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How to Write the Dartmouth Supplemental Essays: Examples + Guide 2022/2023

What are the Dartmouth Supplemental Essay Prompts?

How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for Dartmouth

You’ll find an extensive, by-the-numbers look at Dartmouth’s offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set . For insight into how this private research university envisions its historic “Inclusive Excellence” initiative to foster diversity, check out the Provost’s Diversity Plan (feel free to skim if you need to). Reading through this will give you a strong idea of what Dartmouth values, what its future looks like (and how and where you may fit in).

But please don’t just copy and paste chunks of the plan into your essay because a) that’s plagiarism and basically an academic crime, and b) anyone can do that.

More on what you should do instead below.

What are the Dartmouth supplemental essay prompts?

Required of all applicants. Please respond in 100 words or fewer: Dartmouth celebrates the ways in which its profound sense of place informs its profound sense of purpose. As you seek admission to Dartmouth's Class of 2027, what aspects of the College's academic program, community, or campus environment attract your interest? In short, Why Dartmouth? Please respond in 100 words or fewer.

Required of all applicants. Please respond in 200-250 words: "Be yourself," Oscar Wilde advised. "Everyone else is taken." Introduce yourself in 200-250 words.

Please choose one of the following prompts and respond in 200-250 words: 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 making—an impact? What excites you? In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba, Class of 2014, reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power the electrical appliances in his family's Malawian house: "If you want to make it, all you have to do is try." What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you already made? Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel of Dartmouth's Class of 1925, wrote, "Think and wonder. Wonder and think." What do you wonder and think about? "Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced," wrote James Baldwin. How does this quote apply to your life experiences?

How to Write the Dartmouth Supplemental Essay #1

This is a super short “Why us?” essay.

Because it’s so short, the key will be finding 2-3 reasons that set Dartmouth apart from all the other schools you’re applying to.

Here’s the “Why us?” essay guide —in this case the Cornell example is probably the best example to check out. We talk a bit about how to tackle the shorter version of this essay, and the Tufts example is a great one.

Here’s the short version:

Spend 1 hr+ researching 7+ reasons why Dartmouth might be a great fit for you (ideally these reasons will be unique to Dartmouth and connect back to you).

Maybe make a copy of this chart to help you map out your college research.

Pick the top 3-4 reasons and consider drafting a one-sentence thesis to set your essay up.

Write a first draft!

As you write, try to avoid these common mistakes:

Six Common Mistakes Students Make on “Why Us?” Essays

Mistake #1 : Writing about Dartmouth’s size, location, reputation, weather, or ranking.

Mistake #2 : Simply using emotional language to demonstrate fit.

Mistake #3 : Screwing up the mascot, stadium, team colors, or names of any important people or places on campus.

Mistake #4 : Parroting the brochures or website language.

Mistake #5 : Describing traditions the school is well-known for.

Mistake #6 : Thinking of this as only a "Why them" essay.

Here’s a great sample essay for this prompt:

As someone who aspires to become an economist fighting climate change, I believe Dartmouth will be the best place to start. I look forward to model policy-making projects in Environmental Problem Analysis and Policy Formulation (ENV 50), but also applying these experiences to the Sustainability Task Force, where I hope to explore renewable solutions to contribute to Dartmouth’s 50% renewable energy target by 2025. But when I’m not at the Irving Institute for Energy and Society or on an Energy Immersion Trip, I hope to dig into new dishes with Spoon members or write preposterous (yet meaningful) articles for Jack-O-Lantern. — — —

Tips + Analysis:

Be direct. With just 100 words, there’s little room for verbal bubble wrap. Just the goods. If you know what you want to study/be/do, consider clearly naming your dream or aspiration in the first sentence. This writer tells us that she aspires to be a climate change-fighting economist (cool) and alludes to a future major or double major (bonus). If you don’t know what you want to do/study/major in, don’t worry, just focus on the tips below.

List specific classes. This shows that you’ve done your research (and for one of the most research-intensive universities in the United States, maybe even the world, this matters). Listing specific, pertinent classes is the first rite of passage to make it into the “Why us?” essay hall of fame. This student takes it a step further, showing us how she’ll apply the knowledge she’s gained from “Environmental Problem Analysis and Policy Formulation (ENV 50)” to the “Sustainability Task Force,” where she’ll contribute to a university-wide goal (“50% renewable energy target by 2025”). Gold stars for days.

Imagine yourself at Dartmouth: Rather than writing, “I hope to participate in the Irving Institute for Energy and Society,” this student uses the present tense (“I’m”) as if she is already at Dartmouth. Paint a picture of yourself on campus: What are you doing? How are you engaged with Dartmouth’s community in and out of the classroom? Imagination is a powerful tool. Help the reader see you there.

Show a side of yourself that you haven’t elsewhere in your application. We know you’re smart and motivated by research and academics. But, what else? Remember that these super-short essays are the speed dating of college essays. In the last line, we learn that this student is not just a future climate change-fighting economist, but also a foodie and a writer who plans to write “preposterous” and “meaningful” articles for the school magazine. What’s not to love?

Here’s another great example:

Dartmouth’s abundance of trees reminds me of my local arboretum, a refuge which has nurtured my science enthusiasm and encouraged me to branch out into social sciences. In the Biology-Modified major, Disease, The Environment, and Human History will teach me about diet modifications and diseases that have intensified negative environmental changes. Advocating for H.Res.109 (Green New Deal) has expanded my interests in sociology and environmental science. Through Health Disparities, I would learn how race and social class affect health treatments,while expanding the practical knowledge I’ve gained at Community-Servings, a nonprofit that provides healthy food for impoverished families. (100)

How to Write the Dartmouth Supplemental Essay #2

"Be yourself," Oscar Wilde advised. "Everyone else is taken." Introduce yourself in 200-250 words

Important note: This is a new prompt for 2022, so we don’t have essays written specifically for it yet, but the below example, written for a past Dartmouth prompt, would work well (though would need to be cut by 50 words).

Example:

•2002 Prasuti-Griha Hospital, Nepal. I’m born Shrinkhala Sunuwar. Eleven months later, my parents weep. Diversity Visa Lottery is a win and loss: my parents can't bring me to America with them. •2008 Kathmandu, NP. I greet people with नमस्कार (namaste). Dust permeates my nostrils as I walk by others bargaining in market stalls to grandpa’s palm reading sessions. Flickering temple lights, smells of incense, and lively monkeys open my eyes to my Nepalese ethnicity and religion. •2009 Brighton-MA. I become American and reunite with my parents. I’m mystified by July-4th fireworks. Autumn turns green leaves red and yellow. Other firsts: riding trains, biking in parks, learning to swim at the YMCA, and my first loss: grandpa’s death to laryngeal cancer. These experiences strengthen my character and impulse to explore the unknown. •2012 Walter-St, Roslindale-MA. I become a photographer. My escape: Arnold Arboretum. I birdwatch and sit atop Peter’s Hill to marvel at the city view. I bike across winding trails that lead to secret destinations. Desire to capture nature leads to a love for photography. •2015 Centre-St, Roslindale-MA. I’m reborn as Caroline Sunuwar. A paint palette and a palate for American dishes. First house. We spend hours painting walls red, white, and blue. I eat Harry’s All-American Breakfast, A & N Pizza, and burritos. I gain appreciation for America’s colors and flavors. •2016 Boston, MA. I become a leader. BLCDC. Seven teenagers host drives, bake sales, petitions for nuclear disarmament through Mass Peace partnership. Social advocacy leads to a stronger self. •2019 Everywhere. Hello has replaced नमस्कार. Instead of running around temples throwing bananas at monkeys, I pray peacefully at Sri Lakshmi temple. Rather than observing market vendors, I observe physicians, politicians, and researchers. The Diversity Visa Lottery that separated my parents and me has ultimately yielded more wins than losses. — — —

Quick Tips + Analysis:

Due to the word limit for this one, if you want to include a challenge, keep it short and impactful. The writer clues us into incredible challenges (being separated from her parents for seven years and her grandfather dying while she’s away in America), but she doesn’t linger for too long on these. The essay could have been about seven years without her parents and how that shaped her (and in some ways, it is), but she keeps going. She shows her values of independence and adaptability. She also explores complexity. Instead of “My parents left me behind when they went to America,” for example, she writes, “Diversity Visa Lottery is a win and loss: my parents can't bring me to America with them.” This demonstrates that she recognizes the opportunity this change brought for her parents even though it was likely difficult for the whole family.

If possible, avoid common phrases. How? First, write a draft describing your story exactly as it happened. Focus on getting all the details on the page (the more, the better). Then, think about what’s essential to the story, and then try to describe the big challenges and transitions in an unexpected way. Challenge yourself to find unique words and phrases that are specific to your life. Some examples from this essay:

Instead of:

“I grew up speaking Hindi”

The author writes:

“I greet people with नमस्कार (namaste).”

Instead of:

“Then, I came to America and learned English.”

“Hello has replaced नमस्कार.”

How to Write the Dartmouth Supplemental Essay #3

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 making—an impact?

If you love thinking about Big Ideas, like why books are dangerous, how to nurture creativity, and ways we cultivate beauty, you might find writing the Dartmouth essays actually fun! The hard part? Choosing a prompt.

Quick tip: You can probably recycle this essay for another school’s supplemental essay, or vice versa (tweak something you’re writing for another school for this prompt). If you already have a list of your essay prompts for the other schools you’re applying to, consider writing a Super Essay and use it for both.

Here are some quick tips for each prompt:

Prompt #1: In what ways do you hope to make—or are you making—an impact? This can be a future-focused essay in that it doesn’t really rely on Something Important You’ve Done. But it also tends to be easier to write effectively about concrete actions you’ve already taken. If you’re worried that you haven’t done a ton of stuff worth writing about, this might be a good one to consider.

Prompt #2: What excites you? This prompt is an open request for you to talk about your interests, but remember to bring it back to yourself and your values. To brainstorm ideas, take 2 minutes to play the “I Love” Game . That should give you a menu of ideas. Pro Tip: this could also be a great chance to write a mini “Why Major?” essay .

Prompt #3: What drives you to create? This is a great prompt for not only creatives, but also scientists, and even business students. Think about it: You can create lasting friendships, a way of looking at life, or the best way to cook scrambled eggs. Spend a half hour thinking about all the things in your life that you make. It’s probably a lot. Then ask yourself: Why do I create?

Prompt #4: What do you wonder and think about? Curious about internet slang? Wondering where Suzan-Lori Parks drew her inspiration for Topdog/Underdog ? Here’s your chance to write about it. Check out the example below for more tips on this prompt.

Prompt #5: “Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” What in your life has changed, or evolved? Or what changes have you witnessed in your community? Have you been comfortable with these changes, or not so much? How have you adapted, grown, developed? This is another one that’s worth spending 30 minutes just thinking about. Maybe go for a walk, put on some music, and let your mind wander as you consider what change has meant in your life. Or, for that matter, curiosity, creation, or any of the rest of these prompts.

Here’s a great example essay:

Essay Example for Prompt #1:

While I lived in Mexico, my dad’s security system could not protect our restaurant from robbers, who would steal anything from cash to the shrimp from our freezer. After the sixth robbery that year, I began experimenting with our security system. It turned out the devices were utterly unusable: the cameras would disconnect, the sensors would malfunction overnight, and the alarms wouldn’t contact the police. I wondered how we could improve that system. That’s when my interest in engineering was born. I want to design a multitasking, roof-crawling, autonomous device capable of sensing, recording, and reporting potential criminal activity. But to develop the necessary skills and knowledge, I’ll need Dartmouth’s help. At Dartmouth, I look forward to a modified major in the Thayer School of Engineering that teaches both Psychology and Engineering/Computer Sciences. Thieves are often able to outthink security systems because they research their target prior to attack, so exploring cognition through courses like “Psychology and Organizations” will help me create a system ready for the most creative minds. In addition, I am interested in Professor Charles Sullivan’s research on “Microfabricated magnetic components using nanomaterials,” and Professor Eric Fossum’s research on “Advanced image sensors and camera systems.” Miniaturizing the components of a robot and utilizing next-generation camera technology together can revolutionize the ways that security devices monitor and record. Finally, having been raised in three distinct cultural worlds, I seek to promote diversity wherever I go, and I’m looking forward to sharing part of my Mexican heritage with other Latinx students by joining La Alianza Latina. Coming from a family that has been committed to intensive manual labor, I pioneer the era of modern technology. With a Dartmouth education, I contemplate the possibility of upgrading the security of our small restaurant and perhaps, one day, national security. — — —

Tips + Analysis

Consider using this simple, three-part structure: the challenge, what you’ve done (or hope to do) about it, and how Dartmouth can help. Even though this prompt asks you to discuss how you will make or are making an impact, admission readers really want to know about you and how you’ll use your education. State the problem succinctly, say why it matters to you personally (if you can), then spend the rest of the essay showing how you’ve tackled it (or will tackle it) and what specific resources you’ll make use of.

