dartmouth curiosity essay

Dartmouth Essay Prompts

• Why Us - Example 1
• Intellectual Curiosity - Example 2

View our complete guide to Dartmouth College.

Dartmouth asks for three essays, alongside your personal statement. The first is a fairly straightforward “Why Us” essay, and the second is an open ended way to introduce yourself. The third is more open ended, with the prompts changing frequently. They provide several prompts to respond to each time. As we cannot predict what new prompts will be, we will give an example of a past response, and try to discuss what Dartmouth is looking for generally in asking this question.

The second prompt is also new, so we do not yet have an example essay for it yet.

Why Us - Example

While arguing a Dartmouth-related case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1818, Daniel Webster, Class of 1801, uttered this memorable line: ”It is, Sir…a small college. And yet, there are those who love it!” As you seek admission to the Class of 2022, what aspects of the College’s program, community, or campus environment attract your interest?   (100 words)

I love the idea of engineering in the context of liberal arts. Completing the AB and the BE will allow me to be a qualified engineer ready to make a difference in the world. I love the openness of the D-plan, and how I can personalize my college experience and gain access to internships in Dartmouth faculty’s pharmaceuticals startups year-round. I’m interested in conversing with faculty about their work, such as with Professor Scott Davis about the benefits of fluorescence-guided surgery. I look forward to learning surrounded by wilderness, skiing, and camping on the banks of the river.

Why Us - Analysis

This question, though worded more fancily and in depth than some others of its kind, asks the simple question of what parts of Dartmouth attract you. As you only have 100 words to respond, you will have to be efficient with their use. You can either prioritize going deep into one aspect of the school, or try to touch briefly on multiple different programs which interest you.

The example above takes the second approach, with each new sentence turning to a different aspect of Dartmouth, and why it attracts the author. In this way they are able to cover a lot of ground, while still staying focused on the core topic. The author discusses academics, research, a professor they’d like to work with, Dartmouth’s environs, and the peculiarities of its curriculum. This demonstrates that the author has properly done their research on the school, and is invested in its culture.

What Dartmouth is looking for is to see how interested and invested you are in their campus and its culture. As with every school, they want to make sure they are admitting students who are actually eager to attend. Dartmouth is an Ivy League school, but slightly less popular than its fellows, which means it cares more about admitting students who definitely want to attend.

Intellectual Curiousity Essay - Example

”I have no special talent,” Albert Einstein once observed. ”I am only passionately curious.” Celebrate your intellectual curiosity. (300 words)

How big is a drop? Is it as big as a bead of water? Does it emerge from a pipette easily, or with force? If you’ve never considered these questions, if you regard them as trivial, you’re right where I was a year ago, before I saw the mighty, multifarious machinations of a minute microliter. 

The first week of my internship with the Translational Imaging Group was a disaster. From my concentration graphs to my liposomes, nothing turned out the way it was supposed to. Was the dust contaminating my results? Was the pipette calibrated incorrectly? Was Jupiter in the fifth house? 

I would have jumped at the feeblest of excuses to justify my lousy results. 

I needn’t have looked far; the fault lay not in the stars but in myself. My hands, my pipetting, my mistake. 

The problem wasn’t my ignorance of the mL to drop ratio, or even that I failed to recognize how my ignorance could jeopardize the experiment. My job wasn’t to squeeze splashes of solution. It was to ferret out biochemical secrets with dye and time. 

In my haste to follow the letter of my mentor’s instructions, I ignored their spirit: to discover. I shortchanged us; I was acting like a pair of hands when I should have been a pair of cerebral hemispheres. 

In weeks to come, I personalized my protocol sheets, marking up margins with notes and improvisations. In months to come, I left protocol sheets behind and automated lab tasks which previously took hours. A semester later, I accepted the finalist award at the Texas Science Fair for a motorized near-infrared imaging system that defied the conventional limitations of the technology. These days, defying conventional limitations is what I’m all about.

Intellectual Curiosity Essay - Analysis

This is one of several prompts offered by Dartmouth, though you may only answer one of them. Regardless of which you answer, Dartmouth is looking to see how you think about the world, how you approach an open ended problem, and how you write. While Dartmouth is a university, they still pride themselves on their liberal arts roots, and look for students who will flourish in that environment.

There are various prompts offered, and they have lowered the allotted word count to 250 from 300 (although this may change again going forward). Still, the base of what they want to see is the same. While it is not always easy to get good grades, a large number of students still manage it, and Dartmouth needs to sift through these students to find ones who will thrive in its programs and culture. This essay is there to demonstrate your thought process, and to show off what you want admissions officers to see.

The prompts offered are wide and varied, and you will likely find one which will allow you to reuse an essay you’ve already written. Make sure that the values contained therein, and the story portrayed, are one which show off your best aspects, and which highlight your strengths as a writer. There is no right story to tell or values to impart which will cause Dartmouth to admit you, instead you should try to highlight your best aspects.

The author above shows off a lesson they learned, and the hard way. Lessons learned this way often stick the best, and it is clear why the author chose this story. It is a tale of personal growth and learning, and these create some of the strongest narratives. It is through confronting and overcoming challenges, whether internal or external, that we grow as people. Here, the author overcomes their own mindset, and learns to embrace the joy of discovery. This is something many colleges want to see, and gives Dartmouth a taste of how the author might contribute to their campus.

Your own essay does not need to follow the same narrative format, revolve around the same lessons learned, or even involve overcoming challenges at all. What your essay should have that this one does is provide a clear sense of what you bring to the table, as a student and person.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 4 tips for writing stellar dartmouth essays.

College Admissions

Dartmouth College , located in Hanover, New Hampshire, is one of the best universities in the world. A member of the Ivy League, Dartmouth has notable graduates, top-of-the-line programs, and a minuscule admissions rate.

If you want to be one of the 7.9% of students accepted to Dartmouth every year, you'll need to write some amazing essays as part of your application's Dartmouth supplement.

In this post, I'll talk about what the Dartmouth essay prompts are, which essays you can choose to write, and how to craft standout responses that'll help ensure your admission.

What Are the Dartmouth Essay Prompts?

You can apply to Dartmouth using the Common Application or QuestBridge Application. No matter which application you choose, you'll also have to submit the Dartmouth Supplement.

Part of the Dartmouth Supplement involves answering three required writing prompts. The first two writing prompts are the same for all students. Students have five prompt options for the third essay and must answer one. 

According to Dartmouth's website, "the writing supplement includes questions specific to Dartmouth that help the Admissions Committee gain a better sense of how you and Dartmouth might be a good 'fit' for each other."

Basically, that means that the Dartmouth Admissions Committee wants to know who you are… and how you'll fit in on Dartmouth's campus. Your Dartmouth supplemental essays give the admissions committee a chance to get to know you beyond your test scores and other credentials. The essays will give Dartmouth a better idea of how you think and act, so they can see if you would be a great addition to the student body.

Similarly, the essays also give the admissions committee a chance to assess your passion for Dartmouth - how badly do you really want to go there? The more you can show your passion for Dartmouth, the better.

Let's take a look at the Dartmouth essay prompts.

Dartmouth Essay Prompts

Here are the 2022-2023 Dartmouth Essay Prompts. Like we mentioned earlier, the first two prompts are the same for all students. For the third essay, students are given five prompt options and must answer one. 

Please respond in 100 words or fewer:

• Dartmouth celebrates the ways in which its profound sense of place informs its profound sense of purpose. As you seek admission to Dartmouth's Class of 2027, what aspects of the College's academic program, community, or campus environment attract your interest? In short, Why Dartmouth? Please respond in 100 words or fewer.

Essay #2 

Please response in 200-250 words: 

"Be yourself," Oscar Wilde advised. "Everyone else is taken." Introduce yourself in 200-250 words.

Please choose one of the following prompts and respond in 200-250 words:

• 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 making—an impact?
• What excites you?
• In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba '14 reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power electrical appliances in his family's Malawian house: "If you want to make it, all you have to do is try." What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you made?
• Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel of Dartmouth's Class of 1925, wrote, "Think and wonder. Wonder and think." What do you wonder and think about?
• "Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced," wrote James Baldwin. How does this quote apply to your life experiences?

Dartmouth Essays Analyzed

Let's take a look at the Dartmouth essay prompts for 2021-2022.

Dartmouth Essay Prompt 1

All Dartmouth students are required to answer this prompt and for good reason — it's the "Why Dartmouth" essay! This essay shows the admissions committee why Dartmouth is the right school for you.

At only 100 words, this prompt doesn't give you a lot of room to expand upon your favorite parts of the College, so you should pick one or two aspects of Dartmouth that you really love and focus on those.

The prompt encourages you to talk about the program, community, or campus, so don't feel like you have to limit yourself to academics. You can talk about other things about Dartmouth that interest you, such as the student life or extracurricular activities.

Whichever features you choose to highlight, make sure your connection to them is real and personal. In other words, don't just say you're a fan of Dartmouth's sterling academic reputation. Instead, focus on a specific part of that reputation - a professor whose work you admire or a class that you really want to take.

Dartmouth Essay Prompt 2

First impressions can be daunting! How do you want to be perceived? What would you say to pique Dartmouth’s admissions counselors’ interest? This is your chance to be bold, and to stand out from the crowd. But remember the prompt: they’re not quoting Wilde for fun. You’ll need to introduce your most authentic self. In other words, introduce who you are, not who you think Dartmouth wants you to be.

Don't feel confined to traditional, linear methods of storytelling in this prompt. You can play around with form and structure, as long as you do it well. Get an advisor or mentor to read your work and offer feedback, especially if you deviate from your typical style.

Dartmouth Essay Prompt 3

Dartmouth's longer essay prompts give you plenty of room to think creatively and show off your individuality. All students are required to pick and answer one of the prompts in 250-300 words. Let's take a look at the prompts and examine how to answer them.

Prompt A: The Introduction Prompt

A. 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 making—an impact?

This prompt is more tangible and concrete than the others available for selection. If you feel intimidated by discussing your creativity or personal history, this prompt is a good one to choose.

This prompt asks you to pick a real-world issue and discuss how you wish to address it (or are already addressing it). Don't feel like you have to pick something grand and far-reaching, like starvation or world peace. You can also pick an issue that affects people locally, in your community, for instance. The key is to pick a topic that you have a personal connection to and reason for wanting to fix. Your passion will come across in your description of the issue.

Prompt B: The Passion Prompt

B. What excites you?

This essay prompt is asking you to think toward your future and write about something—anything!—that gets you pumped. Dartmouth Admissions is looking to see if you have purpose and passion.

To answer this prompt, take some time to think about your future: your goals for your time in college, things you hope to achieve, opportunities that you find invigorating. You'll want your response to be focused and organized, so choose one idea, goal, or possibility that most excites you and go into detail about that in your response.

For example, maybe you're excited about the opportunity to improve your creative writing craft in the company of other student writers at Dartmouth, so you make becoming a better writer the central idea of your response to this prompt. You might go into detail about how you're excited to take writing workshop courses, learn from other students' writing styles, and eventually work on a creative writing publication with other students.

Whatever topic you choose to write about, you need to have a central idea—something that excites you—and you need to be able to explain how your excitement will shape your life choices as a student at Dartmouth.

There are no right or wrong answers in terms of what excites you, but it is important to try to think toward your future and explain

Prompt C: The Creativity Prompt

C. In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind , William Kamkwamba, Class of 2014, reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power the electrical appliances in his family's Malawian house: "If you want to make it, all you have to do is try." What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you already made

Creativity is crucial to every field of study, and this essay prompt is asking you to show that your interests, academic or recreational, inspire you to make things. To respond to this prompt, you'll need to be able to explain an idea, issue, or interest that motivates you to make stuff, then describe what you've made in the past or hope to make in the future!

