Do you think people with SATs in the 1250 to 1300 range have a chance of getting in with 3.75 to 3.8 UW GPAs? Is homeschooling a hook?
@CBWTHD101 I would say your chances are unfortunately not good with those stats. If you are VERY underprivileged and have amazing ECs, then maybe, but I would recommend looking at some less competitive schools otherwise. Schools like Lehigh and Grinnell would probably be better reaches for you.
I would not consider being homeschooled a hook, per se, though it might help you a bit to show your diverse background. Maybe consider Reed College, they are well known for being accommodating to more people of non-traditional backgrounds who may not have had the best grades or test scores, but still have very interesting stories to tell.
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Does Dartmouth offer engineering program? Any research opportunities for freshman or sophomore?
@meg98 yes to both, but those are questions more suited for google. For further info on those, you would likely get all you need from our website.
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Have you met any students who got in with a 3.6 or similar GPA? If so what kinds of profiles did they tend to have and what advice to you have for making up a low GPA? Could you check my chance me thread and let me know if I would be a competitive applicant.
Hey @Shadjack1 , I looked over your thread. You seem to have a strong upward trend in your GPA, great standardized test scores and pretty good spikes in engineering, along with accomplishments in other fields.
Your GPA would be a bit of pull down on your app, but I would certainly say itās worth it, if you keep up that upward momentum in grades, to try for some more competitive schools. You may want to look closely at a bunch of schools to determine what kind of school you want and the community you would fit into to maximize your chances. Youāre going to need to really want a few specific reaches to make a good case for yourself. And youāll need very specific reasons why those schools are the best for you, ignoring what ranks say.
I would say try for some need-blind smaller schools along with UCLA and Berkeley as these big public unis tend to filter their applicants, especially for their massive engineering programs, more on grades and scores than ECs.
You have more of a chance standing out in applying to schools which donāt have huge engineering populations. But you are going to have to do research to target the ones youād like specifically.
I have not yet met people with GPAs of 3.6 or thereabouts, but I came from an ICSE school which priotitized rote memorization so my grades were crappy freshman year. It didnāt influence my GPA as ICSE schools donāt have that, but I did have to submit those scores. So, with a strong upward trend, it is possible to get into these schools.
I targeted Dartmouth specifically taking into account fit, and what I wanted, like a close-knit community and a set of quirky peers, in the college experience. You need to do that too, to maximize your chances.
Also, make sure to have a set of match and safety schools. You should still apply to UCLA and Berkeley if you can afford the apps, coz its all on the UC app, and I think you can get into some fine UCs without too much trouble, like UCSB and UCSD. Always good to have options like those in the back pocket.
Hope I helped!
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Hey @Gogreen19 ,
First of all thanks alot for your insight and help. I was just curious about general high school performanceā¦
I personally underperformed very much junior year, recieving 5 Bās all barely below 90% all first semester. Second semester was much better, and even with a tough courseload next year, great ECās, recs and volunteering, how do you feel this would affect the possibility of admission into a school like Dartmouth, Harvard, etc?
Of course, getting Bās in high school is already an indicator that attending a top school isnt the top fit for me, but any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Hey @alpha178 , as junior year is the most important year of grading for college admissions, I would say your academic record would pull down your app for top colleges. It may not be a bad idea to try for one or two you think fit you particularly well, but I wouldnāt have too much hope in that regard, sorry.
I would say schools like Tufts, Emory, Oberlin etc. would probably be better reaches for your list, especially if you have solid ECs and standardized test scores. It might be worth applying ED to one in this tier of selectivity you really like to maximize your chances.
Hey @Gogreen19, Congrats on Dartmouth!
In your opinion, what sets Dartmouth apart from other Ivys/schools, and what are you most looking forward to in the next four years? Btw, what are you planning to major in at Dartmouth?
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@Gogreen19 Yes, of course, that is fine.
Hey @Matty1600,
Thanks for your congrats, but I am a current student so I got in quite a while ago.
As to what sets Dartmouth apart, there are a number of things. One is the undergraduate focus. As Dartmouth has a much higher undergrad to postgrad ration relative to other elite institutions, small class sizes, close relationships with professors and participation in research while an undergrad are easier to come by at Dartmouth than at many other top schools. This is the result of Dartmouth being an undergrad focused research university, with both a string focus on undergrads, and a high research presence, bringing the best of both worlds (lib arts colleges and research universities) together.
In addition, Dartmouth has an very flexible schedule with the quarter system. You have to be taking classes 12 terms, but only 7 of those (freshman and senior fall, winter and spring, as well as sophomore summer) are predetermined. Of all the terms from freshman summer to junior spring (excluding sophomore summer), you can pick and choose which five terms youād like to be on campus. This primary reason people do this is to take terms off to do internships at competitive places (like congressional, Google, NASA etc.) across the country at times when they are less competitive.
Dartmouth also has the best study abroad program in the ivy league, which, combined with the quarter system, really makes it easy for students to go abroad. Over 60% of students go off-campus at least one term in the college career, and you can do up to 3 ā and unlike at a lot of other colleges, many people do do more than one study abroad. and college really puts in the effort to work out your major and course scheduling to allow you to take the number and kind of off-campus study terms you want, even if they fall in fields outside your major.
