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Dartmouth essay prompts for 2026-27
Copy the prompt you are answering into the prompt field above, then paste your draft, so the readers grade the answer against the question it has to answer.
These are the most recent Dartmouth prompts Kolly has verified, checked . Dartmouth may have updated them since, so check Dartmouth College admissions before you submit.
Essay 2 Option C — Reading / Books (incomplete)
In an Instagram post, best-selling British author Matt Haig cheered the impact of reading. [Full prompt text not captured — see official source URL for complete text.]
250 words max · Required
Essay 2 Option F — Difference & Identity
"It's not easy being green…" was the frequent refrain of Kermit the Frog. How has difference been a part of your life, and how have you embraced it as part of your identity, outlook, or sense of purpose?
250 words max · Required
Essay 2 Option B — Introduce Yourself
"Be yourself," Oscar Wilde advised. "Everyone else is taken." Introduce yourself.
250 words max · Required
Why Dartmouth
As you seek admission to Dartmouth's Class of 2030, what aspects of the college's academic program, community, and/or campus environment attract your interest? How is Dartmouth a good fit for you?
100 words max · Required
Essay 2 Option A — Environment & Identity
There is a Quaker saying: Let your life speak. Describe the environment in which you were raised and the impact it has had on the person you are today.
250 words max · Required
Essay 2 Option E — Nerd / Intellectual Passion
Celebrate your nerdy side.
250 words max · Required
Essay 3 Option B — Impact / Purpose
Labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta recommended a life of purpose. 'We must use our lives to make the world a better place to live, not just to acquire things,' she said. 'That is what we are put on the earth for.' In what ways do you hope to make—or are you already making—an impact? Why? How?
250 words max · Required
Essay 2 Option D — Difficult Conversation / Common Ground
The social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees have been the focus of Dame Jane Goodall's research for decades. Her understanding of animal behavior prompted the English primatologist to see a lesson for human communities as well: 'Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right.' Channel Dame Goodall: Tell us about a moment when you engaged in a difficult conversation or encountered someone with an opinion or perspective that was different from your own. How did you find common ground?
250 words max · Required
Essay 2 Option G — Failure & Growth
The Mindy Kaling Theater Lab will be an exciting new addition to Dartmouth's Hopkins Center for the Arts. 'It's a place where you can fail,' the actor/producer and Dartmouth alumna said when her gift was announced. 'You can try things out, fail, and then revamp and rework things… A thing can be bad on its journey to becoming good.' Share a story of failure, trial runs, revamping, reworking, or journeying from bad to good.
250 words max · Required
Identity / Experience
Be yourself. Tell us about an aspect of your identity or a life experience that has shaped you.
250 words max · Required
Why Dartmouth
As you seek admission to the Class of 2030, what academic areas, educational paths, or life experiences draw you to pursue your chosen field(s) of study at Dartmouth?
100 words max · Required
Community & Identity
Dartmouth fosters a vibrant and inclusive community. Tell us about a community you belong to or a community that has shaped you. How has your experience within that community influenced your perspective?
250 words max · Required
Intellectual Curiosity
Curiosity is a hallmark of the Dartmouth experience. Describe an academic experience—inside or outside the classroom—that sparked your curiosity. What did you learn from that experience, and how did it shape your approach to learning?
250 words max · Required
Choose One
Option A: There is a Quaker saying: “Let your life speak.” Describe the environment in which you were raised—for example, your family, home, neighborhood, or community—and how it influenced the person you are today. Option B: “Be yourself,” Oscar Wilde advised, “everyone else is taken.” Introduce yourself.
250 words max · Required
All Dartmouth supplemental essays, with word limits and the published source.
How Kolly grades a Dartmouth essay
The grade covers the same six dimensions as every Kolly read: hook, theme, detail, authenticity, reflection, and writing, each scored from 0 to 5. The big number is a percentile that shows where your draft lands among accepted essays of the same type from top US schools. Dartmouth readers, like their counterparts at peer schools, read fast and form an impression in the first paragraph. The verdict quotes the line that lands and names the weakest moment, so you know what to fix first.
Why Kolly instead of a ChatGPT read
ChatGPT and other general models grade against writing in general, which is not what Dartmouth readers do. Kolly grades against essays that got in, and four readers argue over the draft before they vote, so a polished answer that says nothing specific gets called out instead of praised. The quick read is free without an account. A free Kolly account adds the full review: a stronger scoring model, notes on each paragraph, and a fix-it plan.
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