On Feb 5, Dartmouth College updated its testing policy announcing its return to requiring standardized tests for this next application cycle. The announcement stated, “Beginning with the Class of 2029, Dartmouth will once again require applicants from high schools within the United States to submit results of either the SAT or ACT, with no Dartmouth preference for either test.”
The announcement further explained, “For applicants from schools outside the U.S., results of either the SAT, ACT or three Advanced Placement (AP) examinations OR predicted or final exam results from the International Baccalaureate (IB), British A-Levels, or an equivalent standardized national exam are required.”
The announcement did not specify which national exams would be accepted in lieu of the SAT or ACT.
The statement went on to clarify their reasons for different requirements for applicants in and outside the US, “This distinction between students attending a school in the U.S. or outside the U.S. acknowledges the disparate access to American standardized testing—as well as the lack of familiarity with such testing—in different parts of the world.”
It clarified there were no changes to English language proficiency requirements, “For students for whom English is not the first language or if English is not the primary language of instruction for at least two years, students are required to submit an English proficiency score from TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or the Cambridge English Exam.”
Dartmouth reiterated their practice of considering testing as one of many factors in their holistic admission process, stating, “Dartmouth has practiced holistic admissions since 1921, and that century-long consideration of the whole person is unquestionably as relevant as ever. As we reactivate our required testing policy, contextualized testing will be one factor—but never the primary factor—among the many quantitative and qualitative elements of our application.”
Dartmouth College is a private, highly selective college located in the rural community of Hanover, New Hampshire. It practices need blind admissions, and meets full demonstrated financial need. According to their class profile, Dartmouth admitted fewer than 1800 students, about 6% of applicants.
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