Dartmouth is not known for welcoming large numbers of transfer students. In a recent year, the transfer acceptance rate was only 1.6%. They accepted only 12 of over 700 applicants. That is an abysmal transfer acceptance rate. However, 12 students did get in. It is possible. Not probable, and certainly not easy, but possible. We help students make it happen.
And, of course, every year is unique. The year prior, 932 students applied as transfers and 62 were admitted. A 6.6% acceptance rate isn’t anything to cheer for, but it underlines the possibility of an exceptional transfer. Overall, Dartmouth only enrolls between a handful and two dozen transfers each year. Remember, that’s out of as many as 1000 applicants. They do not break that down into any planned way as far as incoming sophomores and juniors. The best, they say, get through.
Dartmouth says that most admitted transfer students have a GPA above 3.7. However, we’d argue that the bar is actually much higher than that unless there is something exceptional on your resume from an entrepreneurship, philanthropic, or athletic perspective. All Dartmouth transfers apply in March and start in the fall.
If you want to beat the odds, we can help. Learn More.
Dartmouth has their own way of doing transfer admissions, so we’ll break down what you need to know and give you guidance on how to pull together an exceptional application.
Transfer requirements
Dartmouth uses their own transfer application that is separate from the Common App or any other application platform. The application includes all the usual parts, though. There is the general personal and academic information, a secondary school report from high school, a college report and transcript, and two evaluations (also known as recommendations) by college instructors. They also require standardized testing.
Dartmouth does not think that the SAT or ACT should be the determining factor on your application, but they do believe that standardized testing is a useful signal of college readiness and eventual outcomes. This is based on years of intensive research, and is very unlikely to change. They also request your college course syllabi, and require it after acceptance if not sent as part of your application.
The transfer essays are, ultimately, the most important part of your application after your grades. Dartmouth gets applications from far more highly-qualified applicants than they can accept. What helps them filter is fit. They are looking for students who have a strong sense of purpose, a deep understanding of themselves, and a strong motivation for transferring to Dartmouth, beyond it being a coveted Ivy League school.
THE TRANSFER ESSAYS
You’ve written college application essays before, so this will look quite familiar. However, it’s not the same as when you were a high school senior. Pitching yourself as a transfer is particular, and requires a special approach. We’ll break down what we mean by this within the context of each prompt as we go.
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? (500 words)
There are two things that your response to this prompt needs to do. Yes, you need to make it really clear why you want to be at Dartmouth. Before that, though, you need to clarify what led you to want to transfer at all.
What you shouldn’t do, though, is spill dirt. Dartmouth does not want to know if your social life is terrible, or you simply don’t like the people at your current school. Even in the situation of real trauma, like hazing, for example, we do not recommend starting this essay with that. It may be why you want to leave your current school, but it doesn’t tell Dartmouth anything that would compel them to find a spot for you. They don’t do pity acceptances.
Keep your mind on academics, and share specific reasons for why your current school cannot meet your academic needs. It can be helpful to share how your interests or focus shifted since picking your college initially. What you thought would work actually doesn’t anymore, but Dartmouth would offer everything you need to excel in your field.
Keep it simple and straightforward. Whereas for first-year applications we are huge proponents of the narrative supplemental start for a “why us”, this transfer supplement needs to be simple and clear, with less storytelling. Spend two-thirds of this supplement on what you want to do at Dartmouth, and only one third clarifying the need for the transfer.
So, after setting up your desire to transfer you need to clarify why Dartmouth is the best place for you to head next. This should be almost entirely, if not completely, academically focused. They do not need you to write about the feel of the campus. Instead, share the major you would pursue, classes you are excited for, professors you’d like to study under or conduct research with, and an academic opportunity beyond the classroom (like lab work) that is especially exciting to you. To add a taste of the social and community life, we recommend specifying 2 clubs or student groups you’d like to join. At least one of these should be connected in some way to your major.
End by envisioning yourself at Dartmouth to give them a strong image to hold in their minds as they continue reading your application.
Respond to one of the following prompts in 250 words or less:
It’s weird, honestly, that they have given you two options here as they are so close to being the same prompt. Nearly any answer for one could be applied to the other without feeling out of place. Even so, there are small differences.
