Hey so I have a 1290 sat (I’m going to retake it but it would probably only go up to the 1300s) 3.76 uw GPA, 4.95 w GPA and I’m Native American, which is a big reason why Dartmouth is very appealing to me as they have a big native scene. Do I have any chance at all?? My personal statement is about how connecting to my identity has helped me become a more curious and open minded person.
You should be proud of your SAT scores and your GPA; both are well above average! Dartmouth is extremely competitive for admissions; it is a low probability school for even the strongest of candidates. Based on what you’ve shared, your odds would be lower than the school’s 5.3% acceptance rate. But if you don’t apply, you will never know if you would have been accepted.
So I would first make sure that you have a balanced list of schools, with at least one (and preferably more than one) school that is extremely likely to accept you, extremely likely to be affordable for your family, and that you would be happy to attend for four years. But then, if you have the time and money (app fee, or a fee waiver if applicable), submit your best application possible to Dartmouth. Odds are against you, but you may have a slim shot. I would be inclined to mention the native scene at Dartmouth as one of your reasons for your “Why Dartmouth?” essay.
Although your stats are very low for Dartmouth (try to get that SAT score up considerably!), Dartmouth has a very strong Native American program (which you mentioned). They are not filling this program with all students with 4.0 GPAs and 1550 SATs. So if you apply early decision, get your SAT score up, get incredible recommendations from teachers who can talk meaningfully about your interest in Native American studies, write your common app essay on your Native American heritage, and talk about Dartmouth’s unique Native American program in your Why Dartmouth essay, I definitely think you have a shot. (Asking Dartmouth to consider your interest in their Native American program and how your heritage has made you interested in studying this field does NOT violate the recent Supreme Court decision about using race as a factor. Here, you are focusing on an area of study you want to pursue and how your background led you to that interest. They would not be admitting you based on your race alone. Wanting to pursue a unique field the school offers is entirely valid.)
I agree with others, I think your case is unusual enough that you definitely should apply if you are interested. And also apply to other colleges you would be excited to attend that are Likelies and Targets. But I see no problem taking a shot at Dartmouth.
Do you know the average SAT for your school? I believe they will look at your SAT in the context of your own school. If you don’t know your school average it is possible to that your state dept of education has it on its website.
At UNM, 6% of undergraduates are Native American, substantially higher than most schools that have 0-1% (including Dartmouth, Arizona State, and Minnesota).
Joining in with everyone else encouraging you to go for it with Dartmouth, but also wanted to note — as you think about targets and likelies — that at Fort Lewis College (https://www.fortlewis.edu/), a whopping 26% of their frosh class (and 29% of degree-seeking undergrads!) are Native American (per their CDS).
“Native scene” to me connotes demographic attributes and associated cultural expressions rather than academic offerings. Nonetheless, when the OP returns, they may benefit from clarifying this aspect of their question.
Hi guys, sorry I got logged out of this account for a while and then got busy with college apps. I was able to get my SAT up to a 1420 and was accepted early decision to Dartmouth! thanks for the replies 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽
Congratulations, @isabella1616! Thanks so much for coming back to report out on how things went. This is wonderful news, and I hope you enjoy every minute at Dartmouth!