Consider hooking the reader (briefly) before revealing your specific topic. This student starts off with “robbers, who would steal anything from cash to the shrimp from our freezer,” creating a compelling story line and urging the reader to continue reading to learn more. This is much more interesting than if he’d started with the thesis, “I want to create advanced image sensors and camera systems to prevent robberies at my dad’s restaurant.”

Approach the second half like a “Why us?” essay. Get super duper specific with what opportunities you’ll make use of at Dartmouth. Imagine yourself at Dartmouth and paint that picture for the admission reader. Include professors you’re interested in working with and classes you’re dying to take. By letting us know that Dartmouth has a modified major in the Thayer School of Engineering that teaches both Psychology and Engineering/Computer Sciences and classes like Psychology and Organizations to help him get into the heads of thieves, it’s clear that this student has really done his research. For more on how to do this, click here for the complete guide.

Here’s one more great example:

Essay Example for Prompt #4:

Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel of Dartmouth's Class of 1925, wrote, "Think and wonder. Wonder and think." What do you wonder and think about?

“I don’t get it.” I glance over at my sister. We are at the Metropolitan Museum of Art looking at Composition, my favorite piece by Piet Mondrian. Tracing the dark lines, we watch as they meet at vertices to form rectangles. “It’s math,” I reply. “No pun intended, but that’s the point.” If we had not been in a crowded museum, I would have told her that one of the first things we are taught in algebra is how to graph a line on a coordinate plane. That Y=MX+B governs us until we learn Y=ax^2+bx+c. I would have explained how we are reminded, time and time again, of the importance of graphical analysis; like the paintings of Mondrian, though not as gracefully, our lines come together to form shapes. Geometry then teaches us of right angles, the foundation of both structure and society. Calculus asks us to retrieve data from the lines we had graphed when we first learned. Forming an Eulerian cycle, our mathematical world follows a path, hitting off each edge and meeting back at the same vertex. I was not a math person until I stumbled upon the works of Matt Parker and Noson S. Yanofsky. Staying up late into the night, flashlight in hand, sister reminding me to get some sleep, I was introduced to a world of numbers beyond what I’d been taught in school. I began to see mathematical concepts for their beauty, recognizing their influence in art and philosophy, even pushing myself to try Coursera courses in coding after Parker’s references to logic gates. Besides being the bane of schoolchildren everywhere (and perhaps my family at the dinner table), graph theory underlies the methods with which we perceive our universe—both literally and figuratively, the possibilities are limitless. — — —

Tips + Analysis

Consider using “geeky” language. This writer shows us that she knows her math and catches the reader’s tired eyes with: “That Y=MX+B governs us until we learn Y=ax^2+bx+c.” Don’t be shy about doing the same. But do it within reason, because overdoing it may alienate your reader.

Tell us what you’ve done outside class. Push yourself to go beyond what’s offered at school and show that off (humbly) in your essay. For many, high school sucked. This student tells us about her late-night internet discoveries (Matt Parker, a literal “Standup Mathematician,” and Noson S. Yanofsky, a college-level math prof who writes college-level stuff for the advanced and curious HS students). But then she goes further, taking “Coursera courses in coding after Parker’s references to logic gates.” What do you learn about outside of school? Surprise us. Haven’t explored much outside class? There’s still time! (Probably.)

Try to make uncommon connections. Art + math = uncommon connection. We don’t expect a moment at the MET to turn into an ode to math. But it does, and that’s what makes this essay great. How do you do this? Take a look at this values list and ask yourself: What’s something the reader would not expect me to say?

Special thanks to Cathleen for contributing to this post.

Cathleen is a USC alumna, writer, college admissions and essay consultant, and international speaker based in Los Angeles, California. She loves dancing and learning new languages even though she’s terrible at both :)

Top Values: Curiosity | Bravery | Close Relationships

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How to Write the Dartmouth College Essays 2022-2023

Get your essay reviewed by an expert.

Early decision and early action deadlines are about a week away. You can still get a professional review of your college essays in time for early deadlines on CollegeVine.

Dartmouth College has two prompts for all applicants and a third prompt that applicants select from five different options. Many of them are short-response questions that will challenge you to be creative, with a wide range of topics.

With so many essay prompts, this application gives students ample opportunity to showcase your unique personality and narrative voice. This means that these supplemental prompts, more than many others, will give you the chance to make your application stand out.

See this animated Dartmouth College essay example to inspire your writing.

Dartmouth College Supplemental Essay Prompts 2021-2022

Prompt 1: Dartmouth celebrates the ways in which its profound sense of place informs its profound sense of purpose. As you seek admission to Dartmouth’s Class of 2027, what aspects of the College’s academic program, community, or campus environment attract your interest? In short, Why Dartmouth? (100 words or fewer)

Prompt 2: “Be yourself,” Oscar Wilde advised. “Everyone else is taken.” Introduce yourself in 200-250 words.

Prompt 3: Please choose one of the following prompts and respond in 200-250 words:

Option A: 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 making—an impact?

Option B: What excites you?

Option C: In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba ’14 reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power electrical appliances in his family’s Malawian house: “If you want to make it, all you have to do is try.” What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you made?

Option D: Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel of Dartmouth’s Class of 1925, wrote, “Think and wonder. Wonder and think.” What do you wonder and think about?

Option E: “Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced,” wrote James Baldwin. How does this quote apply to your life experiences?

Dartmouth celebrates the ways in which its profound sense of place informs its profound sense of purpose. As you seek admission to Dartmouth’s Class of 2027, what aspects of the College’s academic program, community, or campus environment attract your interest? In short, Why Dartmouth? (100 words or fewer)

With only 100 words or fewer to answer this prompt, you must convey your reason for choosing Dartmouth concisely. This is a classic “Why This College” Essay prompt, but with an added twist of testing of how eloquently and effectively you can illustrate your rationale.

As an Ivy League college, Dartmouth has an obvious appeal to many applicants for its elite status. However, in order to differentiate your response you will have to be very specific on why you seek to attend this prestigious institution.

Before writing, reflect on your academic and career goals. Pick the one or two that are most important to you, and research the specific resources available at Dartmouth that would help you achieve your goals.

It’s extremely important to keep the scope of this essay small, as you only have 100 words. That’s only 5-7 sentences!

Here’s an example:

A student wants to go into environmental policy and conservation. She hopes to major in Environmental Studies at Dartmouth. As a person of color, she appreciates Dartmouth’s emphasis on including diverse voices in environmentalism. She wants to get involved with Professor Chaudhary’s research on DEI in STEM and take courses like Indigenous Environmental Studies.

By using specific examples of programs offered at Dartmouth in your response, you’ll be able to show the admissions committee that you’ve done extensive research of the school and that it’s a good fit for you.

Also remember that campus culture is a critical part of most universities. If you have space, mention one extracurricular that would support your main academic or career goal. For example, the above student could highlight Dartmouth’s outdoorsy culture and express interest in joining the Outing Club since she grew up near the mountains, and it’s what sparked her interest in environmentalism.

Overall, do your research and discover what makes you most excited to attend Dartmouth. Be cautious of generalized statements and try to provide the admissions committee as much detail as possible so that they gain a better sense of your personality.

“Be yourself,” Oscar Wilde advised. “Everyone else is taken.” Introduce yourself in 200-250 words.

This prompt allows you to cover the key qualities that make you, you. As one of the most prestigious schools in the country, Dartmouth will receive tons of applicants from students around the world with impressive GPAs and extracurriculars – this is an essay all about standing out and illustrating why you would be a valuable addition to Dartmouth’s campus.

Dartmouth already has access to your Common App essay and your Activities section, so there’s no need to rehash your resume or entire life story. You only have 250 words, so try to distill your identity down to a few key qualities or experiences.

It can sometimes be difficult or awkward writing about yourself, so maybe start by brainstorming with friends or family to get the ball rolling – What kinds of words would they use to describe you? How does your personality stand out from the rest of your friend group or siblings?

Listening to how others describe you is a great place to start, but remember that your opinion of yourself is the one that matters most. You can write about yourself, your goals, your interests, how past life experiences have shaped you, etc.

Formatting-wise, you can choose to speak to the reader as if you’re actually introducing yourself (which lends itself to more lighthearted content), or you can simply write more of a narrative piece (such as taking the reader through your day). You could also pick 3 words that describe you and provide specific stories that exhibit those traits. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

Prompt 3, Option A

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 making—an impact (200-250 words).

Different from the personal reflection prompts, this essay is asking you what kind of impact you hope to have on the world in the future. This prompt can be answered in a variety of different ways and largely depends on what your personal goals and passions are.

When responding to this prompt you should first do a close reading of the quote to provide some further context for your response, “We must use our lives to make the world a better place, not just to acquire things.” Huerta specifies that we use our “lives” to make an impact, not just a single action. This implies that Dartmouth is looking for something long term that you are dedicating your time to that will make a positive impact on others.

It may also be helpful to look into the author of this quote to discover what motivated them to say the quote in the first place – Dolores Huerta is a prominent civil rights activist who dedicated her life to advocating for the rights of immigrant and migrant labor workers. How might Huerta’s dedication to a life of activism align with Dartmouth’s core values? There are many ways to leave a powerful impact on the world, not all of which are through activism.

The topic you choose does not necessarily have to be tied to your academic interests. For instance, you could be a Neuroscience major who also has a passion for education and volunteers as an English tutor at a ESL (English as a Second Language) school – aspiring to positively impact immigrant communities by providing them with the powerful tool of language. As long as your passion is long-term, you should be able to create a powerful narrative that will resonate with the admissions committee.

However, if your topic does align with your academic or career goals, make sure that you explain in detail how it will improve the world around you. Perhaps you want to be a MD-PhD who does cancer research specializing in treating low-income patients? Or maybe you want to be a speechwriter for politicians and world leaders whose words will help to change the world.

Whatever you choose to write about, be sure to narrate to the admissions committee how your topic contributes to the betterment of the campus community at Dartmouth and beyond.

Prompt 2, Option B

What excites you (200-250 words) .

This prompt gives you the opportunity to showcase your personality and talk about a passion, hobby, or experience that does not really “fit” into the themes explored by other prompts. Think about this essay as a personal inquiry, it gives the admissions officer the ability to humanize your application and understand what type of person they are admitting to Dartmouth.

There is no shortage of topics you can explore with this prompt.

Whether it’s a monumental achievement or a simple pleasure, at the core of this essay the admissions office is asking you to speak with passion.

It’s important to connect whatever topic you are discussing to the resources and opportunities available to you at Dartmouth.

For instance, if you are a student who gets super excited when you can collect rocks down at the beach with your friends, this would be a great chance to connect your passion back to research opportunities at Dartmouth in the Earth History department or how the outdoorsy-feel of Dartmouth would feel like home.

Don’t be afraid to take a risk with this prompt. If watching Avatar excites you, feel free to explore this route, especially if you are an applicant that can connect this back to East-Asian studies or film/production studies at Dartmouth. However, be cautious about going on a tangent or exploring too many things within this essay. Stick to talking about one thing that excites you and connecting it back to Dartmouth.

Prompt 2, Option C

In the boy who harnessed the wind, william kamkwamba, class of 2014, reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power the electrical appliances in his family’s malawian house: “if you want to make it, all you have to do is try.” what drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you already made (200-250 words) .

This prompt highlights an applicant’s entrepreneurial skills, perseverance, and imagination. From this essay the reader wants to gauge how you approach problems and whether you have taken the initiative to solve problems in your own life. Whether this means you created a marketing strategy for a non-profit or makeshift solar panels to charge your phone, make sure that your creation connects to your goals at Dartmouth.

Now, let’s shift our focus to the first part of the prompt. The admissions office wants to see what drives you to create, which means that they want to see passion for a certain topic or cause.

If you are super interested in sustainable business and hope to start a non-profit one day that supports marginalized artists in rural communities, then take this essay as an opportunity to flesh out your plan and the vision behind your idea.

Remember these admissions officers are looking for applicants who will take full advantage of the degree that Dartmouth will give them, so an applicant with an idea stands out from the bunch.

Let’s take a look at the second part of the prompt.

If you have created something that you are proud of then we highly recommend that you use this prompt. Dartmouth would love to see an applicant that is taking action before even starting college. If you are a prospective digital media major and you created a video game in high school that 10 people played, don’t be afraid to share this!

Do not compare your creation to those of other people. Take this opportunity to reflect on the motivations and thought process behind your creation, instead of spending the entire essay just describing the characteristics of the creation.

Regardless of which part of the prompt you choose to focus on, you need to reflect on how Dartmouth can make your idea a reality or help you advance the creation you already made.