The first thing to do is establish what drives you to create . To do this, think about who you are, where you come from, what experiences you've had, and who you want to become. Like in the example given in the prompt, maybe there's a need right in your own home that inspires you to create. You could think locally, like The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, or you could think outside of your personal experience too. Is there a global issue that drives you to create something that will help others in the future, during, or after college? If so, describe that vision and the global issue that motivates it.

Keep in mind that "creating" and "making something" can be interpreted many different ways. Your vision for "making" doesn't have to be artistic or some scientific invention. It could be creating a virtual reading service for overworked parents who need help educating their children during a global pandemic! On the other hand, maybe you're creating a science curriculum through your school's independent study program so you can learn more about climate change, which is your passion.

Whatever the case may be, it's a good idea to relate that creativity to your time at Dartmouth. For instance, maybe your virtual reading service has inspired you to major in business, so you can turn that service into your future career. It would be a great idea to research and talk about joining the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship at Dartmouth to help show admissions counselors that Dartmouth is the only school that can help your dreams become a reality.

Prompt D: The Curiosity Prompt

D. Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel of Dartmouth's Class of 1925, wrote, "Think and wonder. Wonder and think." What do you wonder and think about?

This prompt is actually just an invitation for you to dive deep into something that you're insatiably curious about. Dartmouth admissions wants to see that you have that intrinsic motivation to learn, grow, and expand your horizons, and they want to get to know you better by hearing you go off about that thing that you're endlessly curious about.

So, how do you celebrate your curiosity in this response? Start by pinpointing that one thing that you're the most curious about. You can probably look to your activities, relationships, and even your Google search history to identify what that one thing is. Maybe you're endlessly curious about food: different cultures of eating around the world, America's relationship to food, how to select, prepare, and eat it...and if you're really curious about food, you could probably go on and on about everything you know and want to know about it in your response.

This is a good thing! To organize your response, describe the thing you're curious about in a way that helps admissions counselors get to know you better . Going back to the food example, you could talk about where your curiosity about food comes from, or your background with food, how your curiosity with food plays into your day-to-day living, and some specific things you hope to learn about or do with food as you continue engaging with it.

And finally, connect your past experience, present questions, and future goals at Dartmouth in your response. This will show Dartmouth that you're a dedicated, independent learner who will be an endlessly curious student too.

Prompt E: The Baldwin Prompt

E. "Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced," wrote James Baldwin. How does this quote apply to your life experiences?

Some challenges in life appear insurmountable at first—and not all of them can be overcome. This prompt asks you to reflect on your own life, and on your own experiences with growth and change, whether or not you succeeded.

In your response, you'll get the chance to show that you see the value of being adaptable and accepting change. You can demonstrate this quality by writing about how you've seen something happening cyclically, something changing, or a season coming to an end in your life. It's important that you write about a situation that was meaningful to you—one where you saw yourself growing and learning.

Alternatively, you could write about an ongoing situation in your life that you are still facing. For example, maybe your school enacted a policy that you and your peers consider unfair, and you’ve been working for a while to make your voices heard.

It's okay if the thing you choose to write about is something you've had conflicted feelings about. What's important in your response here is showing how facing the challenges you describe strengthened your determination and adaptability —qualities that will be valuable when you become a Dartmouth student.

How to Write Great Dartmouth Essays

In order to write great Dartmouth essays, you need to show the committee two things. First, you need to give them a clear idea of who you are. Second, you need to show them, "Why Dartmouth." In other words, why Dartmouth is important to you. Here are some tips to help you accomplish both of those goals.

#1: Use Your Own Voice

The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond your test scores, grades, and honors. Your admissions essays are your opportunity to make yourself come alive for the essay readers and to present yourself as a fully fleshed out person.

You should, then, make sure that the person you're presenting in your college essays is yourself. Don't try to emulate what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you're not.

If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will diminish its effectiveness. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think Dartmouth wants you to be.

#2: Avoid Clichés and Overused Phrases

When writing your Dartmouth essays, try to avoid using common quotes or phrases. These include quotations that have been quoted to death and phrases or idioms that are overused in daily life. The college admissions committee has probably seen numerous essays that state, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Strive for originality.

Similarly, avoid using clichés, which take away from the strength and sincerity of your work. Don't speak in platitudes about how the struggle for gay and lesbian rights has affected you… unless it actually has! And even then, you don't want to speak in platitudes. It's better to be direct and specific about your experience.

#3: Check Your Work

It should almost go without saying, but you want to make sure your Dartmouth essays are the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your Dartmouth application, make sure to edit and proofread your essays.

Your work should be free of spelling and grammar errors. Make sure to run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit.

It's a good idea to have someone else read your Dartmouth essays, too. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend. Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure you haven't missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it possibly can be.

That being said, make sure you don't rely on them for ideas or rewrites. Your essays need to be your work.

#4: Play With Form

Dartmouth's essay prompts leave a lot of room open for creative expression - use that! You don't need to stick to a five paragraph essay structure here. You can play with the length and style of your sentences - you could even dabble in poetry if that makes sense!

Whichever form you pick, make sure it fits with the story you're trying to tell and how you want to express yourself.

What's Next?

Learn more about the most selective colleges in the US . If you're applying to multiple Ivy Leagues, it's a good idea to know your chances at each!

If you're hoping to attend a highly selective school like Dartmouth, you'll need to have a very strong academic record in high school. Learn more about high school honors classes and societies.

Not sure what your GPA means for your chances of college admission? Find out what a good or bad GPA might look like based on your goals.

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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How to Approach the Dartmouth College Supplemental Essays 2021-2022

Padya Paramita

September 7, 2021

How to Approach the Dartmouth College Supplemental Essays 2021-2022 

If you’re planning to apply to Dartmouth College, you probably already know that you need to build a stellar application in order to stand out among the tough competition. After all, Dartmouth only accepted 8.8% of students for the Class of 2024. Your scores, extracurriculars, and personal statement are undoubtedly important, but you send these to every school. So in order to be more specific about why you’re applying to Dartmouth, and convey to the admissions officers why you are a good fit, you need to take advantage of the Dartmouth College supplemental essays 2021-2022 . 

Many students apply to top schools like Dartmouth for the name and fame—to appease their parents or tell their friends they got into an Ivy League school. If you’re truly interested, writing a well-thought-out supplemental essay that demonstrates your commitment to the school can go a long way. Admissions officers use the supplemental essays to get to know you better—what you value in an academic setting, what current events matter to you, an unusual aspect of your background—and determine whether you would thrive at the college. To guide you through Dartmouth’s essays, I’ve outlined each of the prompts, how to tackle them, and more tips for writing your Dartmouth College supplemental essays 2021-2022.

How to Write the Dartmouth College 2021-2022 Supplemental Essays

Alongside the standard “why Dartmouth” question, the Dartmouth College supplemental essays 2021-2022 also offer you the chance to showcase how you might fit in with certain characteristics the school values in prospective students. While the first prompt is mandatory, you only have to answer one of the six short answer prompts. Depending on which prompt resonates with you, you can elaborate on your background or what you hope to change about the world. You might reflect on the way you find creativity or a story that has moved you. 

Let’s take a look at each of the upcoming cycle’s prompts, and some ways to go about answering them. 

Please respond in 100 words or fewer:

Why Dartmouth Prompt

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 the Class of 2026, what aspects of the College's program, community, or campus environment attract your interest?

The first thing that catches the eye with this prompt (other than the fact that it’s not optional) is the word limit. 100 words aren’t many. In fact, you can barely write an introduction in under 100 words. So how are you supposed to write about all of the things you like about the college?

The key to answering this prompt is to prioritize what you’re looking for from your college experience. Don’t write one sentence each about ten or twelve different things you enjoy about Dartmouth. Focus on one or two. Remember, admissions officers want to know if your interest in the school is authentic and well-informed. When the word limit is so restricted, there’s no space to beat around the bush. Browse the college’s website or social media pages and see how courses, clubs, or study abroad programs align with your passions. 

You might be fascinated by the ability to design your own unique major. You might be excited by the prospect of studying astrophysics in greater detail than ever. You may be inspired to write about how you’re drawn in by the campus improv groups and view them as a great opportunity to hone your performance skills. It’s important to think about how you might benefit from the community. 

Don’t spend too much time providing context on who you are. Get straight to the point because you have very little space. When the admissions officers finish reading your essay, they should have a clear picture of why you are excited to attend Dartmouth! Your essay should highlight your application persona, which is the memorable hook that makes you unique.  . Are you an artist who has participated in exhibitions around your state? Are you a budding zoologist who’s worked in animal shelters? Even though the word limit is so restrictive, admissions officers should be able to picture you contributing to different aspects of campus life.

Please choose one of the following prompts and respond in 250-300 words:

The Hawaiian word mo’olelo is often translated as “story” but it can also refer to history, legend, genealogy, and tradition. Use one of these translations to introduce yourself.

Dartmouth makes sure each of its classes is made up of individuals from a wide array of backgrounds, and makes it a priority to “ leverage that diversity to enrich and deepen the education of our future global citizens. ” So this prompt is a chance for admissions officers to learn more about where you come from or an interesting story about your background that they might not deduce from your application.

Since this question asks for a story, legend, genealogy, or tradition, you have freedom in deciding the part of your background to highlight. Don’t forget the second part of the question, however, which asks you to introduce yourself . So while it’s okay to talk about how your grandmother migrated to a different country at a young age or how a certain tradition holds a lot of meaning to your ancestors, your mini-essay should ultimately focus on you. How are you affected by your family history? What has the story in focus taught you about your goals and ambitions? How do you navigate a family tradition in the present day? 250 words provide slightly more room to talk about various parts of your identity. It’s important to strike the right balance between sharing your background and clearly introducing yourself within this still restricted limit.

What excites you?

This is an extremely open-ended prompt. In fact, the scope is so broad, you might be tempted to avoid answering this question altogether. However, this prompt does provide a wonderful opportunity for the Dartmouth admissions officers to get to know you beyond what you’ve stated on your personal statement and activities list. On its website , the school states that it, “encourages independent thought, and promotes a robust culture of interdisciplinary collaboration” as well as provides a “comprehensive out-of-classroom experiences, including service opportunities, international study, and global engagement.” Think about these factors as you ponder on what to write about — how do you express yourself? How have you collaborated with others? What inspires you to get out of bed every morning?

The answer to this question doesn’t have to center on a groundbreaking activity or passion. While it’s certainly impressive if you started a reproductive rights advocacy organization based on your passion for women’s health issues, you can also write about something on a smaller scale, such as how excited you are to play with your own rock band because you live and breathe music. You might add in how you plan to take action on these ideas at Dartmouth. Don’t go overboard with connecting it back to Dartmouth (the question doesn’t ask for this explicitly), but it may feel natural to reference how you plan to use these ideas at the college. 

In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba, Class of 2014, reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power the electrical appliances in his family's Malawian house: "If you want to make it, all you have to do is try." What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you already made?

This question might appeal to you if you’re someone who spends time on creative work - whether it is poetry or a documentary. Creative work definitely doesn’t mean you have to be an artist or filmmaker — Dartmouth wants to give you “ opportunities to share [your] expertise and passion ,” regardless of what it is. You could also be an engineer who has made a robot that does household chores. Or you could be a programmer who’s coded an app that helps your community. It could also be something on a larger scale, such as your own nonprofit - the word “make” in the prompt is flexible. 

