About 37% of college students transfer to a different university at some point in their undergraduate education.
Although transferring to another school may be a wise decision for students who are unhappy at their current institution, there are some obstacles specific to transferring students that they will need to overcome to do so successfully.
For one, transfer acceptance rates are generally lower than acceptance rates for non-transfer students at the same schools. Historically, many top schools have had policies that do not allow students to transfer.
However, in recent years, this reluctance to accept transfer students has appeared to decrease. This is partly due to the 7.8% decrease in the national undergraduate enrollment rate over the past two years.
Retention rates are also declining. In fall 2020 alone, the number of first-year students who returned to college for a second year dropped two percentage points to 73.9%, the lowest it has been since 2012.
Since fewer students are enrolling and remaining enrolled in postsecondary education programs, colleges are being forced to either accept the decline in student enrollment or compensate for it somehow.
Accepting transfer students has become one way for schools to make up for smaller incoming first-year class sizes and declining retention.
During the 2020-21 academic year, more than 2 million college students transferred to another undergraduate institution. As of fall 2021, the number of transfers at highly selective institutions, such as Dartmouth, has increased as much as 6%.
With quality universities becoming more and more willing to accept transfers, it may be an excellent time for students unsatisfied with the first school they chose to leap to a different college.
Read on to learn more about transfer acceptance rates, GPA and application requirements, and other aspects of the transfer process at Dartmouth College.
Dartmouth Transfer Acceptance Rate

The transfer acceptance rate for Dartmouth is traditionally less than 2%.
In 2019, the school received 736 transfer applications. Of those 736, 11 students were accepted.
In 2020, however, the transfer acceptance rate for students applying for the fall semester was much higher. Two hundred seventy-three students submitted transfer applications, and Dartmouth sent offers for admission to 78 of them.
This makes the acceptance rate for 2020 transfer students about 28.5%, almost 20 times the rate seen in past years. However, the massive increase in transfer acceptance rate should be considered somewhat of an anomaly rather than a new expectation.
The school has stated that they accepted such a high percentage of transfer students because there was a much higher than the usual number of students who decided to defer their enrollment for a year.
Dartmouth cites the ongoing ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for this five-fold increase in the number of students electing to take a gap year.
The acceptance rate for non-transfer applicants for Dartmouth’s class of 2025 set a new record for the lowest rate in all of the school’s history, with only 6.17% of applicants accepted.
The total number of admission offers the university gave out for this cycle is also the smallest recorded in the past in 40 years.
Application Requirements & GPA for Dartmouth Transfers
Dartmouth does not require a specific GPA for transfer students to be considered, but most accepted transfer students have a GPA of at least 3.7.
Dartmouth’s admissions officers are more interested in the entire academic record of the prospective transfer student, including the courses they have completed and what grades they received.
In order to be eligible to apply to transfer to Dartmouth, students must have completed two years or less of coursework at another college or university.
Individuals who have already completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent are not eligible for transfer admission to Dartmouth. Students who have earned college credits while enrolled in high school are also ineligible for transfer admission and instead must apply as first-years.
Prospective transfer students must fill out Dartmouth’s transfer application, along with the $90 application fee.
Other required documents include a final report and transcript from high school, as well as a transcript and official report from a college official at the university from which the student wishes to transfer.
Transfer students also need to submit two evaluations from past college professors. To complete the application, students must provide proof of SAT or ACT scores or a testing waiver.
If the transfer applicant is admitted, they are asked to submit an updated college transcript and course syllabi for all courses so that Dartmouth department faculty can determine how many credits they will accept.
Dartmouth Transfer Deadline

The deadline for transfer application submissions, including all supporting documents and the application fee or fee waiver, is March 1st of each year.
Additionally, all financial aid application materials must be submitted by the March 1st deadline.
Transfer candidacies will receive one of three possible decisions: admitted, denied, or waitlisted. If the transfer application is denied, there are no further steps for the student to take.
If the applicant is admitted, they must notify Dartmouth about whether or not they plan to accept the offer for admission sometime around the end of May.
For students who are placed on the waitlist, whether or not they will eventually receive an admission offer depends on how many students who were accepted decide to enroll or decline Dartmouth’s offer.
Typically, around 10% of applicants are offered a spot on the waitlist, but this number varies from year to year. Waitlist applications from transfer students are reconsidered from around early June and until July 1st.
