2026-2027 application cycle
Dartmouth Application Guide: Essays, Deadlines, and Requirements (2026-2027)
Dartmouth's Class of 2031 supplement has three required responses: a 100-word Why Dartmouth answer and two 250-word responses selected from separate groups. Early Decision is due November 1. Dartmouth requires standardized testing, with different ways for students attending schools inside and outside the United States to meet the requirement.
Current supplemental essay prompts and limits
The prompt descriptions below are concise planning summaries. Open the linked official source and confirm the exact wording in the live application before drafting.
Why Dartmouth
Explain which parts of Dartmouth's academic program, community, or campus environment attract you and why the fit makes sense.
Limit: 100 words
Background or introduction
Choose one response about the environment in which you were raised or a direct introduction to who you are.
Limit: 250 words
Curiosity, impact, or reading
Choose one response about what excites you, the impact you hope to make, or how reading changed your understanding.
Limit: 250 words
Official application requirements
- Common Application
- Dartmouth Writing Supplement
- Secondary School Report, transcript, and school profile
- Counselor evaluation
- Two teacher evaluations
- Application fee or approved fee waiver
- Standardized testing under Dartmouth's current policy
Deadlines and decision plans
Early Decision: November 1
Binding. Dartmouth lists mid-December notification and separate early-November testing timing.
Regular Decision: Confirm on the official application page
The current Class of 2031 timeline did not expose a reliable exact date during this review.
Testing policy
Students attending high school in the United States must submit the SAT or ACT. Students attending high school outside the United States may meet Dartmouth's requirement through listed SAT, ACT, AP, IB, A Level, or national-exam options. Self-reported results are allowed during review.
AI and authorship policy
No dedicated public policy found. Nudge did not find a dedicated public undergraduate admissions AI policy in Dartmouth's current admissions pages. Dartmouth's official writing and application advice asks applicants to use an authentic voice and avoid adopting a persona.
What remains uncertain
Authenticity guidance is not a detailed AI-use policy. Ask Dartmouth Admissions before using a tool that could supply structure or language for a submitted response.
A detector percentage is not a substitute for this policy. Preserve notes, dated drafts, revision history, and feedback so the development of the student's own work remains visible.
Make the 100-word fit answer selective
Choose one or two Dartmouth details that connect to something you already do, value, or want to investigate. A list of campus facts uses the whole limit without explaining the fit.
Pick the option with an actual moment
The two choice groups offer very different openings. Select the prompt that gives you a concrete moment, practice, relationship, or text to examine. You do not need the cleverest prompt. You need evidence you can make specific.
Common questions
How many Dartmouth supplemental essays are required for the Class of 2031?+
Dartmouth requires three responses: one 100-word answer and two answers of up to 250 words, each selected from a separate group.
Is Dartmouth test optional for 2026-2027?+
No. Dartmouth requires testing, although students attending high school outside the United States have several listed ways to meet the requirement.
Does Dartmouth have an admissions AI policy?+
Nudge did not find a dedicated public undergraduate admissions AI policy in the official pages reviewed on August 11, 2026. Dartmouth does ask applicants for an authentic voice.
Change notes
- Dartmouth updated its Class of 2031 writing supplement on July 22, 2026.
- The reviewed application timeline did not expose a reliable Class of 2031 Regular Decision date, so this guide does not guess.
Official sources
These first-party pages were reviewed on 2026-08-11. Requirements can change during an application cycle.
- Writing Supplement for the Class of 2031 (Dartmouth Admissions)
- Apply to Dartmouth (Dartmouth Admissions)
- Testing Policy (Dartmouth Admissions)
- Teacher Evaluation (Dartmouth Admissions)
- Application Advice (Dartmouth Admissions)