Talk about specific departments or courses that will help you build on your knowledge or study-abroad opportunities that are perfect to help advance your design. Personalize the essay to Dartmouth by talking about how the community or educational environment will directly advance your ideas/creations.

Prompt 3, Option D

Dr. seuss, aka theodor geisel of dartmouth’s class of 1925, wrote, “think and wonder. wonder and think.” what do you wonder and think about (200-250 words).

Although the quote cited in this prompt is from a familiar and likely elicits nostalgic source for many applicants, the question itself is deceptively vague. A prompt is trying to both gauge your personal interests while also evaluating your creativity.

This essay response is the optimal space to let your creative juices flow and really be yourself. Take some time and brainstorm what unanswered questions you have about the world or what random thoughts might pop into your head during the day. Do not feel as though you have to make something up that will sound profound such as “What is our role in the universe?”or “What is the meaning of life?” These kinds of classic philosophical questions might make your response too closely aligned with cliches.

In this response you not only want to be unconventional, but you also want to be honest. Maybe you ponder on the long term, psychological impact the pressures of social media will have on our generation in the future. Or maybe it’s something as simple as wondering if our pets can really understand us.

Here are examples of some other thought-provoking ideas:

For example, if you are interested in history and pirates, and wonder about the possible locations of the famous Captain Kidd ’s lost treasures. Explain what sparked your initial interest and why it has remained important to you. “I was born and raised on the Jersey shore. I spent most of my summers sailing with my dad and older brothers. We always joked about how amazing it would be to one day find a mysterious clue that would lead us to a forgotten treasure.”

Write your essay response about a topic that you are genuinely curious about. Do not feel like you have to make up some dramatic narrative to impress the admissions committee and risk being perceived as authentic. Be true to yourself and show Dartmouth how the intricacies your brain functions.

Prompt 3, Option E

“not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced,” wrote james baldwin. how does this quote apply to your life experiences (200-250 words).

This is a classic Overcoming Challenges Essay prompt. It’s asking applicants to describe how they react when faced with adversity.

In short, the quote is asking for you to explain an experience in your life in which you had to overcome a challenge. “Nothing can be changed until it is faced” highlights that nothing will change around you in the world or your personal life unless you do something about it.

The challenge you chose to narrate could be a variety of different things, ranging from internal trials you may have faced to tangible obstacles you’ve had to overcome in the real world. Once you’ve chosen a topic to write about, the next step is to tactfully organize your response to most effectively frame your thoughts and feelings to the admissions committee.

For instance, first explain the context of the situation leading up to the conflict. Next, provide extensive detail on what kinds of emotions addressing that challenge brought up for you. Finally, describe how you were able to overcome the challenge and how it has helped shape you into the person you are today, as well as how it will continue to influence your perspective on life moving forward.

When illustrating the outcome of the situation, be sure to explain how the experience allowed you to grow as a person. Be cautious not to focus too much on the challenge itself, but rather focus more on the details on how you adapted to address the issue.

Here are some important questions to think about when writing:

Try to avoid challenges that may come across as trivial. While getting a B- on a test may be upsetting to some, that kind of topic may not resonate as well with readers. Additionally, try to avoid challenges that are seen as cliche , such as bouncing back from a romantic breakup. Instead, choose share an experience that allows your personality and key elements of your identity to shine.

For example, if you suffered an injury as an athlete, you would want to avoid the basic essay stating that you underwent rehab and eventually were able to play again. Instead you could write:

“ My junior year of high school I tore my ACL during the first lacrosse game of the season. I was devastated. The doctors said I had to sit out a whole year. During this time, I was lost as I had dedicated five years of my life to lacrosse. I wasn’t sure that I was really good at anything else and the thought of losing both my passion and potential career opportunities left me numb. That was, until I discovered the coding club at my school during a career fair. I had no previous experience coding, but I spend so much time on my electronic devices anyway, I figured why not explore the science behind it all. After attending a few coding club meetings, I was hooked! I started researching how to code in my free time and took an online certification program to start creating my own app. Tearing my ACL left me physically limited by the injury I suffered, but mentally I was able to grow stronger than I ever had before with my newfound hobby. I still wish to return to lacrosse at some point, but I did not let the temporary loss of the sport I love stop me from finding other avenues to fill me with joy.”

This response is a good fit for this prompt since the student couldn’t change their injury, but they were able to create positive change in their life by facing and making the most of their situation.

Where to Get Your Dartmouth College Essay Edited

Do you want feedback on your Dartmouth essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

How to Get Into Dartmouth: Strategies and Essays That Worked

How hard is it to get into dartmouth learn the dartmouth acceptance rate and admissions requirements, plus strategies for conquering the dartmouth supplemental essays.

LEARN HOW TO GET INTO DARTMOUTH

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: dartmouth admission requirements , part 3: applying to dartmouth early decision vs. regular decision, part 4: 2022–2023 dartmouth supplemental essays (examples included).

Most Ivy League institutions are large research universities located in cities along the Eastern seaboard—but one of the most prestigious lies deep in the New Hampshire wilderness. If your child is an Ivy-competitive college applicant hoping for a small student body and a large forested campus, Dartmouth College might be the right place for them.

Getting into Dartmouth requires more than the generic drive to attend an Ivy. If you want to know how to get into Dartmouth, begin by learning about the school’s unique academic and social culture, including the Dartmouth Flexible Study Plan and countless traditions such as the community’s love of the outdoors.

Dartmouth’s unique year-round calendar of four 10-week terms allows students to decide when they want to study, research, and work throughout their undergraduate career. In this flexible study plan, called the Dartmouth Plan or D-Plan for short, students can pursue internship and research opportunities any time of year, giving them a competitive advantage over other college students following a traditional schedule.

Your child could spend their winter conducting seasonally specific ecological research in Costa Rica and return to Dartmouth for spring and summer to continue the same research in one of Dartmouth’s state-of-the-art laboratories. They could work on a Texas congressional campaign leading up to a November election and return to campus in time to ski with the student government association.

No matter where the D-Plan takes your child, each matriculating class at Dartmouth reconvenes on campus for the Sophomore Summer program, what Dartmouth calls the “epicenter” of their educational model. Each summer, Dartmouth gives its campus over to rising juniors as they declare their majors and map out research projects for the remainder of the undergraduate studies. During that season, rising juniors have exclusive access to faculty and subject-area librarians.

If your child is interested in Dartmouth, they can also look forward its outdoorsy, sporty culture (about 25 percent of students are NCAA Division 1 athletes).

They should also be aware of the dominance of Greek life on campus—the comedy “Animal House” was inspired by a Dartmouth fraternity, though these days students say there are more alternatives to a Greek-dominated system. Indeed, Dartmouth’s attention to its small but vocal cohort of Native American students, and its Native American Studies major, is one indication of the school’s awareness of diversity.

In election years, Dartmouth hosts a major debate for presidential nominees thanks to its New Hampshire location, the first-in-the-nation primary state for national elections. Dartmouth attributes this tradition with inspiring many of its graduates to pursue careers in journalism and politics. Notable Dartmouth alums have gone on to become U.S. Supreme Court justices, U.S. senators, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, national news anchors, celebrity chefs, and comedians.

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Dartmouth College ranking

U.S. News & World Report: 12

Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education: 7

Where is Dartmouth?

Dartmouth is in Hanover, New Hampshire, deep in the scenic Upper Connecticut River Valley. Hanover is a quintessential New England college town, dotted with cute restaurants and bakeries, and beautiful bookstores. The town also hosts a major teaching hospital, an art scene with world-class museums and performance spaces, and a growing high-tech sector, thanks to Dartmouth’s draw as a top research university.

Nestled between the White Mountains and the Green Mountains, Hanover is a perfect basecamp for skiing in the winter. In the summer, canoeing and kayaking are popular on the Connecticut River that runs just next to town.

Dartmouth College setting

Dartmouth rural setting lives up to the school’s motto Vox clamantis in deserto, which translates to “a voice crying out in the wilderness.” Dartmouth is consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful colleges in America. The 269-acre campus coalesces on the five-acre Dartmouth Green, surrounded by academic buildings in its signature Georgian colonial architecture. The Green is Dartmouth’s community hub, hosting such campus traditions as the Winter Carnival and a weekly farmer’s market.

If a 269-acre campus isn’t enough, Dartmouth also owns a large portion of Mount Moosilauke in New Hampshire’s famous White Mountains and 27,000 acres of northern New Hampshire known as the Second College Grant.

Proud of its deep connection with nature, Dartmouth has the oldest and largest collegiate outdoors club in the nation, aptly named The Outing Club. Students often spend their spare time hiking, camping, and skiing in the nearby mountains. The Appalachian Trail runs right through the middle of campus.

Dartmouth student population

Undergrad population: 4,170

Grad and professional school population: 2,122

Dartmouth acceptance rate

Here are the admissions statistics for Dartmouth’s class of 2025:

Applications: 28,357

Acceptances: 1,749

Matriculants: ~1,150

Acceptance rate: 6.2%

Dartmouth tuition and scholarships

In 2021–2022, Dartmouth’s cost of attendance (i.e., tuition, room, board, and fees) lands at $81,501.

Dartmouth promises to meet 100 percent of students’ demonstrated need, and students whose families earn under $125,000 per year typically get their entire cost of attendance covered without loans. Among the class of 2024, 55 percent received some amount of financial aid—the average award was $60,174.

Who gets into Dartmouth?

To get a sense of what it takes to join Dartmouth’s next incoming class, let’s take a look at the admissions and demographic statistics for the class of 2024:

94% ranked in the top 10% of their high school class.

Average high school GPA: Like most of the Ivy League, Dartmouth does not report the GPAs of admitted students. Their admissions team reviews applications holistically, without a minimum GPA requirement, though they mention that a strong GPA is one indicator for success at Dartmouth.

Dartmouth average ACT score: 33

25th percentile: 32

75th percentile: 35

Dartmouth average SAT Critical Reading score: 733

25th percentile: 710

75th percentile: 770

Dartmouth average SAT Math score: 750

25th percentile: 730

75th percentile: 790

International students: 10%

First generation college students: 15%

Legacy students: 10%

Public school attendees: 59%

62% of the class identified as Caucasian. The next largest group were Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at 23%. 12% were Latino, 11% were African American, and 4% were Native American.

Dartmouth academic requirements

Like most other Ivy League and Ivy+ schools, Dartmouth practices what it calls “holistic admissions,” meaning they look at each applicant comprehensively and not as a sum of their grades, test scores, and class rankings.

Dartmouth doesn’t have a particular set of coursework required, but they seek out students who have taken advantage of the most challenges courses and activities available to them. In order to fully appreciate each applicant, the school also takes their socioeconomic status into account, as well as their particular school’s course offerings and grading and ranking practices.

That said, if your child is planning to major in a STEM discipline, Dartmouth recommends that they complete the following coursework at minimum:

English: 4 years with a preference for writing-intensive literature courses

Mathematics: 4 years, through calculus for students interested in engineering and the STEM disciplines

History and social science: 3 years

Science: 3 years of laboratory science with 4 years including physics for students considering engineering

Foreign language: 3 years of a single language (ancient or modern) with 4 preferred

Dartmouth application requirements

We’ve provided a list of Dartmouth’s application requirements to save you the headache of hunting them down. They include:

Common App Essay

Dartmouth Writing Supplement

Optional in 2021–2022: SAT or ACT

2 teacher letters of recommendation

Secondary school report, transcript, school profile, and counselor evaluation submitted by your child’s guidance counselor

Peer recommendation (strongly recommended but not required): a written statement of support from someone who the applicant considers a “peer,” like a classmate or teammate, sibling, co-worker, friend, lab or debate partner.

Optional: Supplemental materials like resumes, art portfolios, or newspaper articles about your child

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Dartmouth’s deadline for early decision is November 1st and admissions decisions are mailed out in mid-December. Dartmouth’s early decision admission is restrictive, so students who apply this way are committed to attending Dartmouth if they are admitted, barring extenuating circumstances like unanticipated financial hardship.

Regular decision applications are due January 3rd and applicants receive their results by late March or early April.

Though early decision candidates are accepted at a significantly higher rate, the majority of Dartmouth’s incoming class is still admitted regular decision.

How do you know if your child should apply to Dartmouth early decision?

If Dartmouth is your child’s clear first choice for college, and their application is completely ready by November 1st, then they should apply early decision.

If your child needs their first semester of senior year to bulk up their grades, test scores, or achievements outside of school, or they’re not entirely sure that Dartmouth is the school for them, they should wait and apply regular decision in January.

(Note: While this section covers Dartmouth’s admissions essays specifically, we encourage you to view additional successful college essay examples .)

Like other Ivy League and Ivy+ schools, Dartmouth requires three supplemental essays to make sure that applicants are the best fit for the particular culture of the school: the first is a very short essay that every applicant must answer, the second is a fairly standard essay, and the third is chosen from five options provided .

