The Thayer School of Engineering is Dartmouth’s engineering school. Tucked into the idyllic mountain town of Hanover, New Hampshire, this Ivy League engineering school has a lot to offer. They take a somewhat unique approach to “,” and students at the school first earn a Bachelor of Arts (AB) before optionally earning a professional Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree.

Notably, does not have a direct admissions process, meaning that hopeful Thayer students apply to Dartmouth more generally and they declare their major once there. This is a powerful tool for STEM kids who might be on the fence between, say, Physics and Engineering Physics. Thayer is a little more flexible than other Ivy League Engineering programs. All you have to do is get in… which is, make no mistake, hard. Dartmouth is a highly competitive school. Last year, Dartmouth’s acceptance rate was only around 5.4%. Whether you are coming in as an Engineer or an English major, you need to be an outstanding candidate. But how does one become a top candidate? You need to follow a couple of essential steps. Let’s break it down.

Get the Grades

This is obvious, but you need to have excellent grades to get into Dartmouth. If you don’t have a 4.0 unweighted or very close to it, Dartmouth is probably not the school for you. You also need to be taking challenging classes. Think honors, IB, accelerated, AP, or dual enrollment classes. For future engineers, you want to especially take advanced STEM classes, but make no mistake, APUSH or IB Spanish HL will also help you. Generally, you should take as many advanced courses as you can while still maintaining a competitive GPA.

Starting for the Fall 2025 application cycle, Dartmouth is no longer test-optional, meaning you will need to submit SAT or ACT scores. Because they have been test-optional in the past few years, they have not published their average accepted test scores, but make no mistake, you need the strongest scores possible (especially in the math section for incoming engineers).

Build a Niche

It should be clear from your application what you hope to study. The more specific, the better. We call this your “academic niche,” which really just means your defined education interest or field. While Dartmouth doesn’t have you apply directly to the engineering school, your academic interests are still what will set you apart as an applicant. You need to mindfully and strategically build your niche. This takes a few steps; let’s break them down.

Courses and Reading

The first step in building a niche is figuring out what interests you. You should start by learning as much as you can about your academic interests. A lot of students say they “like engineering” but can’t really define the difference between electrical and mechanical engineering. To be a great candidate, you must be an expert in your intended field. We recommend starting by simply reading some books. Yes, books. A lot of young people don’t read outside of school, but they should. Books will make you better at speaking and writing about your academic interests. On top of that, the mere act of reading books can make you stand out. You can supplement your reading list with podcasts, scientific journals, etc., but books need to be on that list.

We also love online classes. Many colleges offer pre-tapped, often free courses through third-party resources, such as Coursera. Sign up for a class or two. It is incredible what you can learn just through free online courses. You can also look for classes through high school summer programs at universities or community colleges. Taking courses outside of school shows you are serious about your interests and demonstrates academic curiosity, which is essential for a good application.

School Extracurriculars

You should be involved at your school and especially join clubs related to your academic niche. Depending on your precise interests, look for robotics teams, science olympiads, mathletes, STEM tutoring clubs, solar car teams, computer science societies, etc. If your school doesn’t offer STEM-based clubs or one that fits with your interests, talk to the administration about starting one. 

Also, note that just signing up for clubs won’t work for Dartmouth. This is where you are starting! You should take on leadership roles and responsibilities in the club and commit time to it. Your effort is what makes school extracurriculars impressive. A couple of high-time-commitment clubs always look better than a bunch of one-hour commitment clubs spread here and there.

Out of School Extracurriculars

While you can do out-of-school extracurriculars all year long, they are essential for building impactful summers. You want to strategize your summer to help build an impressive resume. While many different extracurriculars can work, an academic program at a university, an internship, and research are always strong choices. You just want to make sure they are related to your academic niche. For example, an internship at a science-related NGO will look better than one at a law office for a hopeful engineering candidate. Whether doing research with a local professor or volunteering at a repair cafe, you want your summer activities to help you build a straightforward narrative.

Build Something Cool

Engineering requires hard skills. By building something, you can show Dartmouth that you have skills in programming languages, manufacturing, and design. We have worked with students who have built computers, drones, solar panels, apps, and more. Challenge yourself and see what you can create on your own. This is an even better idea if you need to teach yourself or learn some skills. Learning new skills is part of what makes this type of personal project impressive.

Apply Early

If Dartmouth is a top choice, you need to seriously consider applying during the early decision round. We said above that Dartmouth’s acceptance rate was around 5% last year, but that isn’t the whole picture. Dartmouth’s ED rate was more like 19.2% (meaning their RD acceptance rate is actually lower than 5%). This is a pretty big difference. If you are a qualified candidate, applying early is easily your best chance of getting into Dartmouth. It is never too late to craft a great application plan, but if you are a rising senior, it is incredibly important to strategize an application plan and that includes applying ED. So get on those applications!

It is hard to get into Dartmouth, but you can do this. You just need to put in the work, make a good strategy, and likely get some expert help. We work with Ivy League-bound students, whether they are rising freshmen or rising seniors.

If you need help getting into Thayer or anything else college application-related, we can help! Reach out today!