Dartmouth is a highly-selective university in the mountains of New Hampshire that is a member of the world-renowned Ivy League. Known as the ‘outdoor Ivy’ or the ‘mountain Ivy,’ it is very popular among students who want an exceptional education at a prestigious university with a dose of nature. You have to be up for winter, though, because winters in Hanover, New Hampshire are real. The acceptance rate for Dartmouth is 6.4%.
In the 2022-2023 application cycle, Dartmouth offered 2098 applicants a place on the waitlist. Of that group, 1,785 claimed a spot on the waitlist — which is unranked. 41 applicants were eventually admitted off of the waitlist. So, if we run the math, 7.4% of applicants were waitlisted and 2.3% of the students who accepted the spot on the waitlist were eventually admitted. Those are all really tiny numbers and small probabilities.
And, if we look beyond the most recently available statistics, we know that “fewer than 10 percent of applicants are offered a place on the waitlist.” Some years, dozens of students are accepted off of the waitlist, and sometimes no one is. Literally no one.
Lots of colleges leave applicants guessing about what to do after being waitlisted. Dartmouth doesn’t. They say what they want, and we really appreciate that. Instead of leaving kids guessing, they give you a course of action to follow. Here, we break it down for you to make navigating the waitlist process as seamless (and painless) as possible. This will be your step-to-step guide to what to do next for Dartmouth if you’ve been offered a spot on the waiting list.
If you’re already feeling overwhelmed and unsure, send us an email. We help students chart a course towards a successful future.
Get on the Waitlist
First off, let’s take a moment to celebrate your accomplishment. It’s a bittersweet one, to be sure, but it isn’t easy to get offered a spot on the Dartmouth waitlist. The vast majority of applicants to Dartmouth are rejected. You weren’t. You haven’t gotten to the finish line, but you have gotten so far and that’s worth celebrating.
Now you need to let them know you want the spot. Go into the Dartmouth Application Portal and select “Yes” on the reply form. If you want to be considered for a spot at Dartmouth, you need to do this. “Only students,” they say, “who have responded via this form will be considered for admission.”
Once you’ve notified Dartmouth that you want a spot on the waitlist, it’s time for step two and this one is all about keeping your head in the game and aiming for the best possible outcome, while also planning for the most likely outcome.
Line up a Backup
The most likely result of your college admissions journey is that you will not be at Dartmouth. Again, we’re not trying to be harsh or mean here — we’re just keeping it real. So, you need to plan as if you won’t get into Dartmouth. This means accepting a spot at a school you were accepted to that you would be happy to attend. Place the deposit at your second-choice school and remember that you will lose that deposit if you do eventually get into and choose to attend Dartmouth. Next, you’ll need to fight for your spot at your dream school through what might quite possibly be the best letter you’ve ever written.
Reinforce Your Interest
While most colleges don’t explicitly say what they want from waitlisted students, Dartmouth does. They want you to submit a brief letter (we often call this a Letter of Continued Interest, or LOCI) through the uploader in the application portal. They ask you to do this directly so, while it isn’t technically mandatory, it really is required. Not sending in a letter basically guarantees that you won’t get in off the waitlist. So, you’ve got to write this letter — and it needs to be perfect. If that feels intimidating, we can help.
The Opening: Open your letter with a formal greeting. You aren’t addressing the letter to any single person, so you need to open with something like, “Dear Dartmouth Admissions,”
Reinforce Interest: Next, you need to remind Dartmouth that they are still your first choice. This shouldn’t be more than one or two sentences, but should still be specific to the academic and community reasons for why you want to be at Dartmouth. You also need to reiterate that Dartmouth is your first choice school and that if you’re accepted you will definitely attend! They care deeply about their yield rate and only want to admit students who will absolutely attend if accepted.
Short Update: This is the meat of your letter, and also the part Dartmouth most wants to see. They even say that: “Have important news? We hope you’ll let us know.” They want to know about what’s happened in your “academic and extra-curricular pursuits” since you initially applied, but focus on the best hits. This could include awards, acknowledgements, recognitions, research projects, or new leadership roles. It could also simply be things that you are deeply proud of, but it should be no more than 200 words and we advise students to focus on no more than three things.
Professional Closing: Before you sign off, you need to write one or two sentences reiterating again that Dartmouth is your first choice and that you will attend if offered a spot. Then, end with a professional closing like “Sincerely,” or “Respectfully,”. Above all else, don’t beg and be polite.
Follow Instructions
Once you’ve edited your letter, it’s time to submit. Your letter should be submitted in late April or early May. Dartmouth also wants your most up-to-date grades, so ask your counselor or school administrator to send them. Once that’s done, you’ve completed what you can do. Now, it’s time to wait. Do not call, do not pester, and do not do anything else that could risk making yourself annoying to the admission officials. The team at Dartmouth is also really clear that they do not want students to show up on campus wanting to argue your case.
The moral is this: do what they invite. Don’t do what they ask you not to. A lack of listening skills and an inability to follow direction will reduce your chances of being accepted by Dartmouth.
Be Patient
Now, you need to be patient. You’re going to have to wait likely into summer to hear back — “typically,” they say, “between mid-May and July 1.” You need to keep your cool, but plan as if you won’t get in. Don’t let the question mark of Dartmouth be a dark cloud over your senior spring.
As you’re waiting, remember that very little of this is in your control. You can do your bit, of course. The letter of continued interest can make a big difference in getting them to give your application a fresh look, but you can’t control whether any spots open up at all. Some years, they just don’t — and that’s not your fault. Getting off the waitlist for Dartmouth is tough, but you do have a chance if you follow the plan and keep your head in the game.
If you’ve been waitlisted by Dartmouth and it is still your first choice, we can help. We help outstanding students navigate the waitlist process to find success.