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Dartmouth supplemental essays

All 3 required prompts for 2025-2026, each with its own deep guide: what it is really asking, annotated examples, and what to avoid.

Strategy, read this first

Treat the three essays as a portfolio, not three separate tasks. Before you write a word, list the four or five things you most want Dartmouth to know about you. Then assign each essay a different job so they do not overlap. If your "Why Dartmouth" is about a specific academic program, do not also write a second essay about academics; use the choice prompts to show range, like a community you come from, a passion outside school, and a way you think. The single most common failure at Dartmouth is three essays that all sound like the same earnest applicant talking about achievement.

For the 100-word "Why Dartmouth," resist the urge to list. One or two precise connections, named and explained, will always beat five vague ones. Spend your research time finding things that are true at Dartmouth and not at every other school: the D-Plan, an off-campus program, an undergraduate research setup, a specific First-Year Seminar topic, a club you would actually join. The choice prompts are where you get to be a person, so pick the option that lets you tell a story only you could tell, not the one that sounds most impressive.

01 Why Dartmouth (Required) 100 words In very few words, name the specific things at Dartmouth that fit you, and connect each one to something real about you. This is a "Why us" … 02 Essay 2: Choose One (Identity) 250 words Both options want the same thing in different keys: a genuine introduction to who you are and where you come from. Option A roots you in a p… 03 Essay 3: Choose One (Range) 250 words This is your range essay: the place to show a side the other two did not. The options run from pure enthusiasm (A, E) to impact (B) to empat…

Mistakes that sink Dartmouth essays

✕ Do not waste the 100 words on flattery

Lines like "Dartmouth's world-class faculty and beautiful campus" could describe any school and tell the reader nothing. In 100 words, every sentence that is not specific to you is a sentence wasted. Cut straight to the named program or experience and why it fits you.

✕ Do not pick the prompt that sounds smartest

The novel and impact prompts can tempt you into writing what you think Dartmouth wants. Pick the option where you have a real, lived story. "Celebrate your nerdy side" written honestly beats a forced essay about changing the world.

✕ Do not let three essays blur together

If a reader could swap your second and third essays without noticing, you have wasted a slot. Give each one a distinct subject, setting, and tone so the set shows different sides of you.

✕ Do not skip the reflection

A great scene that ends without any insight feels unfinished here. In 250 words, leave room for one or two sentences that show what the experience taught you or changed in you. That turn is what Dartmouth is reading for.

Dartmouth essay FAQ

How many essays does Dartmouth require for 2025-2026?

Three supplemental essays, plus your Common App personal statement. The supplements are a 100-word "Why Dartmouth," one 250-word essay chosen from two prompts, and one 250-word essay chosen from seven prompts.

What are the Dartmouth supplemental essay prompts for 2025-2026?

The first is a required 100-word "Why Dartmouth" essay. The second is a choice between the Quaker "Let your life speak" prompt and Oscar Wilde's "Be yourself, introduce yourself." The third is a choice among seven, including "What excites you?", "Celebrate your nerdy side," prompts on impact, reading, difficult conversations, difference, and failure.

What are the word limits for Dartmouth's essays?

The "Why Dartmouth" essay is 100 words or fewer. The second and third essays are each 250 words or fewer. These are firm limits, so write tight.

Is Dartmouth test-optional for 2025-2026?

No. Dartmouth reinstated a standardized testing requirement, so applicants must submit SAT or ACT scores. Because scores are required, your essays focus on showing who you are rather than proving academic ability.

What are Dartmouth's application deadlines?

Early Decision is November 1, 2025, and Regular Decision is January 1, 2026. ED decisions arrive in mid-December and RD decisions in late March or early April.

How hard is it to get into Dartmouth?

Very. Dartmouth admitted 1,702 of 28,230 applicants to the Class of 2029, a 6.0% acceptance rate, with about 96% of admitted students in the top 10% of their high school class. Specific, genuine essays matter at that level of selectivity.

Prompts and facts verified against Dartmouth Admissions: Writing Supplement, Dartmouth Admissions: Application Deadline, Dartmouth Class of 2029 Profile (PDF) and Dartmouth News: Admission to the Class of 2029 (Dartmouth College, 2025-2026 cycle). Supplements change yearly, re-verify each cycle.

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