Of the eight Ivy League schools, Dartmouth receives the fewest number of applications. There were 28,863 hopefuls for the Class of 2030, roughly half the number at Columbia. Applications rose a little over 2% during the 2025-26 cycle, and the acceptance rate tightened to 5.8%, down from 6% the year before. That marked the sixth consecutive year at or below 6%. 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 create a strong application to Dartmouth? In addition to our blog entitled: How to Get Into Dartmouth: Admissions Data and Strategies, head to College Transitions Gateway for all our best free tools and resources, including an admissions calculator for 170+ institutions, college planning guides & templates, and example essays from accepted students.
One structural note before we begin: the third prompt now offers six options rather than seven. The Mindy Kaling Theater Lab question about failure and reworking, which debuted last cycle, has been retired. If you had that one earmarked, pick again.
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 2026-27 admissions cycle are listed below along with accompanying advice about how to tackle each one:
1) Dartmouth Supplemental Essay #1 – Why Dartmouth
As you seek admission to Dartmouth’s Class of 2031, what aspects of the college’s academic program, community, and/or campus environment attract your interest? How is Dartmouth a good fit for you? (100 words or fewer)
This is, in essence, a straightforward “Why this College?” essay. Great things to highlight here include:
- Firstly, specific student organizations at Dartmouth that you would like to become involved with.
- Particular courses offered in your discipline of interest at Dartmouth.
- Dartmouth professors whose work, research, or writings you are intrigued by.
- Undergraduate research opportunities unique to Dartmouth.
- Aspects of Dartmouth’s mission statement that resonate with you.
- Lastly, study abroad opportunities.
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. Along the way, you’ll want to explain why the offerings you chose are a great fit for your interests, goals, and/or learning style.
A word on the word count. One hundred words is roughly four sentences. There is no room for an opening flourish about how long you have admired Dartmouth, and no room for a list of five offerings. Two specifics, tightly linked to something true about you, is the realistic ceiling. Most applicants use a third of this space telling Dartmouth things Dartmouth already knows about itself.
2) Dartmouth Supplemental Essay #2 – More About You
Please choose one of the following prompts and respond in 250 words or fewer:
A) Let your life speak
There is a Quaker saying: Let your life speak. Describe the environment in which you were raised and the impact it has had on the person you are today.
This is an opportunity to share something about your background that may not shine through anywhere else on the application. To do so, consider discussing how your role in your family, important aspects of your upbringing, or a particular cultural, religious, or community influence either impacted your core values and beliefs or helped develop a particularly important attribute.
B) Introduce yourself
“Be yourself,” Oscar Wilde advised. “Everyone else is taken.” Introduce yourself.
This is a fun opportunity to share something genuinely unique about yourself. As such, pick one (or several) key aspects of your personality or background that reveal something deep and meaningful about you. As you brainstorm, consider the following avenues:
- Your role in your family.
- Your role in your social group.
- An activity or initiative to which you are deeply committed.
- A core value or belief.
- Important aspects of your upbringing.
- Your most intriguing and unique attributes.
- Cultural, religious, or community influence.
The trap in option B is treating “introduce yourself” as an invitation to summarize. A résumé in prose is not an introduction. Pick one true thing and let it stand for the rest.
3) Dartmouth Supplemental Essay #3 – Choose 1 of 6
Please choose one of the following prompts and respond in 250 words or fewer:
A) What excites you?
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? What do you love to do? If you are answering at least one of these questions, you are on the right track with this Dartmouth supplemental essay.
B) A life of purpose
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 already making, an impact? Why? How?
This is your chance to show that you are a global citizen, aware and sensitive to issues faced by this planet and all life that 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.
Note the phrasing shift this year: Dartmouth now asks whether you are already making an impact, which nudges the essay away from aspiration and toward evidence. The prompt still ends with why and how questions, so be sure to let those guide your response.
C) Insight from reading
In an Instagram post, best-selling British author Matt Haig cheered the impact of reading. “A good novel is the best invention humans have ever created for imagining other lives,” he wrote. How have you experienced such insight from reading? What did you read and how did it alter the way you understand yourself and others?
Avid readers, assemble!