Whatever your interest, there is almost certainly the opportunity to make something. Use the 250 words to write about what inspired you to start the project, what were some fulfilling and tough parts of the creative process, how you feel about the end result, and what you hope to achieve with it. Remember, what you focus on can also be something you haven’t done yet. If you’re planning to write a novel or create your own recipes, talk about your vision. The goal here is for admissions officers to read your answer and know right off the bat that what you’re describing is a project you’ve worked hard on (or plan to work hard on), and are genuinely passionate about. If your love for what you do shines through, admissions officers will gain a deeper understanding of your interests and how the school might be able to help you. 

Whether you’ve created the object of your focus yet or not, your project should be thoughtful and require effort. It should authentically reflect your goals and interests as a creator, and not be something you make up on a whim as an answer for this question. 

Curiosity is a guiding element of Toni Morrison's talent as a writer. "I feel totally curious and alive and in control. And almost...magnificent, when I write," she says. Celebrate your curiosity.  

This particular prompt is another very open-ended question among the Dartmouth College supplemental essays 2021-2022 . To “celebrate” your curiosity can mean almost anything. And your curiosity doesn’t have to be academic either. While it’s definitely not a bad idea to connect the prompt to your extracurricular or career interests, you can write about something entirely different from your application persona so that Dartmouth admissions officers can see a different side of you. You can use this prompt as an opportunity to talk about a unique interest and let them know that you’re not a one-trick pony!

This is the place to write about a niche topic that you could talk about forever. You could be curious about anything. If you were a dancer as a kid, you might be curious about how dancers rehabilitate and recover from injury depending on the genre of dance. If your favorite subject is math, you might be completely intrigued by the Pigeonhole Principle.

Another way to tackle this prompt might be to narrate an anecdote which demonstrates the ways you expressed your curiosity. For example, you could outline a series of instances in your childhood when you asked your dad questions completely threw him off. Just like the, “Why Dartmouth” essay, don’t try to squeeze all of the questions or anecdotes you may have about your curiosity about the world into 250 words. Find one or two related topics that you are curious about and elaborate.

"Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away," observed Frida Kahlo. Apply Kahlo's perspective to your own life.

This prompt asks for a story of growth. It might be intimidating at first to try and analyze the quote, but upon greater observation you may realize that it’s very similar to how the personal statement prompts often expect you to reflect on moments of change. Dartmouth admissions officers hope to use this prompt to understand how you’ve dealt with change, and what you’ve taken away from situations that may even have forced you to change yourself. 

Over your four years in high school, you meet a lot of new people and go through a lot of new experiences. It’s not unheard of for someone to feel like a completely different person by the end of those four years. Like the other prompts, there’s no one way to interpret what the question asks. You could have gone from the weakest link on your football team to the star player, or from the singer in the back of your choir to the top a capella soloist. If you found yourself working hard to practice and improve, the end result may have been impressive. Don’t forget to highlight what you learned about yourself through the experience. It could be your own grit and never-give-up attitude. You could have learned who your true friends were in a time of struggle. Whatever it may be, make sure to exemplify how your actions have changed since the growth - is there anything different that you’ve noticed in your behavior or approach to matters? Demonstrate your self-awareness and ability to adapt to new circumstances.

In the aftermath of World War II, Dartmouth President John Sloane Dickey, Class of 1929, proclaimed, “The world’s troubles are your troubles…and there is nothing wrong with the world that better human beings cannot fix.” Which of the world’s “troubles” inspires you to act? How might your course of study at Dartmouth prepare you to address it?

Dartmouth College appreciates students who are aware of current events and aren’t afraid to have a “ sense of responsibility for one another and for the broader world. ” This question on the Dartmouth College supplemental essays 2021-2022 directly aligns with that value. The heart of this prompt is in the last two sentences: admissions officers want to know which issue in the world you’re the most concerned about, and how a Dartmouth education can help you improve it. 

Think about which academic program or department might connect with the “trouble” that drives your future plans the most. If you’re passionate about the environment, you could write about your concern regarding the current state of climate change, and how you want to work with an organization that studies and tackles the issue. Support your passion with details about how the Dartmouth College Environmental Studies can prepare you for your career, mentioning specific courses, such as ENVS 60 - Environmental Law or ENVS 80.1—Arctic Environmental Change, that can instill the skills and knowledge that you need. Complement your course choices with relevant activities you’d want to participate in such as the organic farm, sustainable living community, or study abroad program in South Africa to learn more about how to best prepare for tackling climate change.

Additional Tips for Writing Dartmouth College supplemental essays 2021-2022

• You have a choice - use it well - Since you have the option to choose one from the six prompts for your second essay, the topic selection could make a significant difference to your admissions decision. You could also look at the finished product and make your decision. If it turns out that a story about your sketchbook fits prompt D better than prompt C, then select prompt C. Don’t be afraid to be flexible with your ideas, but ultimately choose the prompt that you believe will bring the strongest essay out of you.
• Cut unnecessary words - It’s obvious that the Dartmouth College supplemental essays 2021-2022 provide you very little room to write your answers. Between the two essays, you have to write you only get 350 words! It can be tricky to get your point across in so little space, but you can’t change the limit. So don’t waste your time sulking or complaining about the fact that you’re 200 words over on your essay, but instead start cutting words. Use a thesaurus, ask a teacher or friend for feedback, and read sentences out loud to see if they still make sense after you shorten them.
• Don’t repeat your personal statement - Since a lot of the options in the second part of the Dartmouth College supplemental essays 2021-2022 ask you to reflect on your goals, achievements, or background, it could be easy to repeat what you’ve written about in your personal statement. After all, your personal statement is a story unique to you, and the topic of it might overlap with one of the Dartmouth prompts. But, remember that the admissions officers will already have read your personal statement. Supplemental essays are meant to add another layer, providing schools with more context on who you are. Don’t repeat your personal statement and give admissions officers the idea that you have no other interesting stories to tell. 

The Dartmouth College supplemental essays 2021-2022 provide you with the chance to tell the admissions officer who you are. While the first prompt is all about showing that you really have done your research, the optional essays enable you to share more about your background and interests. All are golden opportunities to solidify your interest in Dartmouth and convince them how you embody the values they look for in students. So take advantage of the supplemental essay component. Your knowledge of the school and your stories exemplifying Dartmouth’s ideal characteristics might culminate in an Ivy League acceptance letter.

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Make sure your essay illustrates your personality! 

Applicants to Dartmouth are required to complete four essays – a personal statement and three brief supplemental ( writing supplement ) essays.

Writing supplement prompts included in Dartmouth's application for admission to the Class of 2028

The Common App offers a variety of topics to choose from for your personal statement as well as access to Dartmouth's supplemental essay prompts .

Your essays should help us understand those intangibles that can't easily be reflected in a resume. Show us the qualities that make you you. Your sense of humor, your passion, your intellectual curiosity, your self-awareness, or social awareness, or some mix of these. Your writing lets us get to know you and we read every word. Help us envision what you'll bring to Dartmouth.

• Writing Supplement

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How to Write the Dartmouth College Supplemental Essays 2018-2019

Tucked away in the idyllic greenery of Hanover, New Hampshire, Dartmouth College has long been a sought-after institution of higher education since its founding in 1769. At the center of this community is its small, tight-knit group of 4,400 undergraduates, who enjoy the resources of over 40 departments and 60 majors.

Due to the bucolic nature of its location, approximately 70 percent of undergraduates participate in Greek life, as it serves as the hub of social interaction. Athletics and outdoor activities are also extremely popular – 75 percent of students are involved in a varsity, club, or intramural sport. Besides playing in NCAA Division I in 34 sports, such as basketball, football, and lacrosse, Dartmouth is also home to the largest collegiate excursion club in the U.S.; with roughly 3000 student and non-student members, it serves as the coordinating organization for many outdoor winter activities, notably skiing, mountaineering, ice climbing, canoeing, and kayaking.

Dartmouth College currently sits at #11 in U.S. News and World Report’s National Universities Ranking , its selectivity maintained by its low acceptance rate of 11%. Admitted students typically score 750, and 760 on SAT Reading, and Math, respectively. For those taking the ACT, accepted candidates scored, on average, in the 30-34 range. 1,217 undergraduates enrolled out of 20,035 applicants for the Class of 2021.

It is the alma mater of a host of notable alumni, including Robert Frost, Daniel Webster, and Mindy Kaling. Additionally, Dartmouth is also the 22nd richest college in the U.S., with an endowment of $4.95 billion as of 2017.

To apply to Dartmouth College, candidates may submit either the Common Application, or the Coalition Application. The college does not prefer one or the other. Candidates may apply through the Early Decision process (due November 1st), or the Regular Decision process (due January 2nd). In addition to the required essay in the Common Application or Coalition Application, Dartmouth requires two supplemental essays: applicants are all required to complete the first prompt, but may choose from 6 different options for the second prompt. Read on to find out how to tackle them!

Want to learn what Dartmouth College will actually cost you based on your income? And how long your application to the school should take?  Here’s what every student considering Dartmouth College needs to know.

How to Write the Dartmouth College Admissions Essays

Every essay you write in this college application process, including the Common App, is a component of your candidate profile. To help maximize the admissions committee’s understanding of you, for each school’s essay portfolio, be sure to choose topics that complement each other.

For example, if you wrote about a personal geology project in your Common App, don’t also write about your aspiration to solve a geological crisis in the second prompt, or only concentrate on the geology program in the first prompt.

Dartmouth asks for two supplemental essays – one in 100 words, and the other in 300 words. Since these essays are so short, you need to jam-pack your Common App essay with even more personal information, which will allow room for you to focus more on Dartmouth-specific academic, professional or extracurricular programs in these supplements.

Your response to prompt 1 needs to be tailored to Dartmouth specifically. If in your prompt 1 essay, it is possible to switch out the name “Dartmouth” for another school’s name, with the essay still making sense, then you probably need to dive into greater detail.

Since Dartmouth is a more academically-oriented school than its counterparts, it is critical to explain why you would like to pursue the major you choose in at least one of the supplemental essays.  

Prompt #1:  Please respond in 100 words or less:

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 the class of 2023, what aspects of the college’s program, community or campus environment attract your interest.

This is essentially the classic “Why X School?” essay . With only a meager 100 words available, the goal of this is not to mention every program or component of Dartmouth that attracts you, or give an elaborate praise of those programs. Rather, you have to demonstrate why the essence of Dartmouth resonates with you . Here are some dos and don’ts to get you thinking in the right direction:

Pick one aspect of Dartmouth that you feel deeply connected to. For example, if your academic love is environmental science, consider writing this essay on Dartmouth’s prioritization of sustainability through emphasis on programs like beekeeping, ethical fish farming, and proper extraction of maple syrup from sugar maple trees.

That said, keep in mind that ultimately, you need to present a holistic candidate profile to the school. That means showcasing as many aspects of yourself as possible – if you focus on an academic interest in this prompt, make sure to hone in on your favorite aspects of campus life and extracurricular offerings in the next prompt.

Do not, however, dive into a detailed dissertation of why the program you choose to write about is so necessary in our world today. Whichever reason attracts you to Dartmouth, chances are, someone else wants to attend the college for the same reason.

The admissions committee is not interested in reading the 1052nd essay on why the school made the right choice to implement these sustainability initiatives — the admissions officers likely know the school well enough to understand why Dartmouth initiated those programs. Instead, what admissions want to know is why these are deciding factors for you to choose Dartmouth.

