Dartmouth College: Everything an Applicant Needs to Know
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Overview
Dartmouth College in rural Hanover, NH, offers an intense academic and social experience with a 5.4% acceptance rate, rising to 23% with Early Decision. Its unique D-Plan provides a flexible four-year academic arc, complemented by strong Greek life and a prominent outdoor culture amidst long, cold winters.
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Frequently asked questions
- What are Dartmouth College's admission statistics?
- The Class of 2028 had a 5.4% acceptance rate. The median SAT was 1530 and median ACT was 34. Applying Early Decision by November 1st can increase the acceptance rate to 23%.
- What is the D-Plan at Dartmouth College?
- The D-Plan is Dartmouth's quarter system, featuring four ten-week terms per year. Students take sophomore summer on campus and can take fall or winter off for internships, study abroad, or research, providing a flexible four-year arc.
- What is the student life and culture like at Dartmouth College?
- Dartmouth's campus revolves around The Green, with a strong outdoor culture where students ski to class and hike on weekends. Approximately 60% of upperclassmen participate in Greek life, which forms a significant part of the social scene with house parties and formals.
- What is the cost of attendance and financial aid available at Dartmouth College?
- The total cost for Dartmouth College is about 90000 a year. It offers need-blind admissions and provides loan-free aid for families with incomes under 125000.
- What are the academic strengths and professional schools at Dartmouth?
- Dartmouth is known for economics, government, computer science, engineering, and English. Beyond the undergrad Arts and Sciences, it has three professional schools: Tuck for business (a top-ten MBA), Thayer for engineering, and Geisel for medicine.
Transcript
Anna Park: Hanover, New Hampshire. Six AM autumn sunrise. The Connecticut River. Baker-Berry tower above the maples. Tonight: what every applicant needs to know about Dartmouth College. With Tyler Sanderson and Dr. Sarah Whitman.
Tyler Sanderson: The basics. Hanover, New Hampshire — rural, eleven thousand residents. Campus and town are one place. The Green sits in the middle. Sixty-eight hundred students total: forty-five hundred undergrad, twenty-three hundred grad.
Dr. Sarah Whitman: Admissions. Class of twenty twenty-eight: five point four percent acceptance rate. Median SAT fifteen-thirty, median ACT thirty-four. Apply Early Decision November first — acceptance jumps to twenty-three percent versus five percent regular.
Tyler Sanderson: The vibe. The Green is the heart. Outdoor culture is everywhere — students ski to class in winter, hike on weekends. Walk everywhere. Boston is two hours by car. New York four. Manchester airport seventy minutes south.
Dr. Sarah Whitman: The schools. Undergrad Arts and Sciences, plus three professional schools — Tuck for business, Thayer for engineering, Geisel for medicine. Known for: economics, government, computer science, engineering, English. Tuck is a top-ten MBA.
Tyler Sanderson: The D-Plan. Quarter system, four ten-week terms a year. You take sophomore summer on campus. You can take fall or winter off — internship, study abroad, research. By senior year you've lived a lot of lives. Intense and addictive.
Dr. Sarah Whitman: Greek life. About sixty percent of upperclassmen go Greek. Seventeen fraternities, nine sororities, three co-ed houses. Animal House was inspired by Alpha Delta in nineteen seventy-eight. Social life is house parties, formals, traditions.
Tyler Sanderson: Weather. Winters are long — November through April. January highs average twenty-six Fahrenheit. Real snow. Summers warm and short, July highs around eighty. Foliage in October is staggering. Buy a real winter parka before you arrive.
Dr. Sarah Whitman: Rankings. US News eighteen overall. Total cost about ninety thousand a year. Need-blind admissions. Loan-free aid for families under one hundred twenty-five thousand. Alumni: Robert Frost, Dr Seuss, Mindy Kaling, Shonda Rhimes.
Anna Park: Three takeaways. One: five point four percent admit rate — apply Early Decision for the boost. Two: the D-Plan gives an unusually flexible four-year arc. Three: rural Hanover, strong Greek life, bitter cold winters. Tyler, Dr. Whitman — thank you.
Note: Informational only. Figures are a guide — verify before relying on them.