From May until the end of June, accepted transfer students must submit an up-to-date college transcript, final grades received, and syllabi for all courses taken at another university.
These materials will then be reviewed by Dartmouth’s registrar and relevant academic departments to determine what credits they will accept.
What is the Decision Date for Dartmouth Transfers?
Transfer applicants will receive an admissions decision in mid-May. After finding out that they have been accepted, placed on the waitlist, or denied, Dartmouth applicants have three options.
Those who have been denied can either apply elsewhere or try reapplying to Dartmouth after waiting a full academic year. Applicants who have been placed on the waitlist can only cross their fingers and wait to hear more from Dartmouth admissions.
Accepted transfer students have until mid to late May to inform Dartmouth if they will be accepting their offer for admission.
This means that transfer students have a bit more time to consider their options than both early decision and regular decision non-transfer first-year applicants, who have only until May 1st to accept or reject the admission.
The acceptance and enrollment process for transfer students also differs from non-transfer admissions in that transfer students are not eligible for alumni interviews. Although these interviews are optional, some non-transfer students are offered the opportunity after applying.
The interviews are intended only to be informative, evaluative, and productive, meant to bolster a student’s sense of what Dartmouth is like, so there is no disadvantage for those who do not receive an offer. Still, transfer students will miss out on this valuable opportunity to ask an alum any questions they have.
Deciding Whether You Should Transfer to Dartmouth
According to US News and World Report, Dartmouth College is the #13 best undergraduate university in the country. It is the only college among the eight Ivy League universities.
They are also ranked as the fifth-best for their undergraduate teaching, suggesting that for those who are interested in attending a university that focuses more heavily on providing students a rich and thorough education than on carrying out graduate-level research, transferring to Dartmouth may be a good choice.
The student-faculty ratio at Dartmouth is 7:1, which is ideal for students who benefit from the kind of one-on-one attention that such small class sizes allow.
In fact, over 60% of Dartmouth’s classes have 20 students or fewer, so students can count on an intimate learning environment for many of their classes.
If the retention rate for first-year students is a reliable barometer for gauging student experience, then the numbers say that Dartmouth students are overwhelmingly happy with their choice of undergraduate school: 97% of Dartmouth freshmen return the following academic year.
Location is another consideration in whether or not transferring to Dartmouth is the right decision to make.
Placed in the small rural town of Hanover, the school is nestled right between the Connecticut River and the White Mountains. Outdoorsy types will appreciate the close proximity to the wonders of New Hampshire wilderness.
For students who have the drive to succeed in Dartmouth’s rigorous academic environment, who thrive in small classroom settings, and who appreciate the great outdoors, transferring to Dartmouth has the potential to kickstart an enriching, exciting undergraduate experience.
RECAP: How to Apply As a Transfer Student to Dartmouth

For those interested in transferring to Dartmouth, the first step to take is to check the eligibility requirements. As long as the student has completed no more than two years of undergraduate coursework at another institution, they should be eligible.
After confirming eligibility, the next step is to fill out and submit a transfer application and all required supplements by the March 1st deadline.
Along with the $90 application fee or fee waiver, this application will require the following supporting documents: a report and transcript from secondary school and from an official at the college from which the student is transferring, two evaluations written by previous college instructors, and SAT or ACT scores or a testing waiver.
After these materials are submitted and received by the admissions office at Dartmouth, transfer applicants can try to relax while they patiently wait until mid to late May to hear back from the school regarding whether or not they have been accepted.
Those who are lucky enough to find themselves among the select few students who are offered transfer admission can start compiling syllabi from past courses, deciding which classes to enroll in, and getting ready for an incredible four years at Dartmouth.
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FAQs
What GPA do you need to transfer to Dartmouth? ›
Dartmouth Transfer GPA & SAT/ACT
According to the college, most successful transfers have at least a 3.7 GPA in college. In our experience working with successful Dartmouth transfers, an A average and SAT/ACT scores of 1500+ will put an applicant in the strongest position.
You should also have a 4.11 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score. For a school as selective as Dartmouth, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application.
Why is Dartmouth transfer acceptance rate so high? ›The school has stated that they accepted such a high percentage of transfer students because there was a much higher than the usual number of students who decided to defer their enrollment for a year.
Which Ivy League has the highest transfer rate? ›Cornell University has the highest transfer acceptance rate in the ivy league at 18%.
