A record number of Native American and Asian American students are among the 2,252 students offered acceptance to the Class of 2017.
That's fitting in a year in which Dartmouth is marking the 40th anniversary of the Native American Studies Program at Dartmouth, says Maria Laskaris ’84, dean of Admissions and Financial Aid.
“We want to continue to educate a diverse community that reflects society, and broaden Dartmouth’s message globally,” she says, noting that Dartmouth also admitted more applicants from Africa, the Middle East, and South America than in past years.
“From their many academic accomplishments and goals, to the diversity of their experiences and perspectives, it is clear that the Class of 2017 will be a historic class.”
The accepted students come from a group of 22,416 applicants, the second most ever, for a 10 percent admission rate. Included in the number of accepted applicants are 464 students admitted in December through the early decision process.
Students were notified of their acceptance on March 28, through a secure website.
“We look forward to welcoming these students to the Dartmouth family,” Laskaris says.
In keeping with Dartmouth’s mission to make higher education as affordable as possible, 68 percent of the accepted students have been offered financial aid. The average scholarship award is just under $40,000.
“Through our need-blind process, the admissions team evaluates the abilities of a student, not the ability of a student’s family to pay for college,” says Laskaris.
Students with questions about financial aid are encouraged to reach out if they have questions, says Laskaris, “We want to be as accessible as possible.”
Class of 2017 Admitted Student Profile
Academic Profile:Of those students whose secondary schools report class rank:
Mean SAT scores:
- 39.4 percent are valedictorians
- 9.8 percent are salutatorians
- 95.3 percent are in the top 10 percent of their class
Mean ACT score:
- Critical Reading: 737
- Math: 741
- Writing: 741
Demographic Profile:
- 32.5
Geographic Profile:
- 11.3 percent are first-generation college students
- 8.9 percent are international students
- 8.8 percent are sons and daughters of Dartmouth College alumni
- New England: 14 percent
- Mid-Atlantic: 24.8 percent
- Midwest: 9.4 percent
- South: 19.6 percent
- West: 22.8 percent
- Outside the U.S.: 9.4 percent
The accepted students have a variety of talents and accomplishments. Two have been named winners in the Intel Science Talent Search. Several have performed on the popular National Public Radio musical program, From the Top. One is a winner of the VEX Robotics World Championship, and another is an accomplished short-track speed skater who is training for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Among the accepted students whose secondary schools report class rank, more than 39 percent are valedictorians, and nearly 10 percent are salutatorians. More than 11 percent are the first generation of students in their family to attend college.
Admissions officers were impressed with the students’ academic credentials, says Laskaris, and also by their great character.
“They are really just incredible human beings—compassionate, thoughtful, and successful,” says Laskaris. “This group will be a positive and enduring influence on the Dartmouth community.”
Undergraduate applications have nearly doubled in the past decade. In 2003, some 11,855 students applied to Dartmouth, which that year had an acceptance rate of 18 percent, almost double this year's rate.
Applicants are chosen using a careful and rigorous screening process, which, in addition to admissions officers, involves 8,600 alumni interviewers worldwide and a 14-member corps of readers. Admissions officers expect the Class of 2017 to have about 1,120 students.
In recent years, Dartmouth has partnered with organizations including the Sutton Trust, QuestBridge, College Horizons, and Prep for Prep, which help colleges and universities connect with applicants from under-resourced schools. Dartmouth also hosts the Summer Enrichment at Dartmouth (SEAD) program for promising students from less affluent communities.
On April 6, Dartmouth will host “Chatapalooza” an online event for admitted students, in which they can ask questions of current students in a series of live video chats. And, from April 18 to 20, the College hosts Dimensions of Dartmouth, during which students admitted through the regular decision process are invited to participate in classes, stay overnight in a residence hall, and meet members of the Dartmouth community. In addition, admitted students are encouraged to visit a webpage dedicated to the Class of 2017 to keep track of the most up to date news and information from Dartmouth.
