Is Dartmouth test optional?

No, Dartmouth is not test-optional for most applicants; they reinstated the SAT/ACT requirement for the Class of 2029 (entering Fall 2025) and beyond, based on research indicating scores help identify successful students, especially from diverse backgrounds, though a more flexible policy exists for international applicants. Students applying from U.S. high schools must submit SAT or ACT scores as part of Dartmouth's holistic review process, recognizing the value scores add to understanding an applicant's potential.

Is Dartmouth no longer test-optional?

Students who attend(ed) high school within the United States must submit results of either the SAT or ACT. Dartmouth has no institutional preference for either test.

Is Dartmouth or brown harder to get into?

It's extremely close, with recent data showing Brown slightly harder to get into by acceptance rate (around 5-5.6%) versus Dartmouth (around 5.4-6%), but both are exceptionally selective Ivies, making the difference minimal and dependent on the specific year and applicant pool; Brown's Open Curriculum attracts self-directed students, while Dartmouth offers a traditional college experience with a strong undergraduate focus. 

Which Ivies are no longer test-optional?

With Princeton University finally reinstating a standardized testing requirement, Columbia remains as the last totally test-optional Ivy League school. Princeton announced on Thursday that, starting in the 2027 admissions cycle, students will once again be required to submit SAT or ACT scores.

What GPA do you need to get into Dartmouth?

Dartmouth has no strict minimum GPA, but expects near-perfect grades (average weighted GPA around 4.11) in rigorous courses, with most admitted students ranking in the top 10% of their class, emphasizing holistic review of your high school context, course difficulty, and trends. Strong academic performance is vital, but you must also impress with extracurriculars and essays, as Dartmouth is highly selective, aiming for near straight-A performance in challenging classes like AP/IB. 

Test Optional: Best & Worst Bets 2025! Top 100 Colleges: Data Revealed. What's REALLY Test Optional?

Is Dartmouth the easiest ivy?

Dartmouth isn't the easiest Ivy, but it's often considered among the "easiest to get into" compared to Harvard or Yale, typically ranking just after Cornell and ahead of Brown/Penn in terms of slightly higher acceptance rates (around 5-6% vs. 3-4%). It's still extremely selective, but its smaller size, undergraduate focus, and unique offerings, plus early decision pools, can make it slightly more accessible than the most difficult Ivies. 

How much does 4 years at Dartmouth cost?

Dartmouth College's 4-year cost (tuition, fees, room, board, books) is projected to be over $370,000 for recent entering classes, with the sticker price around $90,000+ per year, though most families pay significantly less due to financial aid, with average net prices for some income levels near zero. For the 2024-2025 year, total costs were around $91,312, with tuition near $66,000, but actual costs depend heavily on aid, potentially dropping to under $20,000 annually for many students.
 

Did Mark Zuckerberg get a 1600 on SAT?

Yes, reports widely state that Mark Zuckerberg scored a perfect 1600 (or sometimes a near-perfect 1590) on his SAT, achieving top marks before attending Harvard University, consistent with his reputation as a gifted student and programmer.
 

What is the easiest ivy to get into?

While all Ivy League schools are highly selective, Cornell University is generally considered the "easiest" to get into due to having the highest acceptance rate (around 8-9%), partly because it's the largest Ivy with diverse colleges, like the less competitive Agriculture and Life Sciences, though its engineering programs are tough. Dartmouth College and Brown University often follow as the next most accessible Ivies, while Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia are typically the most difficult, with lower acceptance rates. 

Is test optional going away in 2026?

No, test-optional isn't going away entirely for 2026, but the landscape is shifting with some selective schools reinstating requirements (like many Ivies for Fall 2026) while many others, including large public universities, remain test-optional or test-blind, making it crucial to check each college's specific policy for the 2025-2026 application cycle and beyond. The trend shows a move towards "test-optional but test-relevant," meaning strong scores are an advantage, but many schools still offer the choice. 

What is the easiest public ivy to get into?

The "easiest" Public Ivy to get into depends on your state residency and intended major, but generally, schools like University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), University of Maryland (College Park), Binghamton (SUNY), and University of Wisconsin-Madison often have higher acceptance rates than others like UCLA or UMich, though specific programs (like Engineering at UIUC or Business at UW-Madison) remain highly competitive; University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) also offers automatic admission for top state students. 

Who is Dartmouth's biggest rival?

Dartmouth's biggest rival, particularly in football and historically within the Ivy League, is Harvard, with the annual Harvard-Dartmouth game often deciding the league championship and being one of the oldest rivalries in college football. Other significant rivals include Cornell, especially when vying for Ivy League titles, and even Princeton, sometimes, due to conference implications, though Harvard remains the most prominent opponent. 