Your child should remember what makes Dartmouth unique: The D-Plan, its signature flexible plan of study, its proud school traditions like the Winter Carnival and the Dartmouth Powwow, and its connection to the natural world.

These supplements are also an opportunity for your child to tell Dartmouth what makes them unique in ways that don’t necessarily translate on a transcript or a list of extracurriculars—and how these experiences, identities, or philosophies might thrive at Dartmouth specifically.

Meet three Dartmouth applicants closely based on students we’ve worked with:

Leena is interested in the intersection of art, technology, and culture. She set up a series of art installations around her hometown of Portland, Oregon last summer, and created a mirror image of these installations in Kerala, India, where her extended family lives. She’s interested in film and media studies but wants to create a custom major.

Roberto is interested in both science and the arts. He started performing stand-up comedy last year in his city, Los Angeles, CA., and also volunteers at UCLA Medical Center. He plans to pursue a materials science or engineering sciences major but wants to supplement physical sciences with social sciences and cultural studies.

Angela became interested in journalism after investigating the school system in her small town in rural Tennessee. For the exceptional work on her school newspaper, she received a scholarship to the School of the New York Times last summer. As a member of the Cherokee Nation, she is also interested in the Native American Studies Program.

Dartmouth supplemental essay 1

Prompt: Dartmouth celebrates the ways in which its profound sense of place informs its profound sense of purpose. As you seek admission to Dartmouth's Class of 2027, what aspects of the College's academic program, community, or campus environment attract your interest? In short, Why Dartmouth? (100 words or less)

This is a very common question that applicants see from many universities. Students have the opportunity to convey exactly what they value about Dartmouth, beyond its prestigious status. Is it a specific program of study? A Dartmouth tradition they can’t wait to participate in? A corner of the campus they found particularly inviting during a campus visit? To stand out, your child should always research the school and be as specific as possible.

Since this is the shortest essay, and the one that most directly focuses on Dartmouth, we’ve provided examples from each of our example applicants. Here’s Leena’s answer:

In my artistic practice, I’m preoccupied with space—how objects interact with their environment. When I visited Dartmouth’s campus last summer, all I could think about was how the school interacted with the nature that surrounds it. How the campus and the historic Appalachian Trail occupy the same physical space—the beauty of the trees so different than my homes in Portland and Kerala. I became so excited to see how my art installations interact with and reflect Dartmouth’s unique intersection of intellect and the natural world. I can’t wait to work in these spaces and be a part of them.

Why is Leena’s essay strong?

She shows continuity and growth in a specific context. Leena demonstrates her enthusiasm for Dartmouth’s culture by envisioning how she will continue her current artistic practice there. Dartmouth is proud of its commitment to nature and Leena uses that to her advantage.

This is how Roberto responded:

While I thought about focusing on Dartmouth’s state-of-the-art laboratories for my scientific research, or how it’s consistently the number one school for scientific patents, I realized there were many aspects of Dartmouth’s culture and community that align with my passions for scientific research and climate activism. That’s why I’m so excited to explore the Upper Valley with courses that both track climate change in the region and search for community-based solutions to these growing problems. As a city boy, I can’t wait to call the Upper Valley Land Trust my new home for research and political organizing.

Roberto’s strengths:

He demonstrates he’s really done his research on the school. Roberto uses a strategy of “while I could talk about x and y, I am going to focus on z” to show that he has dedicated time to learning all he can about Dartmouth and how its facilities fit into his interests and career goals.

And here’s Angela’s essay:

So far, my experience with Native American culture has been limited to family reunions, where everyone is some part Cherokee. Attending Dartmouth would give me an unparalleled opportunity to connect with other Native students from tribes all around the country, learning and collaborating with students who, unlike me, had experiences of growing up in Native communities. No other university would come close to the education in Native American Studies, from the classroom to the Dartmouth Powwow, that I could experience at Dartmouth.

Angela’s strengths:

She focuses on something that only Dartmouth can offer her. Angela uses her essay to home in on a part of Dartmouth that both academically and culturally is not offered at other similar schools, underscoring why she wants to go to Dartmouth and not just any Ivy.

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Dartmouth supplemental essay 2

Prompt: “Be yourself,” Oscar Wilde advised. “Everyone else is taken.” Introduce yourself in 200-250 words.

Dartmouth utilizes a famous quote to outline a fairly basic prompt: introduce yourself. The source of the quote being the celebrated author Oscar Wilde hints to applicants that this prompt is looking for a bit of storytelling. This is a good prompt for applicants who have unique hobbies or extracurriculars, as well as those who can write compelling “origin stories.”

Here’s how Roberto introduced himself:

The lights dim. The smell from today’s pizza lingers. The spotlight nearly blinds me. Everyone just thinks I’m a nerd. I am. Everyone sees me as the shy kid with the perfect SAT score who takes too many AP science classes. But what they don’t know is that when I get home, I prepare for my secret life as a standup comedian.

Every Friday, our school has an open mic in the cafeteria. Most students sing, play instruments, or perform skits. When I get on stage for the first time ever, no one knows what I’m about to do. I take a deep breath and wait.

While many of my classmates take private lessons to pursue art, my parents don’t have the same resources, so I watch videos of my favorite comedians online. Sometimes I even take the bus to clubs in Hollywood to see the up-and-coming comics. My jokes are usually about growing up Guatemalan American in a predominantly white suburb, so seeing how comedians in LA navigate the city’s diversity fuels my work.

I stare at my classmates and take a breath. “So my sister’s boyfriend is white and doesn’t speak Spanish well,” I pause. “But we love him anyway,” I say with sass that surprises everyone. I deliver joke after joke, a few landing so well that the room erupts in laughter. Most flop, but I keep going, making note of what does work. Afterwards, I’m flustered but inspired to hone my craft to perfection.

Here’s what Roberto does well in tackling this supplemental essay:

He tells a story. Using the present tense, Roberto puts us right in the moment of action. He sets up the scene of his comedy (pizza smells and all), provides a brief explanation of his background, shows how he developed his interest in standup comedy, and concludes by telling a joke.

He demonstrates confidence. Despite being known as the shy, smart kid, Roberto gains the confidence to stand up in front of his classmates to tell jokes, even though they have their preconceptions of who he is. In addition to standing up in front of his classmates, he also shows that he is willing to fail in front of them. That’s the kind of attitude a scientist needs.

He shows passion. Roberto is not simply passionate about standup comedy because he likes it. In fact, he finds that comedy is a great way for him to express himself and the challenges of being Guatemalan American in Los Angeles. We also see his dedication and initiative by learning that he takes the bus to Hollywood to see young comedians perform.

Dartmouth supplemental essay 3

As mentioned earlier, applicants should choose one of the following five prompts to answer. Each one offers your child a unique way to describe themselves and their skills, so they’ll want to choose the prompt that best suits their experiences up to this point.

Prompt A: 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 making—an impact?

Here’s how Angela answers this prompt:

I volunteer every year with my church’s Christmas clothing drive. Church and community members would bring in coats and scarves and other warm clothes in boxes. We would sort through them and donate the items to local homeless shelters.

The most rewarding aspect of the clothing drive was actually going to the shelters and seeing the genuine appreciation among the recipients. Many of these people lived on the street and had little to no shelter from the cold. When I started joining my family at this event, it was my first experience of working at something that had no direct benefit to me. It was simply to improve someone else’s wellbeing. It helped me see that I could make a direct impact on my community, if I just put in the work.

At Dartmouth, I want to give back to the university community and the community of Hanover. I plan to contribute to the work of Upper Valley Haven and Willing Hands, to help combat food insecurity in the area. I’d also like to use the existing infrastructure of these program to help organize events and specific drives for clothing or other essential supplies. I’m excited to learn from these groups and gain the tools necessary to make a lasting difference in the lives of all community members.

How did Angela ace this essay?

Their story is Dartmouth-specific. Angela did their research on Dartmouth community organizations and found the exact organizations they wanted to work with and how they envisioned learning from these existing programs.

They showed continuity between current and future activities. Angela used their background as a clothing drive volunteer to show their continuing commitment to certain causes, and how she was excited to grow her knowledge base through contributing to similar programs at Dartmouth.

Prompt B: What excites you?

As a highly open-ended prompt, this essay can take many different directions. In particular, it’s a valuable opportunity for your child to convey something about themselves that isn’t reflected in the rest of their application. This makes it a good choice for applicants who want to paint a fuller picture of their interests and motivations. Remember that “excitement” is a key concept here and should be used to its full advantage.

How Roberto approached this one:

Over the past few years, I have dedicated my intellectual pursuits and activities outside of school to battling climate change. For a long time, I thought that as a STEM student, I could only help this major trouble of the world through scientific research. I was always a science-brain and spent a lot of time studying climate technology and volunteering at UCLA Medical Center, watching closely as technology helped community members recover.

But last year I was hanging out with a friend and she suggested that I come to a sit-in at LA city hall. I was never much of an activist. I always preferred to fight this global problem in a lab. But I decided to go with her and was thrilled to meet so many great people tackling climate change through a social lens. Through activism I realized that technology has to work in tandem with policy and culture all across the world.

Global problems must be tackled on a local scale. That is why I am looking forward to making Dartmouth’s Social Impact Practicums that work with local causes as a significant part of my education and use the opportunity to become a Social Impact Learning Fellow over the course of my studies. Doing environmental research and social organizing in different communities around the world is exciting work, and I’m eager to use my ‘L’ periods in my D-Plan to see how this global issue is tackled locally everywhere.

What did Roberto do to succeed at answering this prompt?

Roberto connected what excites him to what he wants to study. Roberto highlights relevant extracurricular activities and how his passion for science has developed to include a focus on social issues.

Roberto was academically specific. Roberto mentioned Dartmouth-specific programs and initiatives that he was excited to participate in, and even mapped out how he would take advantage of their flexible study plan.

Prompt C: In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind , William Kamkwamba, Class of 2014, reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power the electrical appliances in his family's Malawian house: "If you want to make it, all you have to do is try." What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you already made?

This prompt is perfect for students who love to create things—perhaps physical objects like artwork or food, or non-tangible creations like community, dialogue, or home. The applicant is invited to talk about their past accomplishments of creation, or aspirations for the future. Use one of these angles or incorporate them both!

How Angela answered:

I was a shy kid, mostly nonconfrontational. If someone hurt my feelings, I would probably never tell them and just sit with it until those feelings went away. When I joined the newspaper, I realized that as a reporter I would have to start talking to people more and sometimes confront them about their actions or perspectives.

So, when my lab partner in AP Bio, who is white, was disappointed to be paired with me, a person of color, I decided I was no longer going to sit with hurt feelings, especially in a context I viewed as racism. I decided that this was my moment to break out of my shell and create a dialogue.

Every time I have lab, we talk about his perspective and mine. We talk about our childhoods growing up in different parts of the same small town, what his family is like, what mine is like. His family has told him a lot of backwards things, but I think that having to sit there and answer my questions every day has begun to shift his perspective.

He hasn’t said that what he thought on the first day of lab was wrong, but he says he’s sorry he hurt my feelings and he likes having me as a lab partner. It’s a start. I think it’s beautiful in the way it’s unfinished. It’s important to find beauty in potential and process rather than just a resolution.

What makes Angela’s essay successful:

She uses the concept of “creation” creatively. Angela doesn’t create an object or a piece of art, but talks instead about creating a dialogue, which is a novel way of approaching the prompt. She also investigates the idea of beauty through talking about how this dialogue is ongoing and unfinished.

Prompt D: Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel of Dartmouth's Class of 1925, wrote, "Think and wonder. Wonder and think." What do you wonder and think about?

Curiosity is a broad and somewhat tricky subject. Your child could use this prompt to delve into one specific subject or passion, but they could also talk enthusiastically (read: “wonder”—a verb they’ve chosen deliberately as a clue to the tone your child should take in their response) about the nature of their curiosity in general. How does thinking and wondering extend past academic pursuits and into the rest of the applicant’s life? This is a good choice for a student that can define curiosity for themselves and write about it eloquently.

Angela’s response:

I’m infectiously curious to the point of annoyance. I was a ‘why’ child. I remember one conversation in particular when I was about four years old:

“Why is the sky blue, mama?”

“Because it is, baby.”

“Why is it, though?” And everyone around us burst out laughing.

When I was older, I learned that I was never happier than when I was investigating these questions for myself. I would spend hours on YouTube and Wikipedia, searching endlessly for the specific answer to the question I posed for myself.

It wasn’t until I started working on the school paper that I learned these questions can actually help you discover something new, something that no one knows but everyone should. I couldn’t figure out why our textbooks were falling apart without replacements, so I started asking why for the school paper. I asked why until the school board shut me down, and then I started asking why elsewhere. That’s how I figured out that the money was going towards the members of the schoolboard and not to the students themselves.