For example, perhaps you lived in an area that was affected profoundly by a catastrophic natural disaster, and since then, you have been hyper-aware of the interactions between people and their habitats, and want to devote your energy towards decreasing the likelihood of a natural disaster happening to someone else.

Focus your essay on one core theme. For example, if you choose to write about Dartmouth’s unique outdoor-centric student life, structure the entire essay around this topic. 100 words do not provide you with enough leeway to cover multiple topics well. That said, if there is a tangential factor relevant to your core theme that attracts you to Dartmouth, do add it in to spice up your essay.

Do not write a list of everything you love about Dartmouth. Don’t try to expound on your love of the college’s vibrant Greek life while attempting to describe your passion for sustainability and your appreciation for the school’s flexible curriculum. Doing so would only allow you to mention each element in passing without connecting it to you personally.

Prompt #2:  Please choose one of the following prompts and respond in 250-300 words:

Option a: “i have no special talent,” albert einstein once observed. “i am only passionately curious.” celebrate your curiosity., option b: the hawaiian word mo’olelo is often translated as “story” but it can also refer to history, legend, genealogy, and tradition. use one of these translations to introduce yourself., option c: you can’t use up creativity,” maya angelou mused. “the more you use, the more you have.” share a creative moment or impulse—in any form—that inspired creativity in your life., option d: in the aftermath of world war ii, dartmouth president john sloane dickey, class of 1929, proclaimed, “the world’s troubles are your troubles…and there is nothing wrong with the world that better human beings cannot fix.” which of the world’s “troubles” inspires you to act how might your course of study at dartmouth prepare you to address it, option e: in the bingo palace, author louise erdrich, class of 1976, writes, “…no one gets wise enough to really understand the heart of another, though it is the task of our life to try.” discuss., option f: emmy and grammy winner donald glover is a 21st century renaissance man—an actor, comedian, writer, director, producer, singer, songwriter, rapper, and dj. and yet the versatile storyteller and performer recently told an interviewer, “the thing i imagine myself being in the future doesn’t exist yet.” can you relate.

Here, you select one of the 6 options below to answer the question in 250-300 words. Though precision and conciseness are hallmarks of quality essays, you are not recommended to go below the 250 word benchmark. These are all open-ended questions that could elicit a much longer response – if you find yourself dipping below the minimum by more than 50 words, you probably are not optimizing your opportunity to showcase your personality.

Some tips on prompt selection:

Tip #1: Read through each of the 6 prompts.

Tip #2: Immediately categorize them into 3 segments: “likely,” “possible,” and “unlikely”.

(a) Under “likely” are all of the prompts that you have an immediate answer for upon first read

(b)  Under “possible” are all prompts you find interesting and would be open to

(c) Under “unlikely” are prompts that you find are prone to cheesy answers, or those that you simply cannot relate to at all

Tip #3: Jot down an idea or anecdote for each topic under “likely” and “possible”.

Tip #4: Review them and select the topic with the most unique story, or one that best showcases your wit and intellectual prowess.

Though this may appear like an “analyze the quote” prompt, you do not actually have to make any reference to it. The Albert Einstein quote is only a way for the prompt writers to frame this topic. Focus instead on an anecdote in which your curiosity produced a tangible result.

For instance, you may describe the time when after hearing about a friend’s horrifying experience with a violent teacher, your curiosity urged you to investigate the school’s protocol for managing these type of complaints, only to find that a standard procedure does not exist. After realizing that cases like your friend’s are evaluated on an individual basis that downplayed the seriousness of the issue, you started a widespread petition among the student body and parents’ association to pressure the school into establishing a safe channel for students to express their concerns.

If the example you are thinking of using did not necessarily produce a distinct change in a public setting, that is completely fine. It does not preclude you from this prompt.

For example, you can also write about your curious fascination with electronics – how you tirelessly disassemble every device in your house, sometimes leaving a trail of scattered parts around your room. Though you were not able to fix any of the devices you dismantled, this determination to understand the components of every machine piqued your interest in mechanical engineering, and encouraged you to devote your academic career to understanding, improving, and inventing more machines.

Try to keep the timeframe of your anecdotes to your high school career – though the chocolate volcano you engineered in 5th grade may have been cool, the more recent your example is, the easier it is for the admissions committee to get an accurate picture of who you are now.

This prompt cannot be immediately categorized as one of the “classic” essay questions and requires a bit more creativity for effective execution. It also adds yet another layer of decision-making to essay-writing – choosing the translation to continue with.

A few tips on which interpretation to choose and how to write your essay:

Tip #1: Out of all available translations, the term “story” is the most generic of the five. It is easy to argue that your story encompasses your history, your family’s legends, your genealogy and your culture’s traditions. If you do not have an instinctive response to this prompt, but still prefer this question as a whole, then choose this interpretation. The broad scope of this translation will allow you to take your essay in whichever direction you see fit.

In regards to writing the essay, you can choose to narrate a defining moment of your life that does not easily fit under any of the other four headings: perhaps on a family hike on Chirico Trail during winter break in your sophomore year, you witnessed the majesty and freedom of paragliders and became fascinated by this extreme sport ever since. You can then expand on how the sport has changed your perspective on the feeling of existence, of your resoluteness to live every moment to the fullest, etc.

Tip #2: History here can refer to family history, academic history, employment history, recreational history, etc. Choose this translation if there is a chronology in a certain aspect of your life that you want to highlight, a more or less linear process through which you matured.

Perhaps your illustrious history in competitive chess is especially important to you, and was critical in shaping your attitude towards work. Then use this opportunity to delineate your competitive history, and delve into the intellectual, and emotional impact it has imprinted on you.

Tip #3: Legend is one of the trickier ones, and will likely be a less popular selection. If you are particularly confident in your creativity, and prefer to distinguish yourself from the onset, then this is the one for you.

One way to interpret this is to relate a folktale important to your culture, and use it as a segue to introduce your culture and the role it has played in shaping your values and character. The same thing could be done with a “bedtime story” that you grew up on – you could use the fable as an entry point to describe your upbringing and the continued impact it has on your personality today.

Tip #4: Genealogy is also an interesting one – similar to “legend,” you could leverage the anecdote of your family lineage to depict important family members, or even family heirlooms, and the significance of their role in shaping how you feel about your culture.

Perhaps you share an unique bond with your grandmother, who was your primary caretaker while you were growing up. Her lineage could be traced back to Edinburgh, Scotland, where generations before, her ancestor braved the extreme weather and fed their community as hardy wheat farmers. Though you had previously hated your ginger hair, and purposefully distanced yourself from Scottish culture because you were teased, you feel more grounded and closer to your origins through the family tales passed through generations.

Tip #5: Tradition can be approached in a very similar manner to genealogy, or legend. Choose this translation if the topic you wish to discuss is more a custom than a linearly chronological account of a cultural phenomenon.

Option C: “ You can’t use up creativity,” Maya Angelou mused. “The more you use, the more you have.” Share a creative moment or impulse—in any form—that inspired creativity in your life.

This prompt asks you to impress the admissions committee with a dazzling example of your creativity, but don’t forget the underlying premise – you would really be indulging this prompt’s true purpose if you address how that inspiring moment fostered a greater, more extended flow of ingenuity, and associated examples.

Creativity comes in all forms, shapes, and sizes – you don’t have to have invented the next iPhone to call yourself creative. It could have been an internship project that none of your colleagues could find the solution for, but you viewed the conundrum from a different angle that ultimately allowed you to hone in and resolve the root of the issue instead of trying to address insignificant details.

Sometimes, the ability to shift mindsets and concentrate on the bigger picture is a form of creative thinking too. In time, this experience trained you to metaphorically step away from the present dilemma and approach puzzles with fresh eyes, which translated into your analytical skill in academics as well as your strategic plays in soccer.

This prompt alludes to two routes: one is the classic “why X program of study?” route, the other  invites you to elaborate more on your extracurriculars, especially if they happen to pertain to an advocacy issue of some sort. If you decide on this prompt, the route you proceed with should consider your overall candidate profile – if your first essay on Dartmouth focused more on the college’s alignment of academic offerings with your own interest, choose an anecdote that pertains more to you personally or to your extracurriculars, and vice versa.

Keep in mind, we are trying to depict you in as holistic a manner as possible. Each individual essay needs to dive deep into an aspect of yourself, and should not cover too wide a variety of topics, especially given the brevity of available word count. However, there should be variety between each essay in your profile, to highlight the multiplicity of your passions.

The split between answering the two questions in this prompt should be 30-70, respectively.

Use 30% of the essay to explain why you feel personally connected to the “trouble,” with a brief anecdote if possible. The less generic the problem you choose is, the easier it is to bring out your personality. Try to avoid generic topics like “gender equality,” “global warming,” and “refugee crisis.” There are many people who genuinely care about these issues, but each of these topics are so incredibly broad that it is near impossible to discuss them thoroughly and explain how Dartmouth’s course of study helps you address the problem. Instead, pick a specific sub or sub-sub topic within these sweeping subjects and focus on showing your attachment to it on a personal level.

70% (the majority) of the writing should focus on how specific programs, activities, courses, or even professors at Dartmouth can help you understand the nuances of this problem better. Remember to explain how you would then leverage these resources to galvanize more activists to contribute to a solution.

For example, you may be interested in remedying the antagonizing political climate in which there is a trend of labeling dissenting opinions as untrue and fake. To better understand why this is an increasingly prevalent phenomenon, you are intrigued by Professor Meghan Meyer’s research on the neuroscience behind our self-centered bias, and believe that grasping the scientific explanation behind our selfish tendencies could allow us to consciously combat it, and stop thinking of ourselves as the only righteous ones.

This is another unconventional, open-ended question that lends itself to a very personal piece. Though the prompt dictates, “discuss,” it is not suggested that you treat this as a literary analysis question. Your SAT essay is already an example of the aptitude of your academic writing, so there is no need to do that again here.

One way to respond is to chronicle the progression of your relationship with an important family member, friend, mentor, or even adversary in your life, and how, as you mature and play different roles in other people’s lives, you start to understand more of his/her perspective. Remember to always jump back onto the big picture, and explain how this journey has influenced your continued quest to try and “take a walk” in someone else’s shoes.

As an example, you may choose to detail the turbulent relationship with your mom growing up – you thought the way she was overprotective was absolutely crazy, and you didn’t understand why she would be so easily hurt or upset by your minor actions and words. However, as you grow up and experience hurt through the unintentional words or gestures of your close friends or significant other, you begin to realize how your similar expression could deeply upset your mom.

You could then go on to discuss how through the assumption of different parts in other people’s lives, you emotionally feel and comprehend the mindsets of those you care about much more. Then, bring the focus back to the big picture – how did this particular experience change the way you view human interaction, your relationship with those you initially dislike, and your attitude toward people going forward?

The key to an effective response here is to not get too carried away by the infinite directions you could take this in, and make sure to develop the essay around a key idea. Here are some ideas:

(1) This could be an especially advantageous prompt for you if you are the typical “well-rounded” candidate, without an incredibly clear direction or passion in one specific area. You could use this prompt to laud the virtues of having pursued several different interests – only through exhausting all possible options of what you could love can you be sure that whatever passion you follow is the most optimal option.

(2) Alternatively, you could use this prompt to discuss how you relate to this sentiment because you never want to be limited to a label, a reputation, or other people’s perception of you. As an example, you could write about how liberating it felt when you branched out from your usual STEM focused activities to write poetry instead, and enter in the Scholastic Arts Contest, and how this first breakthrough to a different realm catalyzed your pursuit of the arts.