This prompt wants you to reflect on a powerful reading experience. As you brainstorm, think about the books you’ve read recently (within the last two or three years). Which one(s) most immersed you in the plot, setting, and characters? How come? Did the plot, world-building, or setting change how you feel about a certain social issue, norm, or trend? Did a particular character’s actions and choices impact how you view yourself, how you view others, or how you view the world in general? You can also reflect on your reaction to the book, and whether you were surprised, confused, or grateful for the insight you gained.
One caution: this prompt is a magnet for performance. If your honest answer is a young adult novel or a genre paperback, write about that. An essay about a book you actually finished will beat an essay about a book you selected because it sounded impressive.
D) Finding common ground
The social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees have been the focus of Dame Jane Goodall’s research for decades. Her understanding of animal behavior prompted the English primatologist to see a lesson for human communities as well: “Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don’t believe is right.” Channel Dame Goodall: Tell us about a moment when you engaged in a difficult conversation or encountered someone with an opinion or perspective that was different from your own. How did you find common ground?
The U.S. presently finds itself in an extreme state of polarization. There seems to be little agreement even as to what constitutes “truth” or “facts.” Within this divided world, it can be hard for individuals with competing viewpoints to engage in civil and productive dialogue. Here, Dartmouth is giving you the chance to show that you are an open-minded, intellectually curious, truth-seeking young person. Illustrate how you are willing to engage in conversations and debates with people who hold opposing positions on topics of great importance to you. One key thing to remember when addressing this prompt is that you don’t have to be the hero of the anecdote. In fact, you may be the one who learned to expand their thinking.
Finally, Dartmouth wants you to go one step further and discuss how you and the other person found “common ground.” This doesn’t mean that the two of you needed to suddenly see eye to eye amidst a flock of doves and beneath a double rainbow. Instead, perhaps you understood the other person’s viewpoint in a new way, even if you didn’t agree, or learned a surprising fact that made you reassess your stance. “I want to learn more about that point you made” or “I appreciate how passionate we both are about this issue” or “I can see where you’re coming from” are all good examples of finding common ground.
E) Celebrate your nerdy side
Celebrate your nerdy side.
In just about every nineties movie, the nerds function as insanely smart social rejects with questionable outfit choices and pocket protectors, often banished to the worst lunch table. Luckily, times have changed, and being a nerd, especially at a school like Dartmouth, is downright aspirational. Moreover, the definition of a “nerd” is someone who is incredibly enthusiastic about a certain topic, especially if unique. Accordingly, if you’re interested in answering this question, make a list of any “specialties” that you are particularly dedicated to. Do you love the soundtracks of eighties movies? Science fiction short stories? Strategy games? Rubik’s cubes? Your backyard barometer? Comic book collections? Whatever topic you choose, make sure to truly lean in and celebrate it. What do you love about it, and why? How does it influence you?
Note also that this is the shortest prompt Dartmouth has ever written, which is itself a signal. Four words means they want the essay to be about your enthusiasm, not about parsing the question.
F) It’s not easy being green
“It’s not easy being green…” was the frequent refrain of Kermit the Frog. How has difference been a part of your life, and how have you embraced it as part of your identity, outlook, or sense of purpose?
Do you feel that your lived experience is different from others in your peer group, family, or community, perhaps in regard to relationships, household income level, mental or physical challenges, neurodiversity, gender identity, sexual orientation, or cultural background, to name a few? If so, answering this prompt could be a good option. While crafting your response, the important thing to keep in mind is that the difference or challenge itself is less important than what it reveals about your character and perspective. What steps have you taken to cope with your chosen difference? How has it positively impacted you? How has it influenced your perspective and the way you engage with the world? Is there anything about your difference that you feel especially appreciative of? Make sure you share what you were feeling and experiencing; this piece should demonstrate openness and vulnerability.
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 value on the quality of your supplemental essays.
Note that test scores sit in that top tier for a reason. Dartmouth was among the first highly selective universities to end its test-optional policy, reinstating a testing requirement beginning with the 2024-25 cycle. Scores are required, not optional, and there is no waiver to plan around.
One more piece of arithmetic worth sitting with. Your three responses total 600 words at most, and the first is capped at 100. That is less writing than a single Common App personal statement, spread across three separate impressions. Each one has to do distinct work. If your “Why Dartmouth” essay, your background essay, and your chosen option all circle the same activity, you have effectively written one essay three times.
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