Curiosity is a driving force for me. It’s an important part of being a journalist, but my curiosity led me to journalism, and not the other way around. It’s difficult for me to live any part of my life uninvestigated, from my friendships to my yoga practice to the backroads in the farmland around my town.

Angela took a more general approach to this prompt. Angela’s essay stood out because:

She has a sense of narrative. While Angela talks about curiosity on a broad scale, i.e., how it played into her life from the time she was a child, she also tells a very specific story about how curiosity compelled her to make a contribution to her community and find her passion for journalism.

Prompt E: "Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced," wrote James Baldwin. How does this quote apply to your life experiences?

This prompt is an invitation to show how change has functioned in your child’s life. They might choose to write about a change in their life that’s had an impact on them, such as a challenge or adversity. They could also describe a situation in which they have successfully created change, which would be a great choice for an applicant involved with leadership or activism. No matter which angle they choose, your child should remember to also incorporate Baldwin’s perspective of change as a constant.

Leena’s response:

The Indian community in Portland is small, and the Malayalee community even smaller. Portland is a majority white city, founded as a white separatist state, and the remnants of that are still present, despite its progressive image. When I wanted to put up an art installation featuring Kerala around my Southeast Portland neighborhood, something really surprised me.

Usually people are pretty nice around the neighborhood, but when I went to get permission to use public spaces—more as a courtesy than a requirement—I was met with backlash. Some of my neighbors claimed I needed permits, while others simply didn’t understand the point of a public art installation with a subject matter so far from their own experience. I could tell a lot of them felt uncomfortable with images of brown people around the neighborhood.

But I had worked on the large portraits for this installation for over a year, and I wanted to see my vision realized. So, my friends helped me put the portraits up one night in the pitch dark while everyone was sleeping. They even helped me set up security cameras in case someone tried to deface one of the artworks. Once the installation was up, my neighbors acted differently. They seemed to be impressed with my skills as an artist and decided they liked the artwork.

Most importantly, they started asking me questions about the people and places depicted with genuine interest, something I’d never experienced before. Other nonwhite residents also approached me to express their appreciation for how the installation disrupted the image of an all-white community. I’m proud that my artwork created a dialogue, which I hope will ultimately lead to more inclusive attitudes in my home city. I believe this change, and all change, is possible one small action at a time.

Leena achieved the following in her response:

Creating a compelling narrative. She tells a story of personal adversity and perseverance. Since this event in her life is over, she’s able to tell a complete story, carrying the consistent theme of change throughout the beginning, middle, and satisfying end.

She directly addresses the prompt. Leena conveys how her actions created a change in the perspectives of people in her community, leading to a larger realization that this method can be applied to other barriers.

Final thoughts

Dartmouth is a great choice for an Ivy-competitive student who values a traditional college experience, a love of the outdoors, and a small student body. Every applicant should consider the importance of these traits and whether they will thrive in the specific academic and social environment that Dartmouth prides itself on having created.

About the Author

Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on college admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into top programs like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT using his exclusive approach.

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College Admissions

Dartmouth College , located in Hanover, New Hampshire, is one of the best universities in the world. A member of the Ivy League, Dartmouth has notable graduates, top-of-the-line programs, and a minuscule admissions rate.

If you want to be one of the 7.9% of students accepted to Dartmouth every year, you'll need to write some amazing essays as part of your application's Dartmouth supplement.

In this post, I'll talk about what the Dartmouth essay prompts are, which essays you can choose to write, and how to craft standout responses that'll help ensure your admission.

What Are the Dartmouth Essay Prompts?

You can apply to Dartmouth using the Common Application or QuestBridge Application. No matter which application you choose, you'll also have to submit the Dartmouth Supplement.

Part of the Dartmouth Supplement involves answering three required writing prompts. The first two writing prompts are the same for all students. Students have five prompt options for the third essay and must answer one.

According to Dartmouth's website, "the writing supplement includes questions specific to Dartmouth that help the Admissions Committee gain a better sense of how you and Dartmouth might be a good 'fit' for each other."

Basically, that means that the Dartmouth Admissions Committee wants to know who you are… and how you'll fit in on Dartmouth's campus. Your Dartmouth supplemental essays give the admissions committee a chance to get to know you beyond your test scores and other credentials. The essays will give Dartmouth a better idea of how you think and act, so they can see if you would be a great addition to the student body.

Let's take a look at the Dartmouth essay prompts.

Dartmouth Essay Prompts

Here are the 2022-2023 Dartmouth Essay Prompts. Like we mentioned earlier, the first two prompts are the same for all students. For the third essay, students are given five prompt options and must answer one.

Please respond in 100 words or fewer:

Dartmouth celebrates the ways in which its profound sense of place informs its profound sense of purpose. As you seek admission to Dartmouth's Class of 2027, what aspects of the College's academic program, community, or campus environment attract your interest? In short, Why Dartmouth? Please respond in 100 words or fewer.

Essay #2

Please response in 200-250 words:

"Be yourself," Oscar Wilde advised. "Everyone else is taken." Introduce yourself in 200-250 words.

Please choose one of the following prompts and respond in 200-250 words:

Dartmouth Essays Analyzed

Let's take a look at the Dartmouth essay prompts for 2021-2022.

Dartmouth Essay Prompt 1

All Dartmouth students are required to answer this prompt and for good reason — it's the "Why Dartmouth" essay! This essay shows the admissions committee why Dartmouth is the right school for you.

At only 100 words, this prompt doesn't give you a lot of room to expand upon your favorite parts of the College, so you should pick one or two aspects of Dartmouth that you really love and focus on those.

The prompt encourages you to talk about the program, community, or campus, so don't feel like you have to limit yourself to academics. You can talk about other things about Dartmouth that interest you, such as the student life or extracurricular activities.

Whichever features you choose to highlight, make sure your connection to them is real and personal. In other words, don't just say you're a fan of Dartmouth's sterling academic reputation. Instead, focus on a specific part of that reputation - a professor whose work you admire or a class that you really want to take.

Dartmouth Essay Prompt 2

First impressions can be daunting! How do you want to be perceived? What would you say to pique Dartmouth’s admissions counselors’ interest? This is your chance to be bold, and to stand out from the crowd. But remember the prompt: they’re not quoting Wilde for fun. You’ll need to introduce your most authentic self. In other words, introduce who you are, not who you think Dartmouth wants you to be.

Don't feel confined to traditional, linear methods of storytelling in this prompt. You can play around with form and structure, as long as you do it well. Get an advisor or mentor to read your work and offer feedback, especially if you deviate from your typical style.

Dartmouth Essay Prompt 3

Dartmouth's longer essay prompts give you plenty of room to think creatively and show off your individuality. All students are required to pick and answer one of the prompts in 250-300 words. Let's take a look at the prompts and examine how to answer them.

Prompt A: The Introduction Prompt

A. 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 making—an impact?

This prompt is more tangible and concrete than the others available for selection. If you feel intimidated by discussing your creativity or personal history, this prompt is a good one to choose.

This prompt asks you to pick a real-world issue and discuss how you wish to address it (or are already addressing it). Don't feel like you have to pick something grand and far-reaching, like starvation or world peace. You can also pick an issue that affects people locally, in your community, for instance. The key is to pick a topic that you have a personal connection to and reason for wanting to fix. Your passion will come across in your description of the issue.

Prompt B: The Passion Prompt

B. What excites you?

This essay prompt is asking you to think toward your future and write about something—anything!—that gets you pumped. Dartmouth Admissions is looking to see if you have purpose and passion.

To answer this prompt, take some time to think about your future: your goals for your time in college, things you hope to achieve, opportunities that you find invigorating. You'll want your response to be focused and organized, so choose one idea, goal, or possibility that most excites you and go into detail about that in your response.

For example, maybe you're excited about the opportunity to improve your creative writing craft in the company of other student writers at Dartmouth, so you make becoming a better writer the central idea of your response to this prompt. You might go into detail about how you're excited to take writing workshop courses, learn from other students' writing styles, and eventually work on a creative writing publication with other students.

Whatever topic you choose to write about, you need to have a central idea—something that excites you—and you need to be able to explain how your excitement will shape your life choices as a student at Dartmouth.

There are no right or wrong answers in terms of what excites you, but it is important to try to think toward your future and explain

Prompt C: The Creativity Prompt

C. In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind , William Kamkwamba, Class of 2014, reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power the electrical appliances in his family's Malawian house: "If you want to make it, all you have to do is try." What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you already made

Creativity is crucial to every field of study, and this essay prompt is asking you to show that your interests, academic or recreational, inspire you to make things. To respond to this prompt, you'll need to be able to explain an idea, issue, or interest that motivates you to make stuff, then describe what you've made in the past or hope to make in the future!

The first thing to do is establish what drives you to create . To do this, think about who you are, where you come from, what experiences you've had, and who you want to become. Like in the example given in the prompt, maybe there's a need right in your own home that inspires you to create. You could think locally, like The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, or you could think outside of your personal experience too. Is there a global issue that drives you to create something that will help others in the future, during, or after college? If so, describe that vision and the global issue that motivates it.

Keep in mind that "creating" and "making something" can be interpreted many different ways. Your vision for "making" doesn't have to be artistic or some scientific invention. It could be creating a virtual reading service for overworked parents who need help educating their children during a global pandemic! On the other hand, maybe you're creating a science curriculum through your school's independent study program so you can learn more about climate change, which is your passion.

Whatever the case may be, it's a good idea to relate that creativity to your time at Dartmouth. For instance, maybe your virtual reading service has inspired you to major in business, so you can turn that service into your future career. It would be a great idea to research and talk about joining the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship at Dartmouth to help show admissions counselors that Dartmouth is the only school that can help your dreams become a reality.

Prompt D: The Curiosity Prompt

D. Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel of Dartmouth's Class of 1925, wrote, "Think and wonder. Wonder and think." What do you wonder and think about?

This prompt is actually just an invitation for you to dive deep into something that you're insatiably curious about. Dartmouth admissions wants to see that you have that intrinsic motivation to learn, grow, and expand your horizons, and they want to get to know you better by hearing you go off about that thing that you're endlessly curious about.

So, how do you celebrate your curiosity in this response? Start by pinpointing that one thing that you're the most curious about. You can probably look to your activities, relationships, and even your Google search history to identify what that one thing is. Maybe you're endlessly curious about food: different cultures of eating around the world, America's relationship to food, how to select, prepare, and eat it...and if you're really curious about food, you could probably go on and on about everything you know and want to know about it in your response.

This is a good thing! To organize your response, describe the thing you're curious about in a way that helps admissions counselors get to know you better . Going back to the food example, you could talk about where your curiosity about food comes from, or your background with food, how your curiosity with food plays into your day-to-day living, and some specific things you hope to learn about or do with food as you continue engaging with it.

And finally, connect your past experience, present questions, and future goals at Dartmouth in your response. This will show Dartmouth that you're a dedicated, independent learner who will be an endlessly curious student too.

Prompt E: The Baldwin Prompt

E. "Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced," wrote James Baldwin. How does this quote apply to your life experiences?

Some challenges in life appear insurmountable at first—and not all of them can be overcome. This prompt asks you to reflect on your own life, and on your own experiences with growth and change, whether or not you succeeded.

In your response, you'll get the chance to show that you see the value of being adaptable and accepting change. You can demonstrate this quality by writing about how you've seen something happening cyclically, something changing, or a season coming to an end in your life. It's important that you write about a situation that was meaningful to you—one where you saw yourself growing and learning.

Alternatively, you could write about an ongoing situation in your life that you are still facing. For example, maybe your school enacted a policy that you and your peers consider unfair, and you’ve been working for a while to make your voices heard.

It's okay if the thing you choose to write about is something you've had conflicted feelings about. What's important in your response here is showing how facing the challenges you describe strengthened your determination and adaptability —qualities that will be valuable when you become a Dartmouth student.

How to Write Great Dartmouth Essays

In order to write great Dartmouth essays, you need to show the committee two things. First, you need to give them a clear idea of who you are. Second, you need to show them, "Why Dartmouth." In other words, why Dartmouth is important to you. Here are some tips to help you accomplish both of those goals.

#1: Use Your Own Voice

The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond your test scores, grades, and honors. Your admissions essays are your opportunity to make yourself come alive for the essay readers and to present yourself as a fully fleshed out person.

You should, then, make sure that the person you're presenting in your college essays is yourself. Don't try to emulate what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you're not.

If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will diminish its effectiveness. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think Dartmouth wants you to be.

#2: Avoid Clichés and Overused Phrases

When writing your Dartmouth essays, try to avoid using common quotes or phrases. These include quotations that have been quoted to death and phrases or idioms that are overused in daily life. The college admissions committee has probably seen numerous essays that state, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Strive for originality.