(3) Or, you could interpret this prompt as meaning that one can pursue multiple passions and play multiple roles and be multiple people at the same time. You could share the multifariousness of your intellectual endeavors, as well as the depth and range of your mental capacity in reconciling different aspects of you and your variety of passions.

All in all, to respond to each of these prompts effectively, you will need to reach deep into your treasure trove of memories and truly reflect on the defining experiences that changed the way you view yourself, your work, and others. Never fear though, these guidelines will get you started thinking in a good direction! Good luck!

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August 2, 2023

2023-2024 Dartmouth College Essay Prompts

Dartmouth College has released its essay prompts for the 2023-2024 college admissions cycle. In addition to The Common Application ‘s Personal Statement, applicants to Dartmouth will be required to answer three supplemental essays: one of 100 words or fewer and two of 250 words or fewer. So what are this year’s Dartmouth essay prompts ?

2023-2024 Dartmouth Essay Topics & Questions

1. required of all applicants. please respond in 100 words or fewer:.

Dartmouth celebrates the ways in which its profound sense of place informs its profound sense of purpose. As you seek admission to Dartmouth’s Class of 2028, what aspects of the College’s academic program, community, and/or campus environment attract your interest? In short, why Dartmouth?

Make no mistake: it’s a Why College essay . While the prompt may be a bit wordier than the equivalent essay for other universities, Dartmouth is asking applicants to detail specifics on why they wish to attend the College on the Hill.

And if you’re a regular reader of Ivy Coach ‘s college admissions blog , you know that name-dropping professors or listing classes do not count as genuine specifics. Why College essays should not be approached like a game of Mad Libs where you find and replace a specific for one institution with another’s. Instead, it’s about capturing enduring specifics about a university that only apply to the school in question.

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

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.

This essay should be approached as a chance to share a story about who you are and where you come from. But there’s a trap. When so many students read the word “raised,” they’re inclined to write about themselves as children. Instead, admissions officers would much prefer to read about you as high schoolers. They want to understand who you are, how you think, and how you want to leave a mark on the world now — not as children.  

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

This option is even more of a free-write than the first option for Dartmouth’s second essay. Just as The Common Application allows students to write whatever they’d like, Dartmouth provides another opportunity to write what they wish. Students should always write material that complements their other essays rather than tell the same story twice. Essays, in this way, should be thought of as puzzle pieces. They must fit neatly together, and no two essays can be the same shape.

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

A. What excites you?

This prompt allows a student to showcase how they will change the world. Too often, students write about silly things for such broad questions, and such answers usually don’t showcase intellectual curiosity. Since Dartmouth, and all highly selective universities, seeks to admit singularly talented students — rather than well-rounded students — we at Ivy Coach would always encourage students to creatively shine a spotlight on their hook in such an answer.

B. 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 essay prompt allows students to showcase how they’ve contributed — ideally through their singular hook — to their school or larger community. But it should not be misconstrued as an opportunity to brag about one’s achievements since doing so will render an applicant less likable in the very human admissions process.

By simply writing about what a student has done — and leaving out even subtle brags — it’s easy for students to make the leap of what they hope to accomplish. And students should always make sure the goal isn’t too grandiose. For a student’s storytelling and activities in college admissions, saving sea turtles always beats ending climate change.

C. Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel of Dartmouth’s Class of 1925, wrote, “Think and wonder. Wonder and think.” As you wonder and think, what’s on your mind?

Dartmouth’s admissions officers want to know your thoughts and what drives you. They want to understand what you go to sleep thinking about or, in essence, how you hope to change the world in a singular and meaningful way. Like all admissions officers at elite universities, Dartmouth’s readers want to know that you’re introspective and driven to leave your mark on the world.

D. Celebrate your nerdy side.

It’s a broad prompt that allows students to write whatever they wish. But it’s also a booby trap: too many students think that just by spotlighting their nerdiness, they’ll wow Dartmouth admissions officers. If students write about physics, they may write in indecipherable jargon. That’s a mistake. The writing must always be understandable — even to laypeople, as Dartmouth admissions officers aren’t physicists.

E. “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 and outlook?

Like some of Dartmouth’s other essay prompts for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle, this prompt has appeared before in the Dartmouth supplement. And we at Ivy Coach claim credit as one of its authors — along with our Kermit the Frog applicant to Dartmouth from several years ago.

But the prompt has new meaning this year — notably after the outlawing of Affirmative Action. The essay question aims to understand an applicant’s diverse background and appreciation of diversity in all forms. For students, in particular, of diverse backgrounds, we strongly encourage them to write about their culture or race in their answers.

Yet they should approach it as an art form so that it doesn’t come across as though they’re trying to game the system. And even students from non-diverse backgrounds, in their own creative way, can spotlight the diversity they hope to bring and benefit from during their college years.

F. As noted in the College’s mission statement, “Dartmouth educates the most promising students and prepares them for a lifetime of learning and of responsible leadership…” Promise and potential are important aspects of the assessment of any college application, but they can be elusive qualities to capture. Highlight your potential and promise for us; what would you like us to know about you?

It’s another broad option that essentially allows students to write what they wish to Dartmouth’s admissions officers. It’s another opportunity for students to write about how they hope to leave a mark on the world in their own singular and meaningful way. Oftentimes, it’s a small story that will leave the most indelible mark.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Dartmouth College Essays

If you’re interested in submitting powerful essays to Dartmouth to optimize your case for admission, you’ve come to the right place. Ivy Coach is known as The Dartmouth Whisperer because of our track record of helping students earn admission to the Ivy League institution. Over the last 30 years, all of Ivy Coach’s Early Decision applicants to Dartmouth got in 28 times (in all but two Early Decision cycles). Bo knows baseball. Ivy Coach knows Dartmouth .

So if you’d like our help, help offered directly with Ivy Coach’s Ben Schwartz , a former Dartmouth admissions officer, fill out our consultation form , and we’ll be in touch to delineate our college counseling services for seniors.

You are permitted to use www.ivycoach.com (including the content of the Blog) for your personal, non-commercial use only. You must not copy, download, print, or otherwise distribute the content on our site without the prior written consent of Ivy Coach, Inc.

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Admissions Essay Guidelines

Following the Supreme Court Affirmative Action decision our essay policy has changed: The Guarini School requires two personal statements and the MALS supplemental form allows applicants to submit two optional essays as well. Please reach out with any questions you may have regarding this change. 

Guarini School Required Essays

These are your required personal statments.

Statement 1 The Guarini School values intellectual curiosity and passion for discovery. Please write a brief essay describing your motivation and preparation for pursuing a graduate degree at Dartmouth, what research interests or advanced topics excite you the most, and how a graduate degree will further your career goals. Be sure to describe any relevant research experience(s) and/or academic preparation that might not be detailed elsewhere in your application.  (1000 words max)

Statement 2 The Guarini School is committed to a climate that acknowledges and embraces diversity of perspectives and backgrounds, supporting a culture that fosters inclusion and actively pursues equity. Our commitment is driven by a belief that differences of opinions, experiences, identities, and perspectives are essential to building a stronger community. We encourage you to share how your personal perspectives and unique life experiences will contribute to Dartmouth and the Guarini School community. Please feel free to share how any life experiences may have adversely affected your academic history.  (500 words max)

MALS Supplemental Form Essays

In the MALS supplemental form there are two optional essays you can add to your application. One is the statment of academic purpose, where you can let us know what you are interested in studying while in the program. The other is where you are able to share any additonal information that you feel will explain to the committee what factors in your life outside of academics may have contributed to your academic successes or failures. 

Dartmouth College Essay Guide 2020-2021

In this Dartmouth College Essay Guide, we will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Dartmouth College supplementary essays. For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process in general, sign up for a monthly plan to work with an admissions coach 1-on-1.

Dartmouth College, a small but mighty Ivy League, is located in Hanover, New Hampshire. It is known for its influential alumni, such as Dr. Seuss, as well as its D-Plan, where students get to choose which three quarters of the year they plan to attend. This allows for “springternships” or traveling abroad during the fall or wintertime!

Knowing that Dartmouth College has an acceptance rate of just 7.9%, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed or stressed about your application. Don’t fret! This essay guide will provide some helpful insight and ideas for approaching your supplemental essays. Here at CollegeAdvisor.com other CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts , register with CollegeAdvisor.com today. , we want to help you present the best version of yourself in every aspect of your college application, and it starts right here with the essays.

Dartmouth College’s Class of 2025 essay prompts include two required supplemental essays: One 100 word essay and one 250-300 word essay . Only one prompt option is given for the 100-word essay, but you can choose from six essay prompts for your 250-word essay.

Writing supplement prompts included in Dartmouth College’s application for admission to the Class of 2025:

Dartmouth College’s writing supplement requires that applicants write brief responses to two supplemental essay prompts as follows:

1. Please respond in 100 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 the Class of 2025, what aspects of the College’s program, community, or campus environment attract your interest?

Ah, this is the classic “why school?” essay, adapted to Dartmouth College’s history and culture. The first few sentences of the prompt is purely for setup, but the real question you’re responding to is “ what aspects of the College’s program, community, or campus environment attract your interest?”

Therefore, in just a short 100-word essay, you must address aspects of the school’s programs, community, or environment that you feel would be a good fit for you. This means that you’ll need to do some research into Dartmouth College’s offerings!

I personally started with a fresh Google Doc, and sectioned it off by the various interests I had. They included study abroad, Chinese language and culture, economics, and music. Then, I went on dartmouth.edu to look up the various opportunities Dartmouth College offered in these respects. Under each section, I made bullets to include specific examples (e.g. “ Chinese Language House”, “Social Impact Practicums”, and “D-Plan”) of the programs offered that fit my interests.

In essence, step number one is to do research . After you have a solid doc running and feel good about your understanding of Dartmouth College’s offerings, you can move on to writing.

To begin, I picked the 3-5 most attractive programs I wanted to highlight in this quick essay. I knew I only had a few sentences to offer (in fact, I ended up with 100 words exactly, which came down to just four sentences). With each sentence, I highlighted a different idea. You can take an alternative approach by making your entire essay focused on one idea and Dartmouth College’s offerings under that big umbrella, but since my interests were so spread out, I decided to talk about four ideas.

One of those ideas was my international interest and how Dartmouth College could fulfill that need. To express that, I wrote this sentence: “I also hope to join one of Dartmouth’s many Living Learning Communities, particularly Chinese Language House — to advance my Mandarin skills — or Global Village — to debate international issues from daybreak to dusk.” Notice the many concrete examples in this sentence. They show that I’ve done my research.

As you can see, the key is to be brief, do your research, and to connect Dartmouth College’s offerings to your personal interests.

2. Please choose one of the following prompts and respond in 250-300 words:

Since the scope of the following prompts vary so much, I’d recommend that you start by picking the topic you want to spend 250-300 words on, then fit that under the prompt that it would best fit under.

A. The Hawaiian word mo’olelo is often translated as “story” but it can also refer to history, legend, genealogy, and tradition. Use one of these translations to introduce yourself.

This prompt essentially guides you to write about your personal background. Are there any cultural traditions, family values, or personal experiences that have shaped who you are? This could be a great extension of your common app essay, or cover a completely different topic on your personal background. The key is to show a unique aspect of yourself that would bring diversity to Dartmouth College’s campus.

B. What excites you?

This essay could literally be about anything. It could be about an intellectual curiosity, a hobby, or your favorite extracurricular activity. What matters is that you show your excitement, not tell. In fact, try to avoid using the term “excited” at all.