What is the easiest Ivy League school to transfer to? ›What is the Easiest Ivy League School to Get Into? That can be debatable. It all depends on the ones with the most transfer acceptance rates. As stated earlier your top best choices would be Cornell, UPenn or Dartmouth.
What is the lowest GPA you can transfer with? ›Colleges usually look for at least a 2.0 GPA in order to accept a student as a transfer (and more competitive schools look for higher GPAs).
What is the least competitive Ivy? ›Cornell is considered the "easiest" Ivy League to get into because it has the highest Ivy League acceptance rate. While it's easier, statistically speaking, to get into Cornell, it's still challenging. It's also important to remember that students apply directly to one of Cornell's eight undergraduate colleges.
What GPA is too low for Ivy League? ›Any lower than 3.5, however, you'll have to either have an impressive, relevant achievement or pray for a miracle to get an offer. Therefore, it is best to aspire for the maximum 4.0 to play it safe. But as long as you have at least a 3.7 GPA, you can still get a serious chance at consideration for an offer.
Can I get into Dartmouth with a 3.0 GPA? ›Dartmouth College
While Dartmouth does not have a GPA cut-off for matriculating students, the average undergraduate GPA of current Dartmouth students is 3.52. As a reference, most admitted transfer students have a GPA of 3.7 or higher.
For the Class of '26 Duke's ED rate was 21%, Dartmouth was Dartmouth was 21.2% and UPenn was 15.6%. Since there are many students from your HS applying to Duke you have more peer competition and your CV chances are below the ED admit rate.
Can I get into Dartmouth with a 3.5 GPA? ›
A 3.5 GPA will be highly competitive, and admission can be reasonably expected at many colleges. Still, it's not the most competitive at places like Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth, which, on average, accept students with GPAs exceeding 4.0.
Is Dartmouth or Brown easier to get into? ›Admission | Dartmouth | Brown |
---|---|---|
Applied | 28,356 | 46,568 |
Admitted | 1,750 | 2,568 |
Acceptance Rate | 6.2% | 5.5% |
Enrolled % | 69.8% | 66.4% |
The best Ivy League school in 2022 is Harvard, followed by Princeton and Yale based on this ranking method.
Which college accepts the most transfer students? ›School | Location | Enrolled |
---|---|---|
National University | La Jolla, CA | 3,300 |
California State Polytechnic University--Pomona | Pomona, CA | 3,274 |
Texas State University | San Marcos, TX | 3,112 |
Eastern Illinois University | Charleston, IL | 2,871 |
One of the only reasons to consider retaking the SAT would be if you're interested in attending institutions that are very selective or in the Ivy League. While a 1400 makes you eligible to apply to places such as Harvard, Yale, and the University of Pennsylvania, it won't make you a competitive candidate.
What is the lowest Ivy League school? ›What Are the Cheapest Ivy League Schools? The cheapest Ivy League schools include The University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, Dartmouth College, and Princeton University.
Which Ivy accepts most students? ›1. Which Ivy League School has the highest acceptance rate? Recent data shows Cornell University is the Ivy League school with the highest acceptance rate.
Is Brown the easiest ivy? ›Finally, there's Brown University — the least easy of the easiest Ivy Schools to get into. Many senior high school students are enticed to send their application to this institution for higher education. This is especially true for those who are aware that the school is offering what it refers to as an open curriculum.
Can I transfer with a 2.5 GPA? ›Common application colleges tend to have higher transfer requirements, with some requiring a 2.5 to 3.0 GPA to transfer, with some program-specific requirements being even higher.
Can I transfer colleges with a 2.9 GPA? ›A 2.9 GPA also means that you can apply to a number of colleges and universities and can reasonably expect admission to a sampling of them. Remember as well that a 3.0 GPA is the national average for high school graduates and attaining that figure will make your application even more marketable.
What colleges accept a 1.5 GPA? ›
Sadly, a 1.5GPA entails that there are no colleges that you can use as safety schools, so you will be taking a risk no matter where you apply. The only way to increase your chances is by raising your GPA. Go through the next section and search any school of your preference to see what your odds of acceptance are.
Which Ivy is least snobby? ›Cornell University
Cornell is also known to have the most relaxed academics of any of the schools of the Ivy League; however, this is dependent on the specific schools within the university.
Spelman College is ranked #1 in historically black colleges and universities in the U.S., and the top Black Ivy League school.
