Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Maria Laskaris ’84 says Dartmouth’s substantial financial aid program and opportunities for undergraduate research contribute to strong applicant interest. (photo by Joseph Mehling ’69)
Dartmouth College’s Admissions Office has received more than 23,000 applications for acceptance into the fall Class of 2016. The number represents a 3 percent increase from the pool of just over 22,300 applications at this time last year, says Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Maria Laskaris ’84. Admissions officials are still processing applications and expect that the final number will increase slightly.
Dartmouth’s applicant pool has grown nearly 40 percent since the current senior class applied to the College, and the Admissions Committee anticipates that this year’s rate of admission will drop to a record low of 9 percent. Almost all applicants submit their materials through the Common Application website, and applications are reviewed using an online paperless process.
As the applicant pool has grown, the Admissions Office has remained committed to a selection process built on the holistic, individualized review of each candidacy for admission. The Admissions Committee is comprised of full-time Admissions Officers and a highly experienced “reader corps” comprised of former admissions officers, current and former student life professionals, and former college instructors and high school teachers.
“Each year we continue to be wowed by the talent, energy, and diversity of the next year’s applicant pool,” says Laskaris.
“Dartmouth remains an attractive option for students who relish access to the array of research opportunities to work side-by-side with our faculty, our broad range of foreign study programs, and the exceptional teaching that takes place on campus every day,” she continues. “Those factors as well as the College’s fully need-blind admissions process and our commitment to making higher education attainable for students coming from families earning less than $75,000 are what continue to make Dartmouth a desirable choice for students each year.”