Is Duke or Vanderbilt harder to get into?

While both are extremely selective, Duke is generally considered slightly harder to get into than Vanderbilt, primarily due to its lower acceptance rates, with Duke often hovering around 6% compared to Vanderbilt's 9-10%, though both have become significantly more competitive recently, with Vandy's rates also dropping into the low single digits. The choice often comes down to specific strengths: Duke emphasizes leadership and research in the Research Triangle, while Vanderbilt offers strong programs, especially in Nashville, with varied academic focuses, making the "harder" factor dependent on your profile. 

Is Dartmouth or Cornell harder to get into?

Based on recent acceptance rates, Dartmouth is generally harder to get into than Cornell, with Dartmouth's rates often in the 5-6% range compared to Cornell's 8-9%, though both are highly selective Ivies. Cornell has a larger undergraduate body and more colleges, meaning more spots and a slightly higher overall acceptance rate, but specific Cornell colleges (like Engineering or Applied Sciences) are much tougher, making the "easiest" to get into a relative term. 

Which ivy has the lowest SAT?

While no Ivy League college publishes a hard cutoff, their admissions profiles tell a consistent story. Students who are admitted usually fall somewhere between 1480 and 1570 on the SAT. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and MIT tend to sit at the higher end; Cornell, Dartmouth, and Brown trend slightly lower.

Can I get into Dartmouth with a 1400 SAT?

Key takeaway: Under test-optional, less-advantaged and U.S. first-generation college-going students with SAT scores around 1400 and below are more likely to be admitted to Dartmouth but not more likely to submit scores than their more-advantaged counterparts.

Where do top 1% send kids to college?

The "top 1%" of students, often defined by family income, tend to go to highly selective, elite universities like Dartmouth, Yale, Penn, Brown, Princeton, and Stanford, MIT, and Harvard, with some Ivy League schools having a higher concentration of these students than the bottom 60% of income earners. Rankings vary, but MIT, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, and UC Berkeley consistently appear at the top for overall academic standing, attracting top talent across all income levels. 

What is the cheapest Ivy to attend?

There's no single "cheapest" Ivy League school, as costs vary by aid, but Princeton and Harvard often have lower sticker prices due to large endowments, while offering substantial need-based aid, potentially making them cheapest for low-income students (free tuition for families under ~$150k-$200k), with Columbia, Cornell, and Penn also providing generous aid for lower incomes. Cornell also stands out for meeting 100% need without loans for many domestic students.
 

What's harder to get into, Brown or Cornell?

If you're looking at acceptance rate alone, then Brown University is more difficult to get into. However, each college is looking to fill its incoming class with a variety of students with different strengths, backgrounds, etc.

What was Taylor Swift's SAT score?

Taylor Swift's SAT score is not publicly known because she left high school early to pursue her music career and never officially took the SATs for college admission, though she was academically successful in high school, graduating early with a 4.0 GPA before focusing on music. She famously called out a practice test for misquoting her lyrics, highlighting her strong grasp of grammar despite not needing the test.
 

What was Kobe Bryant's SAT score?

Kobe Bryant scored a 1080 on the SAT, a respectable score that, along with his high school grades, would have qualified him for many top universities, but he chose to go directly to the NBA from high school, becoming one of the first players to do so in the 90s.
 

What was Bill Clinton's SAT score?

Bill Clinton

The 42nd president of the United States scored a 1032—12 points above average—on his SAT. Still, Clinton excelled at Georgetown University, where he majored in Foreign Service and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Later, Clinton attended Yale Law School and earned a Juris Doctor in 1973.

What is the #1 most expensive college in the US?

The #1 most expensive college in the U.S. varies slightly by report and year, but Columbia University, University of Southern California (USC), and Vassar College frequently top the lists for 2024-2025, with total costs (tuition, fees, room, board) exceeding $90,000-$97,000 annually, though aid significantly reduces actual costs for many students at these institutions.
 

Does Dartmouth give full ride?

As a member of the Ivy League, Dartmouth offers only need-based financial aid and, no merit, athletic or special talent scholarships. Dartmouth meets 100% of each student's demonstrated need for their four years of undergraduate study.

What are Dartmouth's hidden fees?

Regarding hidden fees or expenses, you should be aware of potential costs such as laundry, school-sponsored events, club/organization dues, etc. Additionally, the travel expense can vary significantly depending on your personal situation and distance from the college.