Dartmouth Expands Need-Blind Admissions to International Students

Dartmouth University announced this week that it’s expanding its need-blind admissions policy to include international students! In a time of uncertainty, this is excellent news for students worldwide. Dartmouth joins Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT, and Amherst as the 6th higher education institution in the U.S. to offer need-blind admissions to all undergraduate applicants and meet 100% of demonstrated need regardless of citizenship.

This incredible news means that talented students across the globe can attend this New Hampshire-based Ivy League university regardless of their citizenship or ability to pay.

Financial need will not be a factor when evaluating all Dartmouth applicants. This policy is effective immediately and applies to the Class of 2026 applicants.

Expanding Educational Opportunities

Keeping with their commitment to expanding educational opportunities for everyone, Dartmouth’s adoption of the need-blind admissions policy is part of their $500 million plan to expand educational opportunities to low- and middle-income students worldwide.

The need-blind admissions expansion was made possible by Dartmouth’s The Call to Lead campaign, a campaign to “build on the best of Dartmouth on behalf of humankind.” The campaign raised $90 million through generous donations, including $40 million from a single anonymous donor. This donation was the single largest scholarship gift in the history of Dartmouth.

In a time when many of humankind’s most difficult challenges know no borders, we are proud to be a magnet for undergraduate talent regardless of citizenship and regardless of a student’s ability to pay. On behalf of the international students who apply to Dartmouth today—and who will lead in the world tomorrow—I want to thank the incredibly generous lead donor and everyone who has enabled us to adopt universal need-blind admissions. - Dartmouth President Philip J. Hanlon ’77

Increased Diversity on Campus

Dartmouth hopes that this new policy will encourage an international and socioeconomically diverse community on the campus.

International students bring an incredible mix of perspectives and life experiences. They enrich classroom discussions as well as casual conversations in the library, the lab, on the sidelines of a game, or in the dining hall. - Interim Provost David Kotz ’86

Dartmouth draws a large percentage of international applicants each year, and over the last five years, the number of applicants increased 79% from 3,555 to 6,373. Enrolled international students increased from 8% in 2016 to 14% in the current first-year class. Additionally, the university has given scholarship aid to students from 85 nations.

Dartmouth hasn’t established a specific application target with this new policy update. Still, President Hanlon believes “international applications will skyrocket,” with the international student population possibly reaching 25% in the next ten years.

Think you have what it takes to get into Dartmouth? Calculate your chances with our college admissions calculator.

Crimson Education advisors help U.S. and international students navigate the university application process, financial aid, scholarships, and extracurriculars. A need-blind policy for international students means all of Crimson’s students can apply to Dartmouth without worrying about the financial implications. To learn more about how Crimson can help you get into need-blind schools like Dartmouth, schedule a free consultation with one of our admissions advisors.