What are the most important qualities the Admissions Office is looking for?
It’s hard to do justice to this question in a short answer. However, the Admissions Committee reviews applications in the hopes of admitting bright and engaging young people who will take full advantage of what the College offers in and out of the classroom. Intellectually-engaged, open-minded, community-oriented students are drawn to the College and do well at Dartmouth. However, Dartmouth receives many times more qualified applicants than can be admitted, so the process is one of choosing from among many very qualified applicants. Admissions Officers spend a great deal of time reading every component of each candidate’s application. Personal information and essays are important. Admissions Officers also look for strong faculty recommendations and a high school transcript that shows consistently high achievement. Interviewers should realize that Dartmouth must turn down thousands of candidates who are fully qualified and would be excellent students at Dartmouth.
