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The Dartmouth
July 13, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

College admits 2,190 applicants

Admissions to the Class of 2012 were the most selective in Dartmouth's history -- the College accepted just 13.2 percent of applicants, down from last year's record 15.3 percent, the Admissions Office announced Monday. The College received a record 16,536 applications for admission into the Class of 2012 -- 2,361 more applications than were submitted for the class of 2011.

Dartmouth offered admission to 2,190 of the applicants for the class of 2012, 400 of which were offered spaces during the early admissions process, according to Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Maria Laskaris '84.

Laskaris expects approximately 1,080 of the admitted students to matriculate next fall, based on last year's yield of 58 percent, but cautioned that this might be an odd year.

"Princeton and Harvard got rid of their early programs this year," she said "The students that would have been accepted early by them are in everybody's pools this year."

Dartmouth has offered 1,500 students a space on the waitlist. Roughly half of these students will likely accept their place. The Admissions office did not use its waitlist last year, but the changes at Harvard and Princeton may lower matriculation rates of students accepted to the College during regular admission, making it necessary to use the waitlist.

Admitted members to the Class of 2012 also set academic records, with 93.4 percent ranking in the top 10 percent of their secondary school's graduating class, as opposed to last year's 91 percent. Of those admitted, 38.5 percent are valedictorians, and 11.3 percent are salutatorians. The mean SAT scores for admitted students are 726 Verbal, 731 Math and 726 Writing.

Within the Class of 2012, 43 percent, 944 students, identify as students of color, the largest number and highest percentage in the College's history. The Class of 2011 held the previous record, at 41 percent, although only 33 percent of students that chose to matriculate identify as students of color, Laskaris said.

In this year's pool of accepted students, 403 identify as Asian-American; 224 identify as African-American; 216 identify as Latino; 82 identify as Native American and 19 identify as multi-racial. Representing 59 nations, 178 international students make up 8 percent of the admitted students. The Class of 2011 is 9 percent international students.

The percent of accepted students that the school predicts will receive financial aid remained relatively constant. Roughly 48 percent of the Class of 2011 receives aid, and Laskaris projects that 51 percent of the Class of 2012 will qualify for financial aid. Dartmouth has recently announced a new financial aid initiative in hopes of increasing economic diversity by making Dartmouth more affordable.

"The initiative, which replaces loans with grants among other impressive things, is a really significant step for Dartmouth," Laskaris said. "Now one challenge we face is helping families understand that Dartmouth is as affordable or more so than a state school." Laskaris added that she did not believe the applicant pool for the Class of 2012 had as much socioeconomic diversity as it could have in light of the recent changes. She could not be certain, however, because admission to the College is need blind.

A recent New York Times article suggested that the rising numbers of high school graduates and increasing selectivity of college admissions will peak in the coming few years. Laskaris said early signs point to admission to the Class of 2013 being just as, if not more, intense as this year's process.

"So far, the only barometer we have for next year is the number of campus visitors," Laskaris said, "In the first few months of 2008, we've seen that number nearly double from last year."