If you’re preparing for a Dartmouth interview, read on to learn more about how to ace it!
As nerve-wracking as interviews are, they offer a critical opportunity for admissions committees to get to know their applicants better and vice versa. While you may feel like you’re on the hot seat for your Dartmouth College interview, it’s important to note your interview is just as informative for you as it is for your interviewer!
Many colleges offer admission interviews, including Ivy League schools like Dartmouth. You can use your interview to solidify your desire to get into Dartmouth and ask any pressing questions you have!
It’s essential you prepare for your interview and have a good understanding of the points you want to share with your interviewer. To aid you in this, we’ll go over common Dartmouth interview questions and provide you with the best tips on how to answer them!
Learn insider interview tips from a former Dartmouth admissions committee member with over 15 years of experience.
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The Dartmouth interview is optional. Dartmouth tries to interview as many applicants as possible, but because of availability and the vast number of applications they receive each year, it’s impossible for them to interview every applicant.
While interviewing with Dartmouth admissions can offer you another chance to make a great impression on the judges, you will not be disadvantaged if you’re unable to interview. Your other application materials, like your essays or recommendations, will be enough.
So, if you’re wondering how much Dartmouth interviews matter, the answer is that they’re primarily helpful for you to learn more about the school.
Since students will be interviewed by Dartmouth graduates and not actual committee members, these interviews tend to be more relaxed and conversational. Knowing you’re speaking to someone who was once where you are can be reassuring. It can help you connect with your interviewer and allow for a less stressful interview.
Once you’ve completed your application to Dartmouth, a volunteer alum in your area will reach out to you via email to schedule an in-person interview. If you do not receive an email, it is likely because there are no available interviewers in your area.
You can expect your interview to last around 30 minutes or longer. Some interviews have even lasted well over an hour!
While the questions you’ll be asked during your Dartmouth College interview will depend on your interviewer, you can expect to be asked questions similar to the following:
This first question is arguably the most basic yet common interview question you should prepare for. Your interview is meant to give the committee more insight into what’s on and off your application, so it’s likely they’ll start off with a question like this.
Some interviewers may tailor the question by asking you to speak more about your high school experience, favorite subjects, passions, or other general aspects of your life. The key to answering this question is to keep your response simple, clear, and informative!
Do not begin with a lengthy background of your entire academic career or your childhood aspirations. Focus mainly on pivotal points in your high school career, what led you to apply to Dartmouth, what you hope to achieve with them, how you’ve grown over the last few years, and what your future goals are.
To ensure your answer is personable, you should also focus on aspects of your life that do not revolve around your academics.
There must be a personal, academic, or professional achievement you had in high school that you’re proud of. If you’re having a hard time figuring it out, ask your friends and family for suggestions! There is likely at least one accomplishment that sticks out to them.
This accomplishment does not have to be grand but should be meaningful to you! If you choose a genuine accomplishment, you’re more likely to be enthusiastic and excited about it, which is what your interviewer will look for!
Explain the project, what you learned, and why it makes you so proud. While it’s difficult to know when to stop talking about an important achievement, try to keep your answer concise! Do not ramble; let the interviewer ask more specific questions if they feel the need to.
If you couldn’t already tell, you’ll be asked several questions about what’s important to you. This is to gauge your values and see if your principles align with Dartmouth’s.
For instance, diversity has always been a guiding principle for Dartmouth. In fact, they were amongst the first colleges to accept and graduate Indigenous students and those of African descent.
Research Dartmouth’s other values and explain how the extracurriculars you sought were motivated by similar ideals.
It’s easy to brag about yourself, but putting yourself in other people's shoes and seeing how they view you can be more challenging. While you want to remain realistic when providing your teachers’ and friends’ perspectives, you also want to highlight some of your best aspects!
Use your teachers’ perspective to emphasize your best academic traits and your friends’ perspectives to discuss your personal traits and accomplishments. Think about what kind of student, friend, and overall person you are.
You may even want to get some input from your teachers or friends to create the most genuine response to this question!
Learn insider interview tips from a former Dartmouth admissions committee member with over 15 years of experience.
Schedule Free Consultation
Source: Dartmouth College
There’s a reason you chose Dartmouth College, and the committee wants to know why. What drew you to this college in particular?
Think about the type of community you hope to join; Dartmouth has smaller class sizes, so you could mention that your ideal college experience allows you to form deep connections with your mentors within a tight-knit, challenging academic environment.
Again, use Dartmouth’s values to guide your answer. You should also mention unique aspects of Dartmouth that you’re looking forward to. Perhaps it’s a program, experience, or the campus itself since it’s frequently ranked as one of the most beautiful campuses in America!
Hopefully, you feel a little more prepared for your Dartmouth interview now that you know the types of questions you can expect to be asked. To ease some more of your stress, here are some Dartmouth-approved tips for a successful interview:
Dartmouth places extra emphasis on the final point. You should prepare several questions to ask your interviewer so that they can gain a better idea of your interests and thought process. Insightful questions can also demonstrate your enthusiasm to join Dartmouth!
While we’ve covered the basics of how to prepare for your Dartmouth interview, you may still have some unanswered questions! You can find your answers to these questions below.
Yes, Dartmouth offers optional interviews with alumni.
Dartmouth aims to interview as many applicants as possible, so getting an interview simply means there was an alum member available in your area. The interview is not part of the admissions process and is not meant to act as the final stage of the admissions cycle.
You can expect your interview to last at least 30 minutes. Do not be discouraged if your interview is shorter or longer than this timeframe! It simply means the interviewer gathered enough information to end the interview or wants to learn more about you.
Considering interviewers are limited, they do not have a significant impact on Dartmouth’s application process. While they can help the committee make a more informed decision on your candidacy, if you have an otherwise solid application, your interview will not make or break their decision.
If you don’t receive an invitation to interview with Dartmouth, it means there was no Dartmouth grad available in your area. Your application will still be considered the same as anyone else's.
The best way to prepare for your interview is to do your research, brainstorm ideas for the questions shared in this guide, and make a note of any major accomplishments or experiences you want to share in your interview. By knowing what you want to highlight, you can easily incorporate these ideas into your answers!
Dartmouth tries to interview as many applicants as possible, so the number of interviews may vary each year depending on the number of applicants and available alumni. However, they are unable to interview every applicant.
Don’t let your interview nerves prevent you from making a good impression on the Dartmouth admission committee! By preparing in advance, taking the time to learn more about Dartmouth, and presenting your best self, you’ll have a smooth, productive, and perhaps even enjoyable interview!