A. 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.
For this option, they specifically want to know about your background. We don’t dislike this prompt on its face, but it’s not our favorite for transfer applicants. You have now been in college for at least half of a year. For most applicants, this means you’ve been living away from home. You’re pretty far removed from your childhood, so answers to this prompt risk missing the opportunity to show who you have grown into.
And exception, of course, is if you have lived at home while attending college up until this point. If that is the case, you may be able to illuminate the family responsibilities or circumstances that kept you at home, as well as how things have changed such that going to Dartmouth is a logistical possibility.
B. "Be yourself," Oscar Wilde advised. "Everyone else is taken." Introduce yourself.
We like how this prompt allows for a broader view of your life, and strong answers to this prompt focus on who you are now more than where you grew up. Other than that, it’s really a free-for-all. You can write nearly anything, so what matters isn’t what you write about but how you do it.
Any successful answer to this prompt needs to tell a strong story with a powerful narrative thread. Whether you are writing about tying fly fishing flies or baking a wedding cake, make sure that you are doing something in this supplement. Observing the world around you is great, but we want to see you engaging in it.
Remember that neither of these approaches needs to focus on (or even mention) transferring. Instead, it’s about introducing yourself to the application readers.
Respond to one of the following prompts in 200-250 words:
For this supplement, they decided that two options weren’t enough, so they’ve given you seven. You only pick one, and we find that the simplest way to select is to start by ruling out any options that you aren’t immediately interested in. If it doesn’t jump out as a fun essay to write, don’t write it.
What excites you?
We love this prompt, but remember that any response shouldn’t carry a whiff of the second option for the previous supplement. It must be completely new, and framed within the context of a strong academic focus. Write your response about something within the field you are pursuing. Zoom in super close, whether it’s a biological concept or a detail from a historical event, and show your deep passion by bringing it to life for the reader.
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 an amazing supplement for a transfer applicant because it gives you the opportunity to write about how you’ll using your education at Dartmouth to make a difference. Make it really clear how Dartmouth with play into that trajectory, and build on something that you are already doing. Don’t mention some endeavor completely unrelated to anything on your activities list. Instead, build upon what you’re already doing to show how Dartmouth is the next step — not the first.
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?
We don’t love this prompt because you’ve already addressed your academic major and how you’d pursue it at Dartmouth specifically in the first supplement. Picking this option risks redundancy, which is a terrible thing for any transfer application. If you do pick this option, be extremely careful not to repeat anything from before.
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?
We love Jane Goodall, but we don’t love this prompt. So many colleges and universities added the “disagreement” question this year, and there are very few instances where answers are truly compelling. Because they are inherently conversations between at least two parties, too much of the 250 words would get spent on what someone else thinks. Instead, we like the prompts that give you all 250 words to celebrate you.
Celebrate your nerdy side.
Take all of our dislike for the previous prompt and reverse it for this one. We love this prompt. Unlike a “disagreement” question, this one is all about what you love. Other people can come into it, but as supporting cast rather than a co-star.
We love answers to this prompt that are vivid, and that bring the reader into your enthusiasm. They should leave nodding along and telling themselves, “this person is really excited about life and learning.” To do this, use a story-first structure and don’t shy away from tools like dialog and strong, descriptive imagery.
"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?
This prompt isn’t inherently bad, but there are challenges. When you’re writing about difference, it can feel like you are setting yourself apart from those around you. Remember, you aren’t applying to Dartmouth simply to pursue a degree. They also want to know how you’ll fit into the community. Describing how different you are doesn’t really serve that purpose…unless it does. Some students do have the perfect type of ‘difference’ that also makes them a strong fit for Dartmouth. If that’s you, this supplement could work.
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"?
This is a big question, and it stumps most readers. However, if you read this prompt and immediately have something that you want to say it may be a great pick for you. Be careful, though, not to spend all 250 words describing what a great person is. Instead, show them. This supplement needs a guiding story to be compelling, so start there and use experience and imagery to bring your conception of ‘a great person’ to life.
As you work on your application, remember that Dartmouth does not do interviews for transfer applicants. These essays are your only opportunity to show the admissions officers who you are, so don’t leave anything on the table.
Another note: Dartmouth does not accept art supplements from transfer applicants. If art is a big piece of your life, be sure to weave it in narratively.
If you want to transfer to an Ivy, you need a strong strategy. Get yours.