What's the average GPA for accepted students at Dartmouth?

Hey everyone! So, I'm somewhat curious about Dartmouth's student profile. What's the typical GPA for those who get accepted? I'm aware it's a competitive school, so I'm just wondering how much work I need to put into my grades to attain a similar level.

Dartmouth College, as with other Ivy League universities, tends to admit students with very high GPAs. The average unweighted GPA of incoming freshmen at Dartmouth is typically around 3.9. This roughly translates to an A average, suggesting that the majority of accepted students garnered mostly A's in high school.

However, it's important to note that Dartmouth doesn't look at GPA in isolation. The college uses an approach called the Academic Index when considering applicants, which includes GPA, but also factors in the rigor of your high school classes and, starting with the 2024-2025 application cycle, your standardized test scores. Therefore, a slightly lower GPA could potentially be compensated by strong scores in challenging AP courses or high SAT/ACT test scores, as Dartmouth has returned to requiring standardized test scores starting the 2024-2025 application cycle.

Certainly, it's always a good idea to aim for a high GPA or as close to it as you can get in order to strengthen your Dartmouth application. Still, it's equally important to be actively engaged in rigorous courses and extracurricular activities that underscore your interests and potential contributions to the campus community. Remember, Dartmouth, like many top universities, is looking for students with a highly-developed specialty or "spike," which shows a focused passion and achievement in one area.

To enhance your application, try to participate in activities that align with your interests and showcase your skills, leadership, and initiative, particularly those considered Tier 1 or Tier 2 extracurriculars. For example, if you're interested in engineering, establishing a new coding club at school or participating in (and hopefully excelling at) coding competitions can be one concrete way of demonstrating your passion for the discipline.