At Dartmouth, intersecting identities fuel potential. Learn about the Dartmouth experiences of:
Native and Indigenous students
Students at Dartmouth from Small Towns and Rural Locations
17
Percent of Dartmouth undergraduate U.S students that are from rural or small towns
17
Percent of Dartmouth undergraduate U.S students that are from rural or small towns
Learn more about the experiences of Dartmouth students who come from small towns or rural locations:
Explore the profiles of some of our students who come from rural or small towns on the Connect With A Student page and email them with any questions you have about their experience such as life at Dartmouth, classes, or clubs.
What does that mean?
The college admissions process involves terminology you might not encounter anywhere else. On this page we are sharing some words and phrases that might be new to you. Use our full online glossary to learn additional admissions words and phrases.
Context
Context refers to the personal and educational circumstances from which an applicant applies to Dartmouth. The term includes an applicant's socio-economic status, the courses their school offers, their school's grading/ranking practices, and other data. There is no "right" or "wrong" context. Rather, it is situational information that allows the Admissions Committee to more fully appreciate the choices and successes of each of our applicants.
Liberal Arts Curriculum
Dartmouth is—fundamentally and enthusiastically—an institution devoted to the liberal arts, but the term "liberal arts" is often misunderstood.
A simple way to explain the liberal arts would be to replace the words "liberal arts" in "liberal arts curriculum" with "multidisciplinary." A more thorough description of what our multidisciplinary curriculum involves, and the many benefits it offers, can be found in the work of Dartmouth professor Cecelia Gaposchkin, who has written extensively about the topic in the Huffington Post, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and in 3D, our own admissions magazine.
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.
Dartmouth, like many institutions, uses a concept called holistic review in evaluating applications and making admissions decisions. Holistic review includes factors in addition to grades, testing, and extracurricular activities in the decision-making process. The College Board offers a comprehensive breakdown and explanation of the principles and processes behind holistic review.
We believe an application is more than just the numbers; each application is reviewed holistically, regardless of GPA, class rank, and test scores.
Special Circumstances
Life is complicated.
Sometimes family or personal circumstances can impact your academic credentials or alter your perspective. You may wish to relay information about family or personal circumstances either through your Personal Statement or in the Additional Information section of the Common App.
Examples of Special Circumstances
- Moving multiple times during high school
- Care-giving responsibilities
- Significant out-of-the-home work responsibilities
- Significant educational interruptions
- Course offering limitations
- Other circumstances that have caused you to have a different course schedule or different academic options than your classmates
It is up to you whether to share information about your special circumstances. If you decide to, we suggest you seek the advice of your counselor to find the best method to concisely convey information that will be helpful to your application.
Admissions Beat Podcast
"Some of the challenges that our students and our communities that our students live in worry about is understanding financial aid, understanding fit...they haven't necessarily had the opportunity to visit colleges just because they are so far removed from so many of them and they don't necessarily understand what it means to go to a private school versus a public school and what it means to go to schools outside of the few that they've heard of...that's one of the things that we do is try to help them understand a little bit better about what the college landscape looks like."
- Kim Jackson, director advising and scholar support at Lenfest Scholars Foundation in Wayne, Pennsylvania
On these episodes of the Admisions Beat podcast, Dartmouth's vice president and veteran dean of admissions, Lee Coffin—and a first-generation college student—talks with experts in the higher education field to celebrate students who come from rural and small towns, and give some guidance about using that identity as a springboard in your college admisisons process.
Additional Resources To Explore
Dartmouth has departments, programs, clubs, and resources to support students from rural and small towns
Visit our Rural Students page for additional resources related to applying to Dartmouth, college admissions, and affordability.
Estimate What Dartmouth Might Cost For You
Many students don't pay the sticker pricce to attend college. Wondering what it might cost you to attend Dartmouth? Our MyinTuition calculator can help. In less than five minutes, answer six questions and receive a range of what Dartmouth might cost for you.
