperer.” It’s why our 5-year acceptance rate proudly sits at 83% for our Dartmouth-bound package clients (all of whom apply in the ED round).

If you’re interested in Ivy Coach’s assistance, directly with Ivy Coach’s Ben Schwartz, a former Dartmouth admissions officer, in optimizing your child’s case for admission to Dartmouth College, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch.