The College offered 1,687 regular decision invitations to the Class of 2030 on March 26, rounding out an application cycle that took place amidst political tensions in higher education, including Dartmouth’s rejection of the Trump administration’s compact for higher education.
Rachael Woodard ’30, a high school senior from Colorado, said she has noticed that the political landscape has been a source of “anxiety” for incoming college students.
“It is hard not really knowing what the current state of education is going to look like or what this country’s going to look like in a year or two,” Woodard said.
Woodward said she “felt really reassured that Dartmouth would prioritize its students and the diversity of its community over pressure from outside sources" after the College rejected the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, which was sent to the College by the Trump administration on Oct. 18, 2025 — 13 days before the Early Decision application deadline. The compact offered nine universities, including Dartmouth, financial benefits in exchange for meeting a series of demands, including limiting the enrollment of international students to 15% and defining gender based on binary biological categories.
Avery Clay ’30, a high school senior from Georgia, said she also followed the news “super closely” during application season.
The compact rejection “was really telling to me and aligned with what I believe in,” she said. “I was proud of Dartmouth and proud of that choice that they made.”
The Class of 2030 is the first class to apply since President Donald Trump’s crackdown on international students at universities across the country. Last year, the State Department revoked 8,000 international student visas.
Ava Padilla ’30, who is from Manila, Philippines, said national immigration policies are “a big worry” for many of her classmates. In past years, 40 to 50% of students at her high school went to the U.S. for university. This year, only 30% plan to do so “because people are so worried,” Padilla said.
Adish Uprety ’30, who is from Kathmandu, Nepal, said that financial circumstances make applying as an international student a “scary experience.”
“You’re just scared that you’ll be judged in a pool of applicants that has more resources than you,” although Dartmouth’s need-blind policy for international students “helped” alleviate anxiety, he said.
Lekpasi Mensahn ’30, a high school senior from New Jersey, agreed that Dartmouth felt “100%” more financially accessible than the other colleges she applied to. She said a “big reason” she chose Dartmouth was the no-loan initiative, which eliminated student loans for families making under $125,000.
According to Dartmouth News, one-third of the Class of 2030 mentioned dialogue in their “Why Dartmouth?” essay. In interviews with The Dartmouth, several cited the College’s institutional commitment to dialogue as a reason for applying.
Erin Xie ’30, a high school senior from New York, said she wrote in her application that she believes the Dartmouth community “respects everyone’s viewpoint.”
“Dartmouth being a close-knit community, those conversations matter more because you’re not just sharing opinions,” she said. “You’re continuing to live and learn alongside the same people.”
Mensahn said she felt many people at other higher-education institutions are “afraid” to have “tense” conversations, and she “appreciated” that Dartmouth was “putting the effort to have these dialogues.”
“If we think about the Israel and Palestine situation, Columbia and a lot of the other schools shut down conversations or it was just too tense to have those conversations,” Mensahn said. “Putting the effort to actually have these dialogues, to actually have this freedom of expression is really important.”
EJ Ackworth ’30, a high school senior from Massachusetts, said he believes that open dialogue is “the most important” way to “find truth” as a community.
“Not everyone has to agree, but as long as you can be free and willing to talk, then you can whittle down to the truth together,” he said.
Dartmouth Dialogues is not the only institutional priority that affected Ackworth’s decision. He said the College’s emphasis on sustainability, including programs at the Irving Institute for Energy and Society, also attracted him.
Every student interviewed said Dartmouth’s culture and values played a large part in their decision. Clay said touring Dartmouth made her “want to be a part” of the community.
“I just instantly felt at home,” Clay said. “I was walking around and even though it was freezing cold outside … everyone was so excited and happy and no matter the terrible weather, everywhere you looked, people were laughing and having fun.”