Academics aside, the student body is also very collaborative and warm, a sharp contrast to the cutthroat competitive atmospheres, and stress cultures at some of our peer schools. The students here are still very smart and ambitious, mind, but we generally set personal goals rather than use beating each other as markers of success.
We are also a very tight-knit community. While large enough that there are always new people to meet if you feel the need to explore, it is small enough youa re always meeting people you know. just walking around, And student clubs and societies, as well as floors of residence halls, and first-year trip groups get very close and form bonds quickly.
The student culture is also really quirky. Like, one thing we have is flair, where people dress up in really weird stuff like onesies, propeller hats etc. And people just do that before going out to party, and hang out. Itās just a universally accepting thing.
We also have a number of other traditions, especially during the introductory period to the college, that serve to really bring together the whole community, and really make freshmen feel welcome. It is, in fact, much easier to do that with a college of this size and unmitigated undergraduate attention.
As to what Iām most looking forward to (though in the next three years since I am almost done with freshman year), itās a a toughie as there is a lot to pick from, but I would have to go with my Junior year abroad I am planning.
I plan to take all the three terms of study that Iāll have that year abroad, and in three separate continents, in three separate fields of study. One in Costa Rica, where Iād be studying tropical forest and coral ecosystems through the Biology department, one in South Africa studying human-environment dynamics in a developing country through the Environmental Studies Department, and the Language Study Abroad in Tokyo through the Japanese department.
If I can manage all of these with my major and minor schedule, this is the plan. I think itāll be very fun. In addition, I applied to volunteer for one of the committees welcoming the 24s. The introduction period through Trips and O-week is a very fun time, Iām looking forward to it.
And lastly, I plan to major in Environmental Studies, modified with Government, which is a cool kind of fusion major, without all the course requirements of a double major you can do at Dartmouth.
This is a really long answer, but I hope I helped!
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@Omar909, I just realized that on rereading what you sent, you have already taken the SAT. I think you might want to try retaking that if you can, as 1400 is low-end qualifiable for these schools. Also, you should take SAT subject tests, as, though optional, most applicants will be sending those in. I would recommend at least 2.
In addition to working on expressing yourself in English, thatās all the advice I can give you. Otherwise, you seem qualified. Good luck!
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Hey @Gogreen19, Congrats on Dartmouth!
I am currently attending an international(American) school in Shanghai, China. And I am an American Citizen, I was wondering if there will be a disadvantage if I am applying from overseas? Also, do I count as apart of the international students or a local student?
Also, since my father is an alumnus of Dartmouth, and I see him contributing to the college a lot, is there really an āadvantageā?
Thank you!!
Hi Rohan,I am Indian too.I am in my sophomore year and I live in Kolkata.I go to an ICSE school.Can you suggest me the some AP schools in Kolkata?It will also be extremely helpful if you can share your stats and ECs.
Do you know anything about how much legacy is a factor in admissions if one parent is an alum?
Hey @sszhyy thanks for the congrats, but I am a '23 so I was admitted a while ago. To answer your questions, no, there is no disadvantage applying from overseas as a US citizen. Your application will be considered as a US citizenās application, by an admissions representative whose job it is to deal with applications from US citizens living abroad. You will, however, likely be compared to other US citizens in your region.
Yes, there is a definite advantage to being a legacy, especially one whose parent has contributed significantly to the school. This advantage, however, is especially significant in the early admit pool, when elite colleges take in the lionās share of their legacy admits.
I would say that if you consider Dartmouth your top choice, and are a legacy to boot, it would be especially beneficial to apply ED as your chance of getting in will be maximized.
That said, being a legacy doesnāt exempt you from having to meet the qualifications required of any admit i.e. significant academic and extracurricular achievement.
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Legacy admits are admitted at a rate of 2.5 times more than regular applicants. Of course, this does not completely reflect their advantage, as legacies also tend to be from richer families and have had a more privileged educational background, so take it with a grain of salt, but it does show that there is a significant advantage to being a legacy applicant.
However, this advantage is especially pronounced in the Early Decision round, when elite colleges, especially the ivies, take in the lionās share of their legacy admits. But, as said in the previous post, this doesnāt exempt legacies from having to meet the qualifications required of any admit i.e. significant academic and extracurricular achievement.
Of course, many of the applicants who donāt get in are also qualified.
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Iām afraid I have never been to or lived in Kolkata, so I do not know anything about AP schools there. Sorry!
As to my ECs and stats, you will find those in posts 12 and 18 of this thread respectively.
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About my question regarding remoteness of the campus ā how difficult is it to commute to Hanover? As it is, my daughter attends college without an airport, and her school offers shuttle to regional airports. Does Dartmouth do the same for its students? I really donāt want my son to have a car at college, but would that make it easier for him? And I guess with the campus being in a remote area, the students stay on campus a lot?
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@luckymama64 Yes, the Dartmouth coach runs from Boston airport and New York to campus. It is not at all difficult to commute to Hanover. As for cars, freshmen and sophomores are not allowed to have cars. That is ok though as coaches run from campus to Lebanon, the nearby town, Boston, and New York multiple times a day.
Yes, students do tend to stay on campus a lot, especially in the first couple years. There are always tons of things to do here though. Also, If your son is interested in outdoors activities, we have tons of facilities and opportunities to do that, being in the woods. Also, our relative isolation means we donāt have a city to escape to for those of means, so everyone from across socioeconomic backgrounds bonds with each other a lot more here than Iāve seen at other schools.
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