#3: Check Your Work

It should almost go without saying, but you want to make sure your Dartmouth essays are the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your Dartmouth application, make sure to edit and proofread your essays.

Your work should be free of spelling and grammar errors. Make sure to run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit.

It's a good idea to have someone else read your Dartmouth essays, too. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend. Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure you haven't missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it possibly can be.

That being said, make sure you don't rely on them for ideas or rewrites. Your essays need to be your work.

#4: Play With Form

Dartmouth's essay prompts leave a lot of room open for creative expression - use that! You don't need to stick to a five paragraph essay structure here. You can play with the length and style of your sentences - you could even dabble in poetry if that makes sense!

Whichever form you pick, make sure it fits with the story you're trying to tell and how you want to express yourself.

What's Next?

Learn more about the most selective colleges in the US . If you're applying to multiple Ivy Leagues, it's a good idea to know your chances at each!

If you're hoping to attend a highly selective school like Dartmouth, you'll need to have a very strong academic record in high school. Learn more about high school honors classes and societies.

Not sure what your GPA means for your chances of college admission? Find out what a good or bad GPA might look like based on your goals.

Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar.

Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges.

Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now :

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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Dartmouth College 2022-23 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 3

You Have:

Dartmouth College 2022-23 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 100 words, 2 essays of 250-300 words.

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Oddball , Community

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

Dartmouth celebrates the ways in which its profound sense of place informs its profound sense of purpose. as you seek admission to dartmouth’s class of 2027, what aspects of the college’s academic program, community, or campus environment attract your interest in short, why dartmouth please respond in 100 words or fewer..

If you have the unsettling feeling that you’ve read this prompt somewhere before, worry not. This prompt should ring a bell because it’s just a slightly more verbose version of the most common supplemental essay question out there: why here? Phrased this way, Dartmouth’s prompt is specifically probing for information about what piques your interest about its academics, community, and/or campus environment. Focus on how you would spend your time at Dartmouth and how the environment might enrich your own sense of purpose. What are you hoping to major in and why? What cozy corners of campus would you curl up in to review course materials? Are you eager to get involved in the student newspaper or gospel choir? As with all other “why” prompts, research is the key to writing a memorable essay, so spend a little time on the Dartmouth website and literally map your path from where you are now to where you hope to be in the near or distant future.

Required of all applicants. Please respond in 200-250 words:

“be yourself,” oscar wilde advised. “everyone else is taken.” introduce yourself in 200-250 words..

This is the kind of prompt that tends to stump students the most. It’s so open-ended that many applicants don’t know where or how to start! Don’t worry, you’ll have a finished draft in no time. Start by answering the question stream-of-consciousness style. How would you introduce yourself to someone in a setting you’re comfortable in? Think about introducing yourself to someone after one of your plays or soccer games, gaming competitions or meditation classes. What would you say? You might talk about what interests you, things that are important to you, ideologies about life that offer you hope or feelings of connection. Maybe you’d address your favorite qualities about yourself or the burning passions that motivate your choices and worldview. We believe your best bet at a unique and memorable response is to leave yourself enough time to freewrite, draft, organize, edit, and polish. Responses to prompts like these shouldn’t be written in one sitting—there’s too much to capture!

Required of all applicants. Please choose one of the following prompts and respond in 200-250 words:

A. 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 making—an impact.

Community, community, community. Even though it doesn’t say it explicitly, this question is asking, “What do you hope to achieve for the greater good?” Dartmouth wants to know what you consider to be your life’s purpose. (They know you’re young and still figuring things out, so don’t worry about being held to it!) What kind of mark would you like to leave on the world? If you find yourself drawn to this prompt, odds are you already have a few ideas in mind. Whether you’d like to dedicate your life to advocating for the voiceless or tearing down barriers for marginalized groups, tell admissions, in your own voice, why this path is the one you’ve chosen (or maybe it has chosen you!). If you’ve already gotten involved in making an impact in your community, be sure to mention the work you’ve accomplished and how it will influence the work you hope to do in the future.

B. What excites you?

This prompt is as simple as they come, and yet it can be totally overwhelming to tackle. If nothing comes to mind immediately, read through the other prompts to see if anything makes that magic light bulb appear above your head. If you find yourself coming back to this prompt, try to focus on a subject that stokes your curiosity, a specific concept that has infiltrated your browser history, or an experience that has burned itself into your brain. Which kind of homework assignments are you clamoring to complete first? Which topics want to make you open up a new book, Google the definition of a word you’re not familiar with, or hit play on a podcast? Who challenges you to think of issues in new ways? Whatever excites you, Dartmouth is aiming to bring self-motivated, deep thinkers into their student body. Admissions officers want to know that you’ll be eager to contribute to lively class discussion and maybe conduct research in your latter years on campus. Remember, enthusiasm is infectious, so show them that you’ll be a valuable addition to any classroom setting by getting specific here — and maybe even getting them excited about a new topic!

C. In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba ’14 reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power electrical appliances in his family’s Malawian house: “If you want to make it, all you have to do is try.” What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you made?

Do not be overwhelmed by this prompt! You don’t need to have created clean energy or curated an art gallery in Chelsea to impress admissions with your response here. Admissions just wants to learn about your motivations, aspirations, and goals. What kinds of things do you make and what inspires you to make them? What do you hope to create in the future and why? What drives you to create, to dream? This prompt is as much about ingenuity and problem-solving as it is about creativity. Did you build custom compost bins for your school, encouraging students and faculty alike to reduce their carbon footprints? Did you build an app for your nonverbal sister to help her to communicate with others in a new way? Whatever it is, be specific and don’t be afraid to sound a little wet behind the ears — every game-changer was once a dreamer.

D. Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel of Dartmouth’s Class of 1925, wrote, “Think and wonder. Wonder and think.” What do you wonder and think about?

Dartmouth wants to accept intellectually curious applicants, so take this opportunity to share one of the concepts that lives rent-free in your mind with admissions! When was the last time you went down an internet rabbit hole researching something that piqued your interest? Maybe you spend time wondering about the mind, body, and spirit—where each begins and ends—or perhaps you find yourself daydreaming about the potential of time travel and its related consequences on Earthlings (cue Tony Stark’s lecture that it’s nothing like Back to the Future ). Ultimately, you want to discuss examples of what truly fascinates you while also reflecting on what these examples say about your personality traits, interests, and/or learning style.

E. “Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced,” wrote James Baldwin. How does this quote apply to your life experiences?

Facing difficult times in your life requires courage, and writing about it calls for vulnerability and perspective. Don’t focus too much on the circumstances of the challenge, but instead, on how you rose to the occasion to face it. This is your opportunity to show admissions that you are a developing, maturing young adult who can roll with the punches, so to say. As you zero in on a key moment, ask yourself: What healthy coping mechanisms or communication skills did you develop? Who, if applicable, did you choose to lean on and why? What did you learn about yourself? How will you approach difficult situations moving forward? Be honest and open, and we’re sure admissions will be impressed.

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August 23, 2022

Tips for Answering the Dartmouth College Supplemental Essay Prompts [2022 – 2023]

Dartmouth College utilizes the Common Application. It requires the main Common Application essay and additional supplemental Dartmouth-specific essay responses. The additional essays help the admission committee round out the overall picture of you as a prospective student by providing insight into your personality. Don’t approach this as just another essay you have to write. Look at this as an opportunity for you to make a convincing statement about why Dartmouth is the ideal school for you to achieve your goals and how you can enrich the campus community.

Everyone must answer the first two essay prompts, but you have a choice to make about which question to address with your third response. As you decide which of the latter essay prompts to answer, allow yourself some time to think about Dartmouth’s comprehensive character. Consider its location in Hanover, New Hampshire; if possible visit the campus and imagine yourself there as an undergraduate. Take a virtual campus tour. Research the different ways Dartmouth’s curriculum and approaches to education are a good fit for you . Think about the specific activities, programs, or organizations that attract you to Dartmouth. In short, ask yourself why is Dartmouth the best place for me to achieve my goals?

Dartmouth reflects its commitment to assess your potential as a student on the Dartmouth campus in its request for a peer recommendation. Dartmouth encourages you to include a letter of recommendation from a friend, classmate, family member, or someone else you regard as your peer. Although the peer recommendation is a “suggestion,” it is not an opportunity to overlook. This endorsement provides insight into how you are perceived by others. It also gives some indication about your potential fit with the Dartmouth community.

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Dartmouth prides itself on learning without boundaries. The overall academic structure and approach at the school is intended to allow you freedom. The year-round quarter system offers flexibility for you to design your own calendar. You can enter any major without a need for institutional approval (this includes Engineering). How might this sort of structure contribute to your educational success? Students are encouraged to: “Challenge yourself. Be yourself.” Don’t worry about choosing an uncommon topic. Instead, focus on discussing whichever topic you select from your point of view. Your essay responses should express your individual story and reflect your personality.

The Dartmouth writing supplement

Dartmouth’s writing supplement requires applicants write brief responses to three supplemental essay prompts as follows. The first two are the same for all applicants but the third allows you to select from several prompts.

1. Dartmouth celebrates the ways in which its profound sense of place informs its profound sense of purpose. As you seek admission to Dartmouth’s Clas of 2027, what aspects of the College’s academic program, community, or campus environment attract your interest? In short, Why Dartmouth? Please respond in 100 words or fewer .

How is Dartmouth special to you? You have a limited number of words to work with, so be succinct. Remember, they already have your letters of recommendations (counselor, teachers and peer), grades, SAT/ACT/AP/IB scores, curriculum, and list of extracurricular involvement. This question asks you to focus on your personal and/or academic goals and how Dartmouth is a good match for you and vice versa. How will being a part of the close-knit Dartmouth community and engaging with the Dartmouth curriculum prepare you for your future? Consider the factors that make the Dartmouth program, community, and campus environment unique and how those factors will provide the foundation to support your aspirations. Communicate how these elements align with your sense of place and purpose.

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2. “Be yourself,” Oscar Wilde advised. “Everyone else is taken.” Introduce yourself in 200-250 words.

What is your personal story? This is a perfect prompt to allow you to showcase specific conditions, situations, and/or circumstances in your background that are significant to your identity. Share something fundamental about yourself, your family, or your intimate community. You can discuss the intricacies of your cultural, familial, and/or social background—tell your story. Sometimes it might be something obvious, other times it might be disguised or hidden in some way. Do you feel pressure based on a set of arbitrary characteristics? Do you feel judged or liberated in some way? What is important to you? How does this relate to your values and sense of individuality? As you discuss your story, you must provide some context—remember to address why it is significant for others to know this about you. Spend a good portion of your essay discussing how this story relates to your sense of identity. What does this reflect about you? How might what you shared influence your goals for the future? How do you reconcile finding a sense of belonging on your own terms? How might attending Dartmouth impact your story?

3. Choose one of the following prompts and respond in 250-300 words:

A. 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 making—an impact?

This prompt is about what motivates or excites you to action and how you make an impact when driven by passion to make something better for others. Demonstrate your enthusiasm for a cause that is meaningful to you. Discuss a specific incident and what was at stake. How did you make a positive impact? Or how did that motivate you to continue working toward that goal? If you acted on something, consider the repercussions of your actions. What was the outcome? What was the cost to you? What did you learn about yourself? How did this experience change you? This is really about why you think striving for change is important. Consider compassion, empathy, and understanding in terms of interpersonal and global impact. How might an education at Dartmouth prepare you for the future? What kinds of skills, ways of thinking, and experiences will help lay the foundation for success? How does a liberal arts education play into your plans?

B. What excites you?

This prompt has a broad scope but at the core is, what fascinates you? You don’t need to be an expert about the topic—how do you explore and engage your interests? This is an opportunity to discuss your passion for a particular area (academic or otherwise) and how you learn best. Provide an example of something that attracted your interest and then discuss the path you took to embrace your curiosity. What sparked your interest? What made the topic/activity/information/concept/question so meaningful to you? How did you explore the subject more deeply? What did you discover? What did you learn about yourself? Consider your learning style and how you approach new concepts. Also think about the connection you established to the subject—what might that reveal about your personality? How did this process inspire you? Make sure to convey your passion for the subject and your enthusiasm for learning!

C. In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba, Class of 2014, reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power the electrical appliances in his family’s Malawian house: “If you want to make it, all you have to do is try.” What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you already made?