C. In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba, Class of 2014, reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power the electrical appliances in his family’s Malawian house: “If you want to make it, all you have to do is try.” What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you already made?

This prompt is a new addition to the Dartmouth College Class of 2025. Again, there’s a long setup, but the question here is just, “What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you already made?”.

This essay could be a perfect fit for any entrepreneurial student who would like to show off their initiatives from the past or planned for the future. When talking about any initiative that you’ve led, make sure you highlight the stuff that can’t be found easily on your resume, such as your motivation behind an activity, the personal growth you’ve experienced through an activity, and how you have personally felt helping others through your initiative.

D. Curiosity is a guiding element of Toni Morrison’s talent as a writer. “I feel totally curious and alive and in control. And almost…magnificent, when I write,” she says. Celebrate your curiosity.

This essay is for celebrating your curiosity. I personally chose to write on this topic, because it was a great opportunity to adapt my Stanford intellectual curiosity essay. The best advice I have for writing about anything intellectual is to avoid using big words just because they’re big . This can make your writing come off as academic, dry, and even worse, pretentious. If you can relate your curiosity to an everyday moment, that will not only show how you’re intellectually curious in the in the mundane moments of life, but also display that you’re a fun, down-to-earth individual to be around.

E. “Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away,” observed Frida Kahlo. Apply Kahlo’s perspective to your own life.

This essay prompt is also new to the Class of 2025. I think this is perfectly suitable for the COVID-19 pandemic, where things are ever changing and unpredictable. Perhaps you can elaborate on how you’ve adapted to COVID, and the mindset you’ve had through this time that ultimately pushed you to take advantage of the opportunities that did arise.

You can also talk about any other time that you’ve undergone a change or a loss – again, discuss what happened, how you adapted, and what you learned from this experience.

F. In the aftermath of World War II, Dartmouth President John Sloane Dickey, Class of 1929, proclaimed, “The world’s troubles are your troubles…and there is nothing wrong with the world that better human beings cannot fix.” Which of the world’s “troubles” inspires you to act? How might your course of study at Dartmouth prepare you to address it?

This is a great prompt to elaborate on any social justice or community issues that you’re passionate about. If you’ve led a social justice extracurricular, you can spend the first half of the essay describing what you’ve done and how your involvements impacted both your community and your personal development. Then, you can spend the second half of the essay describing how the opportunities at Dartmouth College — including classes, programs, and communities — would help you continue to act on this issue.

This Dartmouth College essay guide was written by Iris Fu, Stanford ‘24. If you want to get help writing your Dartmouth application essays from Iris or other CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts , register with CollegeAdvisor.com today. You can also check out Iris’s College Admissions Youtube Channel .

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, how do i approach dartmouth's college essay.

I've been thinking about writing my Dartmouth college essay, and I want to make it great. Any tips or experiences with writing standout essays for Dartmouth? What do they look for in a student?

When writing a standout essay for Dartmouth, it's essential to consider several key factors. First, Dartmouth values a strong sense of community and collaboration, intellectual curiosity, and personal growth. As you brainstorm essay topics, focus on the aspects of your personality and experiences that align with these values.

1. Start with reflection: Spend time reflecting on your experiences, passions, and goals. Consider the moments that have shaped you and how these experiences connect with Dartmouth's values.

2. Be authentic: In your essay, aim to be genuine and reveal your true self. Admissions officers want to get to know you as an individual, so avoid writing what you think they want to hear.

3. Focus on a specific story or experience: It is often more effective to focus on a single, engaging narrative rather than attempting to cover a range of topics. This will allow you to delve deeper into a subject and illustrate your passion or growth effectively.

4. Show, don't tell: Use vivid descriptions, anecdotes, and sensory details to paint a picture for the reader. This approach will make your essay more engaging and memorable.

5. Avoid cliches: Steer clear of cliche college essay topics, such as sports injuries, immigrant stories, or moving to a new school. If you choose to write about one of these, ensure that your perspective and experience are unique or highly personal.

6. Tailor the essay to Dartmouth: When possible, tailor your essay to Dartmouth by mentioning specific programs, clubs, or opportunities that you are excited about or that tie into your experiences and goals. This will demonstrate your genuine interest in the college and help you stand out.

As you craft your essay, keep the focus on showcasing your authentic self in relation to Dartmouth's values and priorities. A well-written, engaging essay that aligns with the school's values will help you stand out in the admissions process. Good luck!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Dartmouth College 2018-19 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision: 

Psssst! Hello to all you early birds checking out last year’s prompts! Since Dartmouth released new prompts in late May last year, we are expecting to have this page updated around the same time this year. We’ll keep you posted!

In the meantime, feel free to familiarize yourselves with last year’s prompts. There’s a good chance they’ll stay the same for the 2019-20 admissions season.

Dartmouth College 2018-19 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 100 words, 1 essay of 250-300 words.

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Oddball , Topic of Your Choice

Unlike many of its Ivy League peers, Dartmouth’s supplement is mercifully brief. It’s also deceptively brief! Although its list of prompts could comprise an essay unto itself, applicants only have to submit two essays. With six (6) options to choose from for the second essay, you need to think strategically about which one will help you reveal something unique that admissions won’t see elsewhere on your application. On such a short supplement, every word counts!

Please respond in 100 words or less:

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 the class of 2023, what aspects of the college’s program, community or campus environment attract your interest .

If you have the unsettling feeling that you’ve read this prompt somewhere before, worry not. This prompt should ring a bell because it’s just a slightly more verbose version of the most common supplemental essay question out there: why here? Phrased this way, Dartmouth’s prompt is specifically probing for information about what you love – about Dartmouth, and about the idea of college in general. The emphasis on campus life is clear, so focus on what you would do at Dartmouth. Are you planning to major in English? What cozy corners of campus would you curl up in to read a book? Do you have more of a newspaper or lit mag vibe? As with all other why prompts, research is the key to writing a memorable essay, so spend a little time on the Dartmouth website and literally map your path from where you are now to where you hope to be in the near or distant future.

Choose one of the following prompts and respond in 250-300 words:

“i have no special talent,” albert einstein once observed. “i am only passionately curious.” celebrate your curiosity..

A word of caution for those who are reading this supplement for the first time: many of the prompts on this lists will center on quotes about intellect, creativity, and emotional intelligence. So, in one sense, you can’t go wrong: you could probably write any story you want and find a way to back it into one of these prompts. But on the other hand, you should be precise about choosing the prompt that relates most closely to your story.

So, could this Einstein quote be the one for you? Well, this prompt echoes Common App prompt 6, so proceed with caution if you’ve already written about that “topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time.” That being said, this prompt isn’t confined to intellectual curiosity; it invites you to celebrate curiosity in general. So while you could choose to geek out about school (your favorite subjects, the reason you love The Scarlet Letter ), you could also take a broader definition of curiosity. When did the desire to know more or ask a question serve you well? How has it helped you connect with others or discover parts of the world (even within your community) that few others know about? Remember that this essay is a “celebration,” so don’t hold back on your enthusiasm.

The Hawaiian word mo’olelo is often translated as “story” but it can also refer to history, legend, genealogy, and tradition. Use one of these translations to introduce yourself.

This prompt offers an unexpected point of entry to a fairly basic prompt akin. So it’s worth considering why Dartmouth framed this question around the word mo’olelo. Although the instructions specifically focuses on the less-common translations, we think the word “story” still drives at the crux of this prompt: tell a story that reveals something about your background in the context of history, legend, family, or tradition. This sound a heckuva lot like Common App prompt #1 , so we’ll give the same advice: use this as your catch-all prompt for stories about your life. Anything related to your childhood or upbringing will likely fit into one of the categories listed above, so hone your story first, and then back it into the prompt.

“You can’t use up creativity,” Maya Angelou mused. “The more you use, the more you have.” Share a creative moment or impulse—in any form—that inspired creativity in your life.

This Maya Angelou quote offers a hint about an ideal structure for your response. While the prompt asks you to focus on a specific “moment,” it’s also getting at the creative momentum you have maintained throughout your life. In some ways, this prompt competes with the introductory Einstein quote about curiosity, which could be a better fit for an essay about outside stimulus that inspires you. To really crack this prompt, you’ll want to turn your focus inside to your “impulses” — What does it feel like to get inspired? What does creativity mean to you? When you finally finish a creative project — be it a poem, painting, or batch of cookies — how do you feel? In what way does creative success (or failure) motivate you to keep trying?

In the aftermath of World War II, Dartmouth President John Sloane Dickey, Class of 1929, proclaimed, “The world’s troubles are your troubles…and there is nothing wrong with the world that better human beings cannot fix.” Which of the world’s “troubles” inspires you to act? How might your course of study at Dartmouth prepare you to address it?

Well hello there! Looks like we’ve found another Dartmouth prompt that closely resembles a Common App counterpart. In this case, we’re talking about Common App prompt #4 about a problem you’ve solved or would like to solve. The Dartmouth version is a bit more specific in you must choose one of “the world’s ‘troubles’” and connect it to your academic future at Dartmouth, but if you’ve already showcased your problem-solving abilities in your Common App personal statement, you might want to pick a different prompt on this supplement. This essay is also probably the most research-heavy of the bunch, which could be a blessing for the uninspired, or a curse for the anxious. In addition to showcasing your own talents and interests, you’ll need to exhibit clear personal knowledge of your chosen problem and a detailed understanding of Dartmouth’s related offerings. There’s still room for creativity, mashing up topics and disciplines in unexpected ways, but at the end of the day you need to demonstrate specific knowledge, motivation, and vision.

In The Bingo Palace , author Louise Erdrich, Class of 1976, writes, “…no one gets wise enough to really understand the heart of another, though it is the task of our life to try.” Discuss.

Another bit of competition for the Einstein prompt, this quote from Louise Erdrich gets at the concept of curiosity through a more intimate lens. What do we owe each other? Is it truly impossible to “understand the heart of another”? What might one learn through the endless pursuit of understanding? Although the prompt is merely to “discuss,” we would encourage you to consider a specific experience or relationship that you can describe as you attempt to grapple with these questions. Who has had a great impact in your life? When have you felt motivated to overcome interpersonal conflict or get to know someone completely different from you? When have you been surprised by how little you truly knew about someone close to you? Why is it important to try to understand other people? Do you dream of being a leader of the people and know that the path will include long conversations in which you learn about people who are very different from you? Do you hope to one day be a social worker who helps people become the best version of themselves? How will your pursuit of understanding help you in this career?

Emmy and Grammy winner Donald Glover is a 21st century Renaissance man—an actor, comedian, writer, director, producer, singer, songwriter, rapper, and DJ. And yet the versatile storyteller and performer recently told an interviewer, “The thing I imagine myself being in the future doesn’t exist yet.” Can you relate?

This is an oddly leading question to find on an application supplement, so we’d like to append our own follow up: Why or why not? Before you decide to tackle this question, you might want to spend some time unpacking the quote itself. According to Donald Glover , what “doesn’t exist yet”? Is he imagining something specific that has yet to come into being? Or is he describing an open horizon of possibilities? Both? Or is he talking about something else entirely? The wording is ambiguous, but your interpretation should be clear. How does this quote relate to your own state of mind? It aligns perfectly or contradicts directly, think about how you can illustrate your point with specifics. Admissions isn’t looking for an abstract list of existential musings, but a concrete understanding or who you are, what you value, and who you hope to be.

