Dartmouth Transfer Acceptance Rate and Requirements — 2025

January 20, 2025

For prospective freshman applicants, Dartmouth—like all Ivies—sports an extremely low admit rate year after year. However, on the transfer front, the outcomes are far more variable. In recent years, Hanover hopefuls have experienced wild swings in transfer selectivity. This blog will share the Dartmouth transfer acceptance rate as well as other essential pieces of information like the Dartmouth transfer deadline, Dartmouth transfer application requirements, Dartmouth decision date, and much more.

Dartmouth Transfer Acceptance Rate

Below we present the most current available Dartmouth transfer acceptance rate as well as historical data.

In the fall of 2023, 768 students applied for transfer admission, and 12 were accepted. This means that the Dartmouth transfer acceptance rate is 1.5%. The breakdown by gender is as follows:

Male transfer applicants: 1.8%
Female transfer applicants: 1.2%

When trying to get the complete picture of how difficult it is to transfer into a given school, it is important to also look at historical data. Some colleges have wild fluctuations in transfer acceptance rates from year to year. Dartmouth is perhaps the textbook example of this phenomenon as rates have ranged from less than 1% to almost 29% in recent years. In the words of admissions, they typically enroll “between a handful and two dozen new transfer students.”

Historical transfer rates are as follows:

Year	Acceptance Rate
2022	7.3%
2021	9.9%
2020	28.6%
2019	4.1%

Dartmouth Transfer Deadline

The college only accepts transfer students for the fall semester. The Dartmouth transfer deadline is March 1.

Dartmouth Transfer Application Requirements

The Dartmouth transfer requirements are as follows:

Completed Dartmouth Transfer App (they don’t use the Common App)
Final high school transcript
Official college transcripts (with updates in May/June)
College report
Final Secondary School Report
SAT or ACT scores
Two letters of recommendation (both from college instructors)
Course syllabi (strongly recommended during the application process, and required if admitted)
There are no interviews for transfer students.

Dartmouth College Transfer Acceptance Rate (Continued)

Students who have the best chance to gain admission to Dartmouth have done the following:

Are in the process of completing at least one full year of credits, but have not completed more than two.
Earned exceptional grades in their first year at a community college or 4-year university.
Possess special talents inside or outside of the classroom that set you apart from other high-achievers. Research, publications, academic competitions, or demonstrated leadership are just some of the avenues through which an applicant can make a compelling case for admission.

Dartmouth Transfer GPA & SAT/ACT

According to the college, most successful transfers have at least a 3.7 GPA. In our experience working with successful Dartmouth transfers, an A average and SAT/ACT scores of 1500+ will put an applicant in the strongest position.

Dartmouth Transfer Application Writing Supplement

Required of all transfer applicants, please choose one of the following prompts and respond in 500 words or fewer:

While arguing a Dartmouth-related case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1818, Daniel Webster, Class of 1801, delivered this memorable line: “It is, Sir…a small college. And yet, there are those who love it!” As you seek admission to Dartmouth, what prompted your decision to transfer institutions and what aspects of the College’s program, community, or campus environment attract your interest?

Required of all transfer applicants, please respond to one of the following prompts in 250 words or fewer:

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

Dartmouth College Transfer Acceptance Rate (Continued)

Required of all transfer applicants, please choose one of the following prompts and respond in 200-250 words:

What excites you?
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?
In “Oh, The Thinks You Can Think,” Dr. Seuss invites us to “Think and wonder. Wonder and think.” Imagine your anticipated academic major: How does that course of study sync with Dr. Seuss’s advice to you?
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?
Celebrate your nerdy side.
“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?
Buddy Teevens ’79 was a legendary and much-beloved coach at Dartmouth. He often told parents: “Your son will be a great football player when it’s football time, a great student when it’s academic time, and a great person all of the time.” If Coach Teevens had said that to you, what would it mean to be “a great person”?

We would recommend waiting to get started on these essays until the official Dartmouth transfer app becomes available in early 2025.

Dartmouth Transfer Decision Date

The Dartmouth transfer decision date for fall enrollment is in mid-May.

Final Thoughts – Dartmouth College Transfer Acceptance Rate

In the school’s own words: “Transfer students contribute significantly to the Dartmouth community. Most transfer applicants present strong academic credentials, so the Admissions Committee also considers your ability to make a successful transition after transferring and to contribute to the life of the College—in and out of the classroom.”

The number of transfer applications tends to be lower at Dartmouth than at other Ivy League institutions. While you will face the same sky-high standards and scrutiny, the volatility in acceptance rate in recent years could end up working to your advantage. Moreover, there is no advantage to applying as a sophomore or a junior.

If you are looking for information on how to apply to Dartmouth as a first-year student, you may find the following blogs to be of interest:

Looking for additional transfer resources? You may wish to check out the following:

bookmark

Transfer Admissions

Dave Bergman

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).