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Undergraduate Admissions

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Bachelor of Arts (AB)

Students must apply through Dartmouth Undergraduate Admissions. There is no direct application process to Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth for high school or transfer students.

AB Degree Details

Bachelor of Engineering (BE)

At Dartmouth, students must apply and be admitted for a Bachelor of Arts (AB) before being eligible to earn the BE as a second degree. See above for AB admissions information.

Application Deadlines

December 15 of your senior year

Deadline for Fall term admission

At least two terms prior to admission

Deadline for Winter, Spring, or Summer term admission

How to Apply

High school and transfer students must first be admitted to the AB program through Dartmouth Undergraduate Admissions (see above) before being eligible for the BE degree.

Current Dartmouth students pursuing an AB with a major or modified major in engineering sciences, and returning Partner School Dual-Degree Program students are automatically admitted to the BE program provided they apply by the appropriate deadline to ensure adequate time for their materials to be processed. Students starting the Fall term following their AB will need to apply by December 15. Students starting Winter, Spring, or Summer terms must apply at least two terms prior to the term they want to start. Official admissions notification for the Fall term may not be received until early spring.

Application Timeline for Fall Term Start

  • December 15: Thayer School of Engineering BE application due
  • March 15: CSS Profile due (if applying for aid and you did not file at the time or before you applied)
  • April 15: Accept/Decline response due
  • Late May: Elect Fall classes

Eligibility

High school and transfer students interested in the BE must first be admitted to the AB program through Dartmouth Undergraduate Admissions or as a Partner School Dual-Degree Program student.

Post-Baccalaureate Math/Science Majors

Qualified candidates with a bachelor's degree that is substantially equivalent to the Dartmouth AB in engineering sciences plus two upper-level electives in engineering, mathematics, or the natural sciences are eligible for admission. Students with minor deficiencies may be admitted but will be required to complete additional undergraduate coursework.

Students who need no more than the equivalent of one term to satisfy prerequisites will be considered for admission as regular degree candidates.

Students who do not meet the requirements for admissions and need more than one full term (three courses) are initially admitted as a "special student." Special students are ineligible for financial aid from Thayer.

A typical student with a BA or BS in mathematics or science may earn the BE in approximately five academic terms—two as a special student without financial aid and, pending satisfactory progress, three more terms as an aid-eligible BE student.

Part-Time Student

A local resident who has a BS in engineering or an appropriate math/science program and can meet basic academic requirements may pursue coursework on a part-time basis. Part-time students are ineligible for financial aid from Thayer.

Partner School Dual-Degree Program

Students apply through Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth.

First-Year Partner School Dual-Degree Students

  1. Review the program and planning information. International students must also review the International Student Addendum, which explains several issues affecting international applicants to the program.
  2. Obtain approval from your college. Consult with your dean or academic advisor regarding the acceptability of Dartmouth courses toward the degree requirements of your college. Discuss with your advisor how to plan your major around the year spent at Dartmouth.
  3. Check with your financial aid office about the transfer of aid for your junior year. Financial aid from Dartmouth is not available for your first year.
  4. Arrange for two letters of recommendation from your advisor, instructor, research mentor, or another professor familiar with your academics and who knows you well. The online application will request letters of recommendation from your chosen recommenders once their information is entered. Your recommenders will need to submit responses to the following questions through the online process. If you wish to provide a recommendation outside of academics, you may do so as a third letter.
    1. How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant?
    2. Please assess the quality and level of the applicant's work, both analytic and experimental, including strengths and weaknesses, as appropriate.
    3. How would you describe the applicant's maturity, balance, reliability, teamwork (cooperation, contribution), oral and written communication skills, and character?
    4. Has the applicant been engaged beyond coursework, eg, as a teaching assistant, research assistant, artist, or maker?
    5. Does a year spent at Dartmouth fit well with the applicant's plan for completing her or his major at your school?
  5. Complete the online Partner School Dual-Degree Program application after it opens in early December as your fall semester grades are available and no later than February 1 of the year prior to the year you are planning to attend based on the program option you choose.
    1. For the 2-1-1-1 program option, apply by February 1 of your sophomore year.
    2. For the 3-2 program option, apply by February 1 of your junior year.

You will be notified of the admission decision by mid-April. Sometimes midterm grades for the Spring semester are requested, which will delay the decision. Because we have many more applicants than available spots in the program, some students may be placed on a waitlist. As spots become available, students may be admitted from the waitlist through the end of April.

Second-Year Partner School Dual-Degree Students

Partner School Dual-Degree students returning for the BE year apply through the Thayer BE admissions process above. Students must also apply for financial aid directly from Thayer School of Engineering as they are considered Dartmouth students during the BE year.

Contact

Jenna Wheeler

Undergraduate Program Director

Jenna Wheeler
Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth
15 Thayer Drive, Hanover, NH 03755
jenna.d.wheeler@dartmouth.edu
+1 (603) 646-3677

Candace Potter

Associate Director of Admissions & Financial Aid

Candace Potter
Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth
15 Thayer Drive, Hanover, NH 03755
candace.s.potter@dartmouth.edu
+1 (603) 646-3844