This prompt discusses how creativity and innovation are often borne of necessity. How did/do you apply your creativity to problem-solving? The focus is on your motivation for creativity while providing a space for you to discuss your passion, imagination, motivation, and aspirations. In this modern technological world, how do you think outside of the proverbial box? Capture a specific moment or urge that sparked your vision. This may be an opportunity to incorporate discussion about an extracurricular interest/activity that demonstrates your creativity. Think about the ideas or values that inspire you to make some sort of impact and the ways in which you express your imagination. What have you learned about yourself through your exploration? Then discuss how that influences your sense of identity and perspective about the world. What does what you learned in this creative process reveal about the person you are? How might this affect how you embrace the future? How might you apply this energy going forward? How might you express your creativity and embrace your aspirations at Dartmouth?

D. Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel of Dartmouth’s Class of 1925, wrote, “Think and wonder. Wonder and think.” What do you wonder and think about?

This is another board prompt that deals with how you expand or enhance ideas, thoughts, and perspectives about the world to reflect on new possibilities. Examine the on-going cycle of coming up with ideas and how you explore those ideas. At the heart of this prompt is how you process the world around you. Consider how this new knowledge or way of thinking impacted or changed you. The focus of this prompt allows you to discuss the relationship between imagination and intellectual thought. Also consider what you might learn about yourself in the process of trying to understand new ideas. Remember to discuss how these new ideas influenced you—the way you interact with others, how you think about your identity , what you might do differently with this new understanding. Dartmouth prides itself on providing flexibility in learning and an education without boundaries—here’s your chance to tell them why that’s so important to you!

E. “Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced,” wrote James Baldwin. How does this quote apply to your life experiences?

This question asks you to identify a specific problem or issue and explain how you actively engaged with it. How did recognizing the problem/issue help you to deal with it? You can address any problem, large or small. Think about the global community, humanitarian efforts, or any issue you would like to fix but make it personal by sharing the impact on your life experiences. Keep in mind that sometimes situations are beyond your control. You can tie this response to community service activities, thoughts about empathy, discussions about agency, and individual responsibility. Consider how you view yourself in relationship to those around you. Why are you inspired to confront this problem? Why is it significant? This response reveals your approach to problem solving, ability to conceive solutions, and illustrates how you process the world around you. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your values, critical thinking skills and creativity. Consider if and how an education at Dartmouth might help you to bring about positive change and address this dilemma.

Note: If you have unusual curricular patterns, your counselor can mention this in the Secondary Education Report, or you can discuss your circumstances in the “Additional Information” section of the Common Application.

Final thoughts on applying to Dartmouth

The context of your academic success is a significant factor in determining your overall competitiveness as an applicant. The top applicants take the most rigorous curriculum available at their high schools. Furthermore, by achieving high grades, they demonstrate their ability to thrive in Dartmouth’s challenging academic environment. Dartmouth embraces a holistic approach to the admission process and is committed to reviewing all aspects of your application. This is even more significant given that this application cycle is again test optional. Although Dartmouth is not reporting testing profiles from the last few application cycles, keep in mind; for the class of 2023, over 95% of accepted students were ranked in the top 10% of their high school graduating class with an average SAT score of 1500, and an average ACT score of 33. For the Class of 2026, it received 28,336 undergraduate applications and had a record low acceptance rate of 6.2%. Your personal narrative essays are your opportunity to pull away from this extremely competitive applicant pool.

Although it is easy to get overwhelmed, remember to stay focused on your goals. Allow yourself enough time to reflect on your experiences in a unique way that expresses your personality. Meet all deadlines and word limits. Your overall application should clearly reflect your interests and motivations while enthusiastically demonstrating why Dartmouth is the best school to help you achieve your objectives!

If you’re applying to Dartmouth College, you already know you’re up against tight competition. Don’t be overwhelmed. Get the guidance of an experienced admissions specialist who will help you stand out from the highly competitive applicant pool so you can apply with confidence, and get accepted! Click here to get started!

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***

Marie Todd has been involved in college admissions for over twenty years. Marie has both counseled applicants to top colleges and evaluated 5000+ applications for the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science and the Arts; College of Engineering; School of Kinesiology; School of Nursing; and Taubman College of Architecture. Want Marie to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch .

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College Application

Dartmouth Supplemental Essay Examples for

Article Contents 10 min read

Dartmouth supplemental essay examples will help you in your quest to deliver the very finest essay that you can. Seeking guidance on how to write a college essay can be useful, but equally useful can be reading over existing essays to see what the pros do, and how all the bits fit together.

Your essays are one of the most important aspects of your college application, and they should be as polished as possible. This might mean seeking out an essay workshop for students or reading expert college essay tips , but checking out examples can be helpful as well.

This article will take you through the necessary essays for Dartmouth’s supplemental section and provide you with some general essay writing tips.

Note : If you want us to help you with your applications, interviews and/or standardized tests, book a free strategy call . If you are a university, business, or student organization representative and want to partner with us, visit our partnerships page .

Dartmouth Supplemental Essays

Dartmouth requires students to write three essays. For the first two essays, students get one prompt that they will all follow. Pay close attention to all three prompts but note that if a school is requiring absolutely everybody to respond to the same prompt, that prompt is universally important, and something Dartmouth cares a lot about.

There are several prompts for the third essay, so you can choose the one you think will show off your unique abilities, talents, and experiences. Remember: essays in applications are about showing why you are the best possible candidate for that particular school.

All Applicants

Essay no. 1.

“Dartmouth celebrates the ways in which its profound sense of place informs its profound sense of purpose. As you seek admission to Dartmouth ... what aspects of the College’s academic program, community, or campus environment attract your interest? In short, Why Dartmouth?”

Word limit: 100 words, max.

With the beauty of New England, the academic discipline, and exciting research opportunities, there is nothing about Dartmouth that doesn’t appeal to me.

My primary reason for wanting to attend Dartmouth is the research potential in energy engineering; I want to make an impact on environmental conservation, starting with energy. Dartmouth’s research on biomass processing technologies is very exciting.

Besides academics, I also have family in Hanover, so my support network would be strong at Dartmouth. Furthermore, the beauty and heritage of the campus is inspiring.

Dartmouth imbues me with a sense of place and purpose that inspires.

“‘Be yourself,’ Oscar Wilde advised. ‘Everyone else is taken.’ Introduce yourself...”

Word limit: 200–250 words

Given the prompt, it seems appropriate to start by saying that I am a big fan of Oscar Wilde. I am normally a shy person, and I may be uncomfortable being talked about, but I know there are worse things…

My sense of humor is my favorite aspect of myself, and I have always had a love of comedy – hence my interest in Oscar. My parents have said I laughed uproariously as a baby and they have taken as much delight in introducing me to Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, Monty Python, and Mr. Show as I have in laughing with all of them.

I believe that a sense of humor and irony will aid everybody, and we could all use a good laugh at our own expense now and again. So much of politics and business and social anxiety could be better managed with a few well-placed guffaws.

In fact, learning to laugh at myself has been instrumental in conquering my shyness and allowing me to meet people and gain opportunities. Without that, I couldn’t have run for student government at my school – becoming vice president – or attempted stand-up comedy for the first time this summer. For the record, I mostly bombed my set, but I’m re-writing my material and learning how to bounce back from a setback – they won’t stop me!

So, that’s my “me.” Let everybody else be taken, Wilde, I’m perfectly content as I am.

Essay No. 3

Students choose one of the following essays to complete.

A. “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 making – an impact?”

Six hours in the sun pulling a wagon, knocking on doors, and asking people for used aluminum isn’t a fun way to spend a day, but I knew the importance of helping out with our local recycling programs. In this case, we were looking for aluminum tabs from pop cans to be remade into wheelchairs and provided for low-to-no cost to those in need.

My brother Jack uses a wheelchair, and so this cause appealed to me on two levels: I am also an environmentalist – like my parents, who are environmental scientists. Aiding a recycling program and getting wheelchairs to patients was therefore a win-win.

Let’s start with your format, while looking at how to write a college essay . You will follow the standard essay format as often as possible. This is composed of three major sections: the opener, the body, and the conclusion. You can think of them as “beginning, middle, end,” if that is helpful.

The opening paragraph should start with an attention grabber, or “hook,” that will live up to its name and command the focus of the reader. This is the best approach to how to start a college essay . Make it such a good opening line that even someone who isn’t on the admissions committee would want to keep reading.

Your opener also sets up the rest of the essay, providing the central themes and ideas that you’ll explore – these are all contained within the prompts provided by Dartmouth, but your opener will connect those prompts to you, personally. Specifically, reading college essay introduction examples will show you how to accomplish this.

In the body of the essay, you will explore the prompt, how it relates to you, and, ideally, show how you have grown as a person or student, some accomplishments you have made, or skillsets and abilities that you have – all of which must be desirable for a potential Dartmouth student.

If you can connect specifically to Dartmouth, all the better. Mentioning programs or research that are unique to the school or highlighting that you have the qualities they are seeking in their mission and vision statements will connect you to the school and show off how you would be the ideal candidate.

Your overall goal is to make the committee want to bring you in for an alumni-conducted interview, so if your conclusion would make anybody want to meet you, ask questions, and learn more about you and your experiences, you will have succeeded.

Most of Dartmouth’s essays have a short limit of 250 words. The exception is a 100-word essay: even shorter. What this means for you is that you don’t have a lot of space to develop a variety of complex ideas per essay. Be surgical; get in, tell the necessary details for the prompt, and get out.

Be prepared to truncate and mess with the essay format a bit for the 100-word essay, as that prompt really requires a precision answer, and you might not be able to shape the essay in a standard way.

To build a successful application, give yourself every edge and benefit. A strong supplemental essay will achieve that. You are already taking the right steps by reading up on essay writing and seeking out examples to improve your work. Take your time refining the essays for your dream school.

No, you must answer those two essay questions, as per the requirements. Most schools want answers to the questions “Why this school?” and “Tell us about yourself.” They are two of the most common questions asked of students for a reason: they produce information that the admissions committee needs to know.

The amount of time will vary, but generally speaking, we think you should take 2–3 weeks to work on your essays. You don’t need to put in 40+ hours per week, but give yourself time to brainstorm, write, re-write, edit, and proofread; you’ll likely need and want time to get professional feedback as well.

If you’re stuck on an optional prompt, you could switch to a different prompt proposed by the school and see if it resonates more with you. If your required essay is giving you difficulty, you’ll want to break your writer’s block with a little brainstorming. Take two minutes to free-associate on your topic, writing down anything you think of, and you’ll likely open up your thought processes and start to figure out what you want to say.

If you are successful, you will be invited for an interview, which means that you might want to start thinking about how to prepare for your interview.

The Common Application allows for changes to essays after submission, but with Dartmouth, you will specifically need to upload additional materials via your portal.

Look for a credible college essay review service . Teachers and other mentors might be able to help as well, but keep in mind that they are already busy people, so sticking with a professional service might be the better option.

You might think that all you need to do is hit your academics and emphasize how smart you are, but that strategy might not be all that clever. Your transcripts and high school resume will show off your numbers. Instead, use your essay to introduce the “real you” to the admissions committee. They want to know you, and your uniqueness is your best shot at getting into your school of choice. Put the essential you on display for the best results.

Deadlines change from year to year, so just follow the instructions in the Common App or Coalition App. Start as early as possible to maximize your time between now and the deadline.

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How To Answer Dartmouth's Supplemental Essay Prompts 2022/23

17 OCT 2022

Dartmouth is an Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. It has an acceptance rate of around 9%, making it one of the most prestigious and selective schools in the United States. One way in which applicants get to showcase their personality and separate themselves from the other applicants which they are competing against is through the Dartmouth Supplementary Essays. The essay prompts serve to offer a more holistic view of each applicant to admission officers, so as to allow them to make a more informed decision on whether to admit an applicant to the school. This blog serves as a guide as to how one may approach the Dartmouth Supplementary Essays.

What are the Dartmouth Supplemental Essay Prompts for 2022/23?

Dartmouth requires short responses to three prompts . Everyone must answer the first and second prompts and then choose one of the five additional prompts to answer. Your response to the first prompt must be fewer than 100 words. The response for the second and third prompt must be 250-300 words.

Dartmouth celebrates the ways in which its profound sense of place informs its profound sense of purpose. As you seek admission to Dartmouth's Class of 2027, what aspects of the College's academic program, community, or campus environment attract your interest? In short, Why Dartmouth? Please respond in 100 words or fewer.

"be yourself," oscar wilde advised. "everyone else is taken." introduce yourself in 200-250 words..

Please choose one of the following prompts and respond in 200-250 words:

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 making—an impact?

What excites you.

In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba '14 reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power electrical appliances in his family's Malawian house: "If you want to make it, all you have to do is try." What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you made?

Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel of Dartmouth's Class of 1925, wrote, "Think and wonder. Wonder and think." What do you wonder and think about?

"Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced," wrote James Baldwin. How does this quote apply to your life experiences?

How to Answer Prompt 1

This essay prompt is one of the most common supplementary essay prompts for most schools, essentially teasing out the motivations and reasons why students are applying to this particular school (i.e., Why Dartmouth).