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How to Write Dartmouth's Essays (with Dartmouth Essay Examples)

Kate Sliunkova

AdmitYogi, Stanford MBA & MA in Education

14 min read

When it comes to college applications, writing an exceptional essay can be the key to standing out from the crowd. And for those aiming to join Dartmouth College, mastering the art of crafting compelling essays is crucial. But what exactly distinguishes a Dartmouth essay from the rest? In this article, we will delve into the insider tips and strategies for acing each of Dartmouth's essay prompts, accompanied by inspiring examples from successful applicants. Whether you're at the initial stages of brainstorming or adding the finishing touches to your essays, continue reading for expert guidance on how to captivate the admissions committee at one of the most esteemed institutions in the world. Prepare to unlock the secrets to making your Dartmouth application shine.

Dartmouth's Essay Prompts:

Dartmouth University requires its students to write three supplemental essays.

"Dartmouth celebrates the ways in which its profound sense of place informs its profound sense of purpose. As you seek admission to Dartmouth's Class of 2027, what aspects of the College's academic program, community, or campus environment attract your interest? In short, Why Dartmouth? Please respond in 100 words or fewer."

"'Be yourself,' Oscar Wilde advised. 'Everyone else is taken.' Introduce yourself in 200-250 words."

Choose one of the following prompts:

"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 making—an impact?"

"What excites you?"

"In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba '14 reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power electrical appliances in his family's Malawian house: 'If you want to make it, all you have to do is try.' What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you made?"

"Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel of Dartmouth's Class of 1925, wrote, 'Think and wonder. Wonder and think.' What do you wonder and think about?"

"'Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced,' wrote James Baldwin. How does this quote apply to your life experiences?"

How to Write Dartmouth's Essays:

How to approach dartmouth's "why dartmouth" essay.

The Prompt: "Dartmouth celebrates the ways in which its profound sense of place informs its profound sense of purpose. As you seek admission to Dartmouth's Class of 2027, what aspects of the College's academic program, community, or campus environment attract your interest? In short, Why Dartmouth? Please respond in 100 words or fewer."

When approaching the Dartmouth essay prompt that asks why you are interested in the College's academic program, community, or campus environment, it's crucial to demonstrate your genuine enthusiasm and understanding of Dartmouth's unique characteristics. Remember, you only have 100 words or fewer to make your case, so it's important to be concise and impactful. Here are a few tips to guide you:

• Research and specificity: Take the time to research Dartmouth's academic programs, campus community, and environment. Identify unique aspects that resonate with you. Whether it's the interdisciplinary approach, the tight-knit community, or the stunning natural surroundings, be sure to highlight the elements that truly attract your interest. Be specific!
• Personal connection: Connect your own aspirations, interests, or experiences to Dartmouth's offerings. How do you envision yourself thriving academically or contributing to the community? Share personal anecdotes or examples that demonstrate your alignment with Dartmouth's values and opportunities.
• Show, don't tell: Use vivid and concise language to paint a clear picture of why Dartmouth stands out to you. Instead of making general statements, provide concrete examples or specific details that illustrate why Dartmouth is the perfect fit for your academic and personal growth.

Remember, brevity is key in this response, so choose your words wisely. Craft a compelling and authentic answer that showcases your passion for Dartmouth and conveys your potential contributions to the college community.

Here's a great example of the "Why Dartmouth" essay from Ellie, who got into Yale and Dartmouth.

"Hidden below Hanover sits Base Camp, a Nepalese restaurant and home of the spiciest, most delicious noodles I’ve ever had. At Dartmouth, I’ll spend my time as I did during that meal: with a fire in my gut and a smile on my face. Under the instruction of Dr. Katie Hixon, I will continue my fascination with tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Biomedical Engineering for Global Health is the perfect class for me to pursue my passion of the intersection of science and social work. No matter what, I’ll work with passion, smiling ear-to-ear."

How to Approach Dartmouth's "Introduce Yourself" Essay

The Prompt: "'Be yourself,' Oscar Wilde advised. 'Everyone else is taken.' Introduce yourself in 200-250 words."

When approaching the Dartmouth essay prompt that asks you to introduce yourself, think of it as an invitation to paint a vibrant portrait of your true self. Embrace your quirks, passions, and idiosyncrasies that make you who you are. Instead of presenting a generic laundry list of achievements, focus on sharing the experiences and interests that ignite a fire within you. Whether it's the adrenaline rush of scaling mountains or the magic of capturing moments through your camera lens, reveal the unique facets of your personality that set you apart from the crowd.

In particular, consider highlighting pivotal moments that have shaped your worldview. Perhaps it was a transformative trip that exposed you to different cultures or an unexpected encounter that sparked a deep curiosity within you. Dive into these formative experiences and explore how they have influenced your aspirations, values, and sense of purpose. Then, showcase how these experiences tie into your broader desire for intellectual growth, collaborative learning, or making a positive difference in the world.

Here's an awesome example of Dartmouth's "Introduce Yourself" essay from Sophie. Beyond Dartmouth, Sophie's profile also includes the stats, essays, and awards that got her into Yale, Columbia, Cornell, and Brown.

"My orchestra in Boston is like a flock of flying geese, circling back whenever someone makes a mistake and moving toward our shared destination. With the conductor at the forefront of the V, we are one hundred independent geese paying rapt attention to each other so we can fly together harmoniously. Every Saturday when I see New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall with its tall glass windows, I walk faster in anticipation to join my flock inside as if I were coming home. Before rehearsal and during breaks we chat and laugh about topics ranging from Tchaikovsky to chai tea. Our strong connections arise from communicating in a language deeper than words during rehearsal. When we play, our charged moments of eye contact to coordinate entrances and the smiles we give to each other when we finish a solo are magical.

In one of my flute solos I remember crafting my interpretation in the moment. The freedom made me feel like a flying bird, yet I was in a comforting flock supporting my interpretation. I realized orchestra provides a rare balance between freedom and support. If we have too much freedom, it is hard to synchronize the parts, but if we conform exactly to everyone else, the music feels restricted and lifeless. This balance is why I feel so emotionally connected to orchestra, willing to spend seven hours traveling every Saturday to go to rehearsal. I am a free-thinking explorer, whether in my academic interests, political beliefs, artistic preferences, or any other area of my life. Yet I always look for a nurturing community to belong to, whether it is an orchestra, study group, volunteer group, or college. When I find a community with this rare balance, the excitement drives me to push boundaries and bring others with me."

Strategies for Dartmouth's Final Supplemental Essay

There are so many essay prompts for Dartmouth's final supplemental essay. To ensure you know how to approach each potential option, we recommend you check out our page with a full list of supplemental essay examples from Dartmouth!

Writing Dartmouth's "Dolores Huerta" essay.

The Prompt: "Approaching 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 making—an impact?"

When tackling the prompt about making an impact, draw inspiration from Dolores Huerta's powerful words and reflect on how you aspire to contribute to the world. Share your vision for creating positive change, whether it's through activism, community service, or pursuing a career that addresses pressing issues. Be specific about the causes or areas you are passionate about, and provide examples of how you have already started making a difference. Discuss any projects, initiatives, or organizations you are involved in and highlight the impact they have had. Additionally, explore your long-term goals and how you envision utilizing your skills, knowledge, and resources to bring about meaningful change on a larger scale. Convey your genuine commitment to making the world a better place, demonstrating your determination to leave a lasting and positive impact on society.

Writing Dartmouth's "What Excites You" essay.

The Prompt: "What excites you?"

When tackling the Dartmouth essay prompt that asks "What excites you?", it's an opportunity to showcase your passions, interests, and what truly ignites your enthusiasm. Dig deep and reflect on the activities, subjects, or experiences that bring you joy and fuel your curiosity. It could be a particular field of study, a hobby, a social cause, or an extracurricular pursuit. Be specific and provide examples that demonstrate your genuine excitement. Explain why these interests captivate you and how they have influenced your personal growth or worldview. Moreover, consider sharing any experiences where your excitement led you to take action, such as participating in research, leading a club, or engaging in community service. Use this essay as a platform to convey your authentic enthusiasm and showcase your motivation to pursue these exciting passions further. Ultimately, let your genuine excitement shine through your words and demonstrate how it aligns with Dartmouth's dynamic academic environment and vibrant community.

Writing Dartmouth's "William Kamkwamba" essay.

The Prompt: "In The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, William Kamkwamba '14 reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power electrical appliances in his family's Malawian house: 'If you want to make it, all you have to do is try.' What drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you made?"

The Dartmouth essay prompt referencing William Kamkwamba's inspiring story in "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" invites you to delve into your personal drive to create and the impact you aspire to make. Reflect on the motivations that fuel your desire to bring ideas to life. Explore the sense of curiosity, passion, or purpose that compels you to innovate and create something meaningful. Discuss the areas where you have already exercised your creative abilities, whether it's in the realm of art, science, entrepreneurship, or any other domain. Share specific examples of projects or initiatives you have undertaken and the impact they have had on others or on your own growth. Additionally, articulate your aspirations for the future and the creations you envision making. Whether it's a technological invention, a work of art, a social initiative, or a solution to a pressing problem, explain how you aim to contribute to the world through your creative endeavors. Convey your determination to embrace challenges, learn from setbacks, and persist in the pursuit of your creative visions. By showcasing your unique drive to create and make a difference, you can demonstrate your potential to contribute to the vibrant community at Dartmouth and beyond.

Writing Dartmouth's "Dr. Seuss" essay.

The Prompt: "Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Geisel of Dartmouth's Class of 1925, wrote, 'Think and wonder. Wonder and think.' What do you wonder and think about?"

When contemplating the prompt inspired by Dr. Seuss's words, "Think and wonder. Wonder and think," you have the opportunity to explore the topics that ignite your curiosity and engage your thinking. Reflect on the areas of knowledge, ideas, or phenomena that captivate your mind. What subjects, concepts, or mysteries do you find yourself pondering? It could be scientific phenomena, philosophical questions, social issues, artistic expressions, or anything else that sparks your intellectual curiosity. Dive deep into your wonderings and share the thoughts that occupy your mind. Discuss why these topics are important to you and how they have shaped your perspective or influenced your personal growth. Furthermore, consider how your wonderings and thoughts have led you to take action, whether through research, discussions, creative projects, or community engagement. Explain how your curiosity fuels your desire to seek knowledge, challenge assumptions, and explore new frontiers. By sharing your genuine wonderings and thoughtful reflections, you can provide insight into your intellectual curiosity and demonstrate your potential to contribute to the academic community at Dartmouth and beyond.

How to Write Dartmouth's James Baldwin Essay

The Prompt: "'Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced,' wrote James Baldwin. How does this quote apply to your life experiences?"

This prompt forces deep reflection on the application of this wisdom to your own life experiences. Consider moments when you confronted challenges, obstacles, or difficult truths. Reflect on how facing these situations influenced your growth, perspective, and ability to effect change. Share personal anecdotes that demonstrate your willingness to confront difficult realities and take action. Discuss how this quote has shaped your approach to personal development, relationships, or societal issues. Acknowledge that while not everything can be changed, the act of facing and acknowledging the truth is a catalyst for transformation. Highlight instances where you have embraced this mindset, whether it's initiating tough conversations, advocating for justice, or pursuing personal growth despite adversity. Ultimately, by illustrating how you have applied Baldwin's quote to your life experiences, you can showcase your resilience, introspection, and commitment to effecting positive change in yourself and the world around you.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the essay prompts from Dartmouth University provide a platform for you to express your passions, values, and aspirations. Crafting standout essays that capture the attention of the admissions committee requires genuine introspection and thoughtful reflection. Here at AdmitYogi, we understand the significance of these essays and aim to provide valuable resources to enhance your application process. We offer a vast collection of successful college essays , including examples from Dartmouth students and admitted students at other prestigious institutions like the Ivy League, MIT, and Stanford.

