2026-27 Cycle • 2 prompts

Dartmouth College supplemental essays.

Every Dartmouth College supplemental prompt for the 2026-27 cycle, with the word limit, what they're looking for, and the most common pitfalls.

1. Prompt 1: 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 2030, what aspects of the College's academic program, community, or campus environment attract your interest?

   100 wordsrequired

   What they really want

   • Only 100 words — pick ONE specific Dartmouth thing and commit.
   • Foreign Study Programs, the D-Plan, House Communities, Dartmouth Outing Club.

   Avoid

   • Trying to cover three reasons in 100 words.
   • Generic Ivy-themed answer.

2. Prompt 2: Choose one of the following prompts (rotates yearly — themes include: a moment of failure, a question you can't stop thinking about, a community you belong to).

   250 wordsrequired

   What they really want

   • Pick the prompt you have actual evidence for, not the most impressive-sounding.
   • One scene, one insight. 250 words is tight.

   Avoid

   • Choosing a prompt to 'sound interesting' with no story.
   • Trying to cover multiple stories.