Before answering this question, you should have researched what academic programs, extra-curriculars, and various opportunities that Dartmouth offers. You should be able to articulate clear reasons as to why you have chosen Dartmouth , backed with adequate research.

Don’t offer a generic reason that can be “copied-paste” to any “Why (this school)” question. Specifically, you should focus on how you would spend your time at Dartmouth and how the various opportunities at Dartmouth can support your growth and ambitions.

Through your answer, it is also essential to demonstrate your enthusiasm and show how you would contribute to the student community.

How to approach Prompt 1

The prompt is short, and it’s tempting to list everything about Dartmouth that appeals to you. Instead, focus on the one or two aspects of the school that drew you to apply in the first place . Maybe you love their liberal arts philosophy or the unique Dartmouth Plan for undergraduate study. Whatever it is, stay specific. Do your research and think about how you see the next four years. Also, think about how you prepared for college and the passions you hope to continue pursuing in college. Admissions officers read thousands of essays. Don’t write a generic essay you can use for any university! Invest time in answering the prompt specifically for the Dartmouth application. It will show in your vocabulary, the tone of your prose, and the flow of your sentences.

Honesty is critical. If Dartmouth’s location or beautiful forest setting is a genuine trait you love, include it! Essay readers want to see the person behind the numbers. Will you be that student skateboarding down the sidewalk on your way to the Hopkins Center? Or are you the person laughing at dinner with your new friends from Stats class? Use your imagination and build the story for them.

You won’t be able to encompass all you know or love about Dartmouth in only 100 words. Admissions officers know this. It’s more about how well you express yourself—through humor, sincerity, or persuasion—than showing off your knowledge.

How to Answer Prompt 2

For background information, Oscar Wilde was an Irish poet in the 19th century. Aside from his literary talent, Oscar Wilde is best known for his wit, flamboyance, and homosexuality. He has strived to “be (himself)” despite being in a very restrictive social setting. In the spirit of individuality, this question hopes to tease out what makes an applicant different from others . Most applicants who applied to Dartmouth would probably have stellar grades and may look very similar quantitatively on paper.

To answer this question, you should consider your hopes and dreams, passions and ambitions, hobbies, ideologies about life, and even your favorite qualities that separate you from other applicants. Ideally, it is best to weave a narrative in answering this question by showcasing your background, then linking it to your motivations, and showing how that shaped your worldview, thus contributing to a particular hope or dream in the future. Of course, given that this question is about individualities, do try to avoid cliches (e.g., struggling immigrants trying to fit in the American context, etc.)

How To Answer Prompt 3

The variety in these prompts means you can build your responses in several ways. But first, here’s some general advice to keep in mind.

Pay attention to the length. Avoid traditional paragraphs because 250-300 are not many words. Thematically, these prompts all ask you to step away from “college talk” and move into your imagination. These prompts pull the emotional strings. Dartmouth asks you to do some self-introspection and think about inspiring personal experiences or world events.

The essay isn’t the place to bring up the detailed points of a World History lecture but consider how what you’ve explored in your life contributes to the person you are today. You won’t be able to write the next Great American Novel, so don’t worry about not saying everything you want and thinking more about your prose. And, of course, proofread.

For background information, Dolores Huerta is, according to the National Historical Museum, “one of the most influential labor activists of the 20th century and a leader of the Chicano civil rights movement”. She has dedicated herself to a life of service and purpose. This prompt aims to tease out

In approaching this question, you can brainstorm a list of worthy causes that you are passionate about – e.g., exploring science and technology to better people’s lives, exploring social impact businesses, exploring ways to help people who are socially and economically disadvantaged in society. After which, you can identify ways to contribute to the cause – e.g., volunteering, organizing events, etc. You can approach this question in a future-oriented manner or demonstrate your commitment through something you have already done. It is then essential to identify the impact of your actions to answer the question. Through your answer, you should aim to showcase to the admission officer your personality and character in an emotionally compelling manner so that they can picture you contributing and making an impact in university and beyond.

This is a chance for you to be honest and specific. Don’t write about what you “should” excite you. Reflect on what motivates you. Why do you get out of bed in the morning? What gives you energy? What does an ideal day look like for you?

In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba, Class of 2014, reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power the electrical appliances in his family’s Malawian house: “If you want to make it, all you have to do is try.” What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you already made?

This prompt pushes you to examine your creative pursuits. What do you want to put out into the world? What motivates you? What makes your creation essential or necessary? Your topic doesn’t necessarily have to be tangible. Maybe it’s a type of relationship or feeling. Be specific. Articulate what motivates you and why it matters.

The spirit of this essay prompt is very similar to Einstein’s famous quote, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” There are endless possibilities to this essay prompt; indeed, there is no “wrong” answer per se. It would be great to think about what you wonder about in your free time – it could be your hopes and dreams for the future or perhaps even more abstract and philosophical thoughts. Alternatively, it could be your family, friends, hobbies, or personal vulnerabilities. Ultimately, you want to talk about something important to you or something that fascinates you a lot.

One point to note is that you should try not to bombard your resume here under the guise that you wonder and think about the activities you have done. You would have already showcased all these in your common application. Instead, you should pick something you wonder about, think about in your free time, and show a sense of imagination, fascination, and wonderment. You can do this by making unconventional connections, which could be helpful unexpectedly. For example, Steve Jobs previously took calligraphy, and this inspired Apple’s later typography. You can also extrapolate and talk about future possibilities of what you wonder about. For example, you may be very fascinated by space travel and wonder about stretching the limits of travel to a temporal dimension (i.e., time traveling) and the related consequences of that.

"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced," wrote James Baldwin. How does this quote apply to your life experiences?

This question can be interpreted to mean the challenge(s) you have faced in your life and how that has changed you. Students applying to Dartmouth come from all over the world with varied experiences. Some teenagers have encountered far more challenges than others in their schooling years, depending on the country they are from, how affluent they are, their family structure, etc. For example, one may come from a low-income family with a single parent and has had to fund his way through high school while taking care of a younger sibling. Others may have had mental illnesses or special needs disabilities while growing up. For more fortunate teenagers, a significant challenge may mean getting a low grade in their Mathematics course or not getting into the school team.

Nevertheless, challenges, pain, and growth are not relative; individuals can grow and learn lessons from their unique experiences. In illustrating a challenge you have faced, the challenge itself is meant to showcase your personality, character, and growth. Hence, the focus should be on what you have learned from the experience and how that has changed you as a person currently and in the future. It would help if you aimed to answer this in an emotionally compelling way that can show the admission officer how you have dealt with the challenge and what you have learned. After all, completing a four-year degree at Dartmouth will be filled with challenges. Dartmouth admission officers are trying to ascertain applicants with the tenacity to overcome challenges and thrive in the college environment.

How to Stand Out in Your Dartmouth University Supplemental Essays

Dartmouth ventures away from the traditional supplemental essay questions and dives deeper into who you are as a person. The second prompt options allow you to get creative and give the admissions committee a peek into what makes you unique. Use these creative prompts to enhance your application and show them something about yourself that you can’t show in any other part of the application.

How Crimson Can Help You Stand Out

Crimson believes every student’s story is unique. That’s why our advisors take a personal approach when helping students with their supplemental essays for college. By getting to know each student first, they can help them craft their essays based on their dreams, aspirations, goals, and any aspect of their story that’s unique.

Check out the video below to follow Sathya’s journey from Crimson to Dartmouth College!

How Crimson Student Sathya Got Into Dartmouth

Final Thoughts

Dartmouth doesn’t shy away from creative supplemental essay prompts. Choose the prompt that resonates best with you. If a powerful story comes to mind immediately after reading the prompt, that’s probably the one you should choose to answer. Remember, you don’t need to write an entire essay. There isn’t room to do that. Get to the point quickly. You don’t have any words to waste!

Dartmouth wants to get to know you better. Be authentic to your personality. If you’re unsure if the essay sounds like you, have someone close to you read it and tell you if it sounds like you. While grammar and spelling are important, showcasing the unique qualities that make you perfect for Dartmouth are equally important.

Need help with your supplemental essays? Crimson Education is the world’s leading university admission consulting company. Our expert admission strategist can help you narrow down your ideas and word choice to help you craft the perfect essay prompt response. Get your essay reviewed today!

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Dartmouth Supplemental Essays (2022-23) Prompts and Tips

Dartmouth receives the fewest number of applications of the eight Ivy League schools. There were 28,336 hopefuls for the Class of 2026, less than half the number at Columbia or Harvard. Yet, that still represented a 33% increase in the number of Dartmouth applications from the two years prior. Further, the acceptance rate of 6.2% which was tied for the lowest in school history. When applying to a school that rejects 94% of applicants, you need to find ways to grab an admissions officer’s attention and give them a reason to say, “Yes!” The Dartmouth supplemental essays are one such chance.

Want to learn more about How to Get Into Dartmouth College? Visit our blog entitled: How to Get Into Dartmouth: Admissions Data and Strategies for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.

One of the best opportunities to move the admissions needle is through the three supplemental essays that Dartmouth requires. Dartmouth College’s essay prompts for the 2022-23 admissions cycle are listed below along with accompanying advice about how to tackle each one:

1) Dartmouth Supplemental Essays – Required Essay #1

100 words max:

Dartmouth celebrates the ways in which its profound sense of place informs its profound sense of purpose. As you seek admission to Dartmouth’s Class of 2027, what aspects of the College’s academic program, community, or campus environment attract your interest? In short, Why Dartmouth? Please respond in 100 words or fewer.

This is, in essence, a straightforward “Why this College?” essay. Great things to highlight here include:

Make sure to really do your research on the school. As a side benefit (and not an unimportant one), you may discover further reasons why Dartmouth truly is the perfect fit for you.

2) Dartmouth Supplemental Essays – Required Essay #2

250 words max:

“Be yourself,” Oscar Wilde advised. “Everyone else is taken.” Introduce yourself in 200-250 words.

This is a fun opportunity to share something genuinely unique about yourself that may not shine through anywhere else on the application. The key to answering this one is to pick a few key aspects of your personality/background that truly reveals something deep and meaningful about you. As you brainstorm this one, consider the following avenues:

3) Dartmouth Supplemental Essays – Required Essay #3

Please choose one of the following prompts and respond in 200-250 words:

1. 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 making—an impact?

This is your chance to show that you are a global citizen, aware and sensitive to issues faced by this planet and all life which occupies it. If you are passionate about climate change, the fate of democratic institutions, food scarcity, human rights, the impact of disinformation campaigns, privacy issues related to big tech, or any of the millions of other challenges faced by humanity, this is a great choice for you.

2. What excites you?

Out of everything on this Earth, what makes you tick? What keeps you up at night? What subject makes you read books and online content until your eyes bleed? If you could address one problem in the world, large or small, what would it be? If you are answering at least one of these questions, you are on the right track with this essay.

3. In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba, Class of 2014, reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power the electrical appliances in his family’s Malawian house: “If you want to make it, all you have to do is try.” What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you already made?

If you are an applicant to the Thayer School of Engineering, this prompt may be an excellent choice for you. Studio art applicants might find this choice equally relevant. “Makers” of all varieties can write a very compelling response here. However, applicants of all aims and intentions can utilize this selection to talk about what they want to create in the world—whether it is a novel, a solution to world hunger, or a better government. That said, Prompt F may strike you as a superior fit if you wish to speak about “creation” in a less tangible sense.

4. Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel of Dartmouth’s Class of 1925, wrote, “Think and wonder. Wonder and think.” What do you wonder and think about?

This prompt is quite similar to “What excites you?” You can essentially write the same essay attached to either of those two prompts. Other than the obligatory Dr. Seuss reference (he’s an alum), we’re not seeing a substantial difference.

5. “Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced,” wrote James Baldwin. How does this quote apply to your life experiences?

Of course, some teens have lived more challenging lives than others—some applicants come from affluence, others from low-income households. Some have two supportive parents; some have more difficult family relationships. Others have dealt with mental/physical or learning/attentional challenges while others have enjoyed smooth sailing in all of those areas. The important thing to keep in mind is that the challenge/story itself is less important than what it reveals about your character and personality. Make sure you share what you were feeling and experiencing; this piece should demonstrate openness and vulnerability. Further, you don’t need to be a superhero in the story, just an ordinary human trying their best to learn how to navigate a challenging world.

How important are the Dartmouth Supplemental Essays?

The essays (both the Common App essay and the supplemental ones) are “very important” to the evaluation process. Seven other factors are “very important”. These factors are: rigor of coursework, class rank, GPA, recommendations, test scores, character/personal qualities, and extracurricular activities. Clearly, Dartmouth College places enormous values on the quality of your supplemental essay.

Want Personalized Essay Assistance?

To conclude, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your Dartmouth supplemental essays, we encourage you to get a quote today.

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).

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