What is the hardest ivy? ›The “Big Three” Ivy League schools, plus Columbia, are likely the most selective. Harvard, Princeton, and Yale—known as the “Big Three”—are historically the three toughest Ivy League schools to get into.
What's the lowest GPA Harvard will accept? ›You should also have a 4.18 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score. For a school as selective as Harvard, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. We'll cover those details next.
What is the lowest GPA accepted to Harvard Law? ›As you can see from these numbers, an LSAT score of 170 or higher and a GPA above 3.75 will give you a chance of gaining admission to Harvard Law School. If you have a GPA of 3.94 or higher and above a 175, you are pretty much a lock for admission, particularly given the class size of ~560.
Can you get into an Ivy League with a 2.5 GPA? ›Contrary to common misconception, there's no “minimum” GPA at these Ivy League schools. If you take a look at their website, however, they've accepted students with as low as a 2.5 GPA – probably athletes.
Is a 3.3 GPA good for Ivy League? ›Ivy League schools are looking for a GPA over 3.5.
However, remember an unweighted GPA does not account for course difficulty. If a student takes AP courses and receives a 3.3 unweighted GPA, they might be more competitive than those in regular classes with a 3.5.
Remember that a 3.3 GPA already makes you a competitive candidate at many colleges, so focusing on topping off your academic performance with good standardized test scores. Once you've hit your senior year, it's difficult to raise a GPA even a tenth of a point, but if you have a 3.3 GPA, you're already in a good place.
Is 3.7 A good GPA for transfer students? ›A 3.7 GPA substantially clears the unofficial benchmark that most colleges use for competitive admission (3.0) and is also higher than the baseline average for more selective schools (3.5).
Can I get into Dartmouth with a 3.3 GPA? ›
What GPA do you need to get into Dartmouth College? Applicants require exceptionally good grades to get into Dartmouth. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at Dartmouth College was 3.9 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily A- students are accepted and ultimately attend.
What is the lowest GPA an Ivy League has accepted? ›None of the Ivy League schools have a minimum GPA requirement for applications, which means anyone can apply regardless of their GPA.
Can a 3.3 GPA get you into Ivy League? ›Can you get accepted into an Ivy League or top-tier college with a low GPA? The short answer is yes. While not everyone with a 3.3 GPA will get in, we'll discuss some of the nuances of how to get into ivy league with a low GPA and how you can play the right cards in your favor.
Can a 3.7 GPA get you into Ivy League? ›Yes, you can get into an Ivy League with a 3.7 GPA. Though, the lower your grade, the less your chances of getting into an Ivy League, but with a strong personal statement and a properly packaged application, you can get in with a grade even less than 3.7 GPA.
What is the cheapest Ivy League school? ›Cornell University Tuition
Located in Ithaca, New York, Cornell boasts the lowest cost of attendance before financial aid at its state-funded schools. Costs for its privately-funded colleges are on par with the rest of the Ivy League.
A 3.4 is on the verge of an A- and demonstrates consistently good test-taking, studying, and research skills. A 3.4 is comfortably above the national average GPA for high school graduates and is considered competitive at most colleges and universities.
Is a 3.1 A good transfer GPA? ›Is a 3.1 GPA Good? A grade of B demonstrates good performance, making a 3.1 a “good” GPA. Most colleges (if not all) accept applications from students attaining a 3.1 GPA, especially considering that it exceeds the national average for graduating high school seniors.
Does my GPA start over if I transfer? ›Once you do finally get accepted to a school, your GPA will essentially get wiped clean, and your new GPA will be determined by your level of success in your new classes at the new institution. Don't worry, your academic history is recorded on your official transcript at the school.
Is a 2.9 GPA good in university? ›Is a 2.9 GPA Good? A report card consisting of nothing but Bs would equate to a 3.0 GPA. Because a 2.9 GPA is so close to that benchmark, it demonstrates frequent above average academic performance.
Is 2.7 GPA good in university? ›Is a 2.7 GPA Good? A 2.7 GPA is noticeably lower than a 3.0 GPA, which is the national average. It's almost decent, but still a little low. Luckily, a 2.7 is certainly a GPA that can be pulled up to a solid number.
Is 2.6 GPA good in university? ›
A 2.6 GPA is the equivalent of a B- average and indicates a level of accomplishment in all completed classes so far.