By exploring these examples, you can gain insight into effective storytelling, personal expression, and impactful writing techniques. Reading these essays not only serves as a source of inspiration but also allows you to grasp the nuances of successful applications. We believe that learning from the experiences of others who have navigated the college admissions journey can be instrumental in shaping your own unique approach.

Remember, Dartmouth values authenticity and a genuine connection with their applicants. Utilize the prompts as opportunities to showcase your unique qualities, experiences, and aspirations. Whether you are discussing your passions, reflecting on your personal growth, or sharing your commitment to making a difference, strive to convey your true self in a compelling and engaging manner. The road to Dartmouth and other esteemed institutions is filled with opportunities for growth and self-discovery. Embrace the challenge, trust in your abilities, and confidently present your unique voice and experiences. Good luck!

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In short, a liberal arts degree is a degree in thinking. what does this mean it means that a liberal arts education, done right and undertaken with enthusiasm, curiosity, and passion, makes you smarter., what is a liberal arts education and why is it more important than ever in the age of chatgpt.

With all the attention that Generative AI is getting these days, and the promise that ChatGPT can even write our essays for us, you might be wondering, "Why do I need to get an education at all, never mind the classic liberal arts degree like the one offered at Dartmouth?" Cecilia Gaposchkin, the Charles A. and Elfriede A. Collis Professor in History at Dartmouth, explains in her piece for 3D Magazine , a magazine that tells the stories of Dartmouth in all its dimensions.

Home — Essay Samples — Geography & Travel — Travel and Tourism Industry — The History of Moscow City

The History of Moscow City

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Harold J. Berman, 89, Who Altered Beliefs About Origins of Western Law, Dies

By Douglas Martin

• Nov. 18, 2007

Harold J. Berman, a scholar whose expertise in Russian law took him to a Soviet courtroom to fight for royalties owed Arthur Conan Doyle, and whose forceful scholarship altered thinking about Western law’s origins, died on Nov. 13 in Brooklyn. He was 89.

His daughter Jean Berman announced his death.

Mr. Berman wrote 25 books and more than 400 articles on subjects as diverse as Russian culture and comparative legal history. They were published in over 20 languages.

He taught for 37 years at Harvard Law School, where he was the Ames professor of law. He then taught for two decades at Emory University School of Law as the Robert W. Woodruff professor.

Mr. Berman relished unexplored intellectual geography. When he decided to study Soviet law as a World War II Army veteran at Yale Law School, there was no one to teach it. So he taught himself, starting with the Russian language.

The language training served him well in Moscow in 1958, in the first case he ever argued. Representing the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, he sought to extract royalties from the Soviet state on millions of Conan Doyle books sold in the Soviet Union. Winning in a Moscow city court, he later lost the case on appeal to a higher Russian Federation court.

At the time, he was a professor at Harvard Law School, one of the first Yale graduates to have that title. His research there questioned whether the commonly understood underpinnings of Western law were too narrow. Inspired by Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy, who taught him at Dartmouth as an undergraduate, Mr. Berman saw Western history as a river whose course was repeatedly changed by transforming revolutions. But Mr. Berman added important wrinkles: the importance of law as an independent historical force in its own right — not just a reflection of other forces like economics — and an emphasis on the link between religious tradition and law.

His most influential work was “Law and Revolution” (1983), which rejected the old idea that modern legal systems began in the 16th century. He argued that the 11th-century rise of papal authority with its own canon law jump-started modern law.

The journal Constitutional Commentary said in 2005 that the book had become “the standard point of departure for work in the field.” The American Political Science Review said, “This may be the most important book on law in our generation.”

In 2004, Mr. Berman published “Law and Revolution II: The Impact of the Protestant Reformation on the Western Legal Tradition.” This explored how the 16th-century German Reformation and the 17th-century English Revolution gave birth to a new civil order apart from religion. Soon, marriage certificates came from civil agencies, and church law governed only churches.

Mr. Berman often left the ivory tower. In 2005, he joined the religious broadcaster Pat Robertson in writing a brief to defend the Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Texas Capitol. He called the commandments a foundation of Texas law, and noted that the Declaration of Independence invoked God.

Harold Joseph Berman was born on Feb. 13, 1918, in Hartford. Under a theory he enunciated in 2006 for The Fulton County Daily Report, an Atlanta legal and business newspaper, he said that he, like all children, had been a law student from a young age.

“A child says, ‘It’s my toy.’ That’s property law,” he said. “A child says, ‘You promised me.’ That’s contract law. A child says, ‘He hit me first.’ That’s criminal law. A child says, ‘Daddy said I could.’ That’s constitutional law.”

Mr. Berman graduated from Dartmouth, where he was editor in chief of the college newspaper. He studied legal history at the London School of Economics and earned a master’s degree in history from Yale.

After a year at Yale Law School, he was drafted into the Army and later awarded a Bronze Star for his work as a cryptographer. After finishing at Yale, he taught at Stanford for a year and joined Harvard in 1948.

In the 1950s, even when McCarthyism reigned, Mr. Berman often visited the Soviet Union to study and teach. He was a frequently cited source of news about changes in Soviet law in the 1950s, when Communist leaders were liberalizing government and society after Stalin’s death.

His stays were so long that he enrolled his children in Soviet schools. His wife, the former Ruth Carol Harlow, started Moscow’s first P.T.A.

In addition to his wife, of 66 years, Mr. Berman is survived by his sons Stephen, of Ashland, Ore., and John, of São Paulo, Brazil; his daughters Jean Berman of Brooklyn, and Susanna Omac of Temecula, Calif., seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Mr. Berman had planned a third volume in his Law and Revolution series, and was even planning a fourth. Speaking to the Fulton County newspaper, he was philosophical about the prospects of finishing.

“It’s up to God — if he wants to read it or not,” he said.

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Letter to the Editor: The Dangers of Unionization for Dartmouth’s Men’s Basketball Team

Former dartmouth basketball players warn against the men’s basketball team’s unionization..

Re: Men’s basketball team votes to unionize

We are three former Dartmouth basketball teammates. Although we have not created any formal committee or petition, we have been in communication with several former Dartmouth athletes who share the views expressed in this letter.

We were deeply concerned to learn that the current men’s basketball team has voted to unionize. This initiative has brought a whole new meaning to the term “March Madness.”  It is difficult to express how ill-advised and destructive this decision could be, both for the future of Dartmouth and of Ivy League athletics at large. Since the creation of the league in 1954, Ivy League sports have enjoyed a unique standing in the NCAA. Its athletes — who lack the benefits of athletic scholarships or the trappings of so-called “big-time” college sports — are students before they are athletes. Nationwide, nearly all Division I sports teams generate less revenue than it costs to field a team. It is in the context of these economic realities that the current basketball team heedlessly felt they needed a union.  

When we were students, none of us ever believed we had been hired to play basketball at Dartmouth. Rather, we felt privileged to represent our school while fulfilling our academic requirements and graduating from one of the top colleges in the country. We are beyond disappointed that the current team seems to feel differently. Even more disturbing is the very real prospect that unionization will become the norm in the Ivy League, perhaps spelling the end of Division I sports in the Ivy League. 

Thus, we urge the Board of Trustees to pursue all available legal remedies to curb the unionization of sports at Dartmouth and to preserve the priceless tradition of Dartmouth athletics.

Sincerely yours,

John Mathias ’69

William Stableford ’69

Robert Sturges ’69

John Mathias, William Stableford and Robert Sturges played for the Dartmouth men’s basketball team during their time at the College. Letters to the Editor represent the views of their author(s), which are not necessarily those of The Dartmouth.

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Apply for the Program

The frank j. guarini institute for international education, financing your program, preparing for travel, most common questions.

The Departments of Government, Russian and the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society are offering a new interdisciplinary program that invites students of Russian language, government, and energy on an adventure across the vast reaches of the world's largest country. This program features custom-designed courses for the government or energy cohorts with the Higher School of Economics in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia.

Applications

The application deadline for the Summer 2022 Russia Program has passed. 

If you have questions about the Russia Program, details may be obtained from The Frank J. Guarini Institute for International Education . Please feel free to visit them at 44 North College Street or on their website .

About this Program

Participants will have the opportunity to explore Russia's political, social, and economic history, contemporary cultural and political life, and domestic and geopolitical energy and climate dynamics. This program features custom-designed courses with the Higher School of Economics in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and cultural expeditions across seven time zones and 5000+ kilometers along with close engagement with Russian and international students.

Government students can learn about Russian domestic politics and Russia in the world first-hand from Russian scholars, in addition to a class offered by Dartmouth Government professor Joseph Bafumi. Experience Russia's long and complex political history, recent and contemporary governance regimes and discourse, and ground your growing knowledge via experiential learning with your peers throughout the vastness of Russia. 

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Hear what Faculty Leaders, Prof. Bafumi and Prof. Graham, have to say about the program here! 

Prerequisites

Students will be required to participate in a lecture series or take an accredited class about Russia in the spring before embarking on the program.

Course work while on the FSP

GOVT 96.01 – Russia in the World (Midlevel)

This course will survey Russian foreign relations with the United States, the European Union, East Asia, the Middle East and the former soviet states.  It will do so while covering a number of important themes for the Russian state including energy, economic dynamics, geopolitics, transnational coalitions, and diplomacy.  Students will benefit from having multiple professors teaching in their specific areas of expertise.  Students should come away from this class with a deep understanding of Russia's role in the world, its future ambitions and how these impacts the current world order.  While formal lectures will end in the Moscow portion of the trip, students will receive further instruction via guest speakers, meetings, and experiential learning events in St. Petersburg . Course taught by multiple Professors from National Research University Higher School of Economics

GOVT 96.02 – Russian Political Systems (Midlevel)

This course will give students an in-depth understanding of domestic Russian political systems.  It will begin with a brief history of the Russian nation and then cover contemporary Russian political institutions, political behavior, the national budget, media, human rights, and group politics (race, LGBT rights, youth movements, and gender).  Students will benefit from having multiple professors teaching in their specific areas of expertise.  Students should come away from this class with a very solid understanding of modern, domestic politics in Russia. Course taught by multiple Professors from National Research University Higher School of Economics

  GOVT 96.03 – Special Topics in Russia (Seminar)

This class will cover contemporary U.S.-Russian relations with a specific focus on the new age of information warfare.  We will cover electoral interference, cyberwar, propaganda and the perils of modern diplomacy.  We will do so with book and article readings, lectures, discussions, and guest talks.  We will also meet about one third of the time with Professor Gronas and his students to benefit from the perspective of an expert on Russian culture and language.  Students should come away from the course with a solid understanding of the challenges of information warfare, both defensive and offensive, between nuclear powers.  The course will begin with an introductory reading on modern Russia.  We will then move to specific topics in information warfare with a final reading on the perils of modern diplomacy between the U.S. and Russia in the contemporary context.  In most class sessions, students will be chosen to be discussion captains.  They will present additional material closely related to the assigned readings which help us understand the topics of study more thoroughly or from additional perspectives. Students will also complete an essay-based midterm and final exam based on the material covered in class. Course taught by Prof. Joseph Bafumi in 2022 Spring.

Russia FSP Director '22-'23 - Prof. Joseph Bafumi