Admissions Glossary

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Office of Undergraduate Admissions

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Admissions FAQs

Questions? Being curious makes you a good fit for Dartmouth.
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Most Commonly Searched Terms

The college admissions process involves terminology you might not encounter anywhere else. Use this online glossary to get up to speed on key admissions words and phrases.

  • Application Management System

    Dartmouth's application portal for viewing application status and making updates.

    Early Decision

    Students applying through the Early Decision cycle have the opportunity to gain early acceptance. Admission is "binding" which means students admitted to Dartmouth early are required to enroll.

    Holistic Admissions

    Holistic admissions is grounded in the concept that the whole is more than merely the sum of its parts. At Dartmouth, this idea is at the forefront of our application review process.

    Standardized Testing

    Dartmouth requires standardized testing scores as part of your application.

    Transfer

    Transfer is an admission round in which current college students submit their application by March 1 and receive an admission decision by early May.

    Virtual Tour

    You can visit Dartmouth from the comfort of your own home! Check out our main campus tour, our engineering tour, and our athletics tour.

    Wait List

    The wait list provides us with an opportunity to consider candidacies of applicants who were not initially offered admission to Dartmouth.