November 5, 2025
Written By
Michael Minh Le
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The Dartmouth Medical School acceptance rate can feel like a cold statistic, but behind that number are thousands of students pouring in years of effort, hoping it’s enough. Maybe you’re carrying a strong GPA and MCAT but aren’t sure how to stand out. Or maybe your path has been less traditional, and you’re wondering if Geisel will see the value in your story. No matter where you are in your journey, the reality is this: getting in is hard, but not impossible.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know to make a competitive application. We’ll cover the Geisel School of Medicine’s campuses, stats, and requirements, then dive into how to build each part of your app, from your personal statement to your interview. You’ll also get clarity on what makes Dartmouth unique and how to tell if it’s the right fit for you.
To give yourself the best shot, start by seeing what works. Our Application Database gives you free access to 8 real AMCAS applications that earned acceptances at top med schools like UCLA and UCI. Use this access to learn what stands out and craft your own compelling application.
Get your free resource here.
For the 2025 entering class, the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth received 7,245 applications. Just 92 students matriculated.
That makes the Dartmouth medical school acceptance rate roughly 1.27%.
Yes, you read that right. Dartmouth is even more selective than many of the other Ivy-affiliated med schools. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re from New Hampshire or across the country. Geisel doesn’t show in-state preference. Your competition is national.
Dartmouth isn’t just looking for high achievers. It’s looking for the best of the best.
The average GPA for accepted students at Geisel? 3.77. The average MCAT? 514.
For comparison, the national averages for all med school matriculants hover around a 3.77 GPA and a 511.7 MCAT. So, Geisel’s numbers are right on par, or even slightly above, when it comes to MCAT.
That said, Dartmouth does have a hard MCAT cutoff: applicants with a score below 503 will not receive a secondary application. And while there’s no official GPA floor, let’s be real, if your GPA is under 3.3 or your MCAT is hovering near that cutoff, your chances are slim.
To apply to Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, you’ll need to check off these prerequisite courses:
They also strongly recommend coursework in Biochemistry, Calculus, Statistics, and Genetics.
To apply to Geisel’s MD program, you must also meet the following general requirements:
The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth has one of the higher tuition rates among U.S. medical schools. For the 2025–2026 academic year, tuition was about $74,868. When factoring in housing, food, transportation, books, and other fees, the total cost of attendance rises to around $96,448 per year.
That being said, about 85% of Geisel students receive some form of financial aid, and about 60% are awarded scholarships. These scholarships are primarily need-based, reflecting Geisel’s mission to reduce student debt and make medical education more accessible.
The school has also benefited from recent philanthropic investments. Most notably, they received an $11 million addition to its scholarship endowment, which specifically supports students planning to pursue primary care or work in underserved communities.
With all the support, the average debt at graduation for a Geisel student is only about $176,000.
The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth stands out not just for its Ivy League pedigree but for its deeply student-centered approach to medical education, commitment to underserved communities, and innovative, forward-thinking curriculum.
Here’s more about what sets Geisel apart in the crowded field of top-tier medical schools:
Unlike many larger medical schools, Geisel is known for its small class sizes and deeply collaborative culture. With just over 90 students per incoming class, Geisel fosters an environment where students, faculty, and administrators actually know each other. Students consistently praise the accessibility of their professors and the sense of camaraderie within each cohort, which is a major asset during the highs and lows of medical training.
Through partnerships with local clinics, community outreach programs, and the Rural Health Scholars initiative, students are actively encouraged to understand and address the challenges of healthcare delivery outside urban centers. For applicants drawn to primary care, community health, or service-driven medicine, Geisel’s mission resonates deeply.
Despite its smaller size, Geisel offers robust research opportunities across a variety of fields, including global health, biomedical innovation, and health equity. The school is home to the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice (TDI), a national leader in outcomes-based research. Students who want to blend clinical care with health systems thinking, public health, or policy work will find unique opportunities here.
Geisel’s curriculum emphasizes early clinical exposure, team-based learning, and a strong foundation in social determinants of health. From the first year, students begin learning how to deliver compassionate, evidence-based care through real patient interactions. The school also integrates leadership training and communication skills to prepare graduates not just to treat patients, but to lead teams and drive systemic change.
Geisel has a deeply loyal alumni network and a reputation for mentorship that goes beyond the classroom. Many students find mentors in both clinical and research settings who continue to guide them through residency, fellowship, and even beyond. The school’s smaller size helps amplify these relationships, offering personalized support that’s harder to find in larger programs.
Getting into the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth isn’t about being the most “perfect” premed. It’s about telling the most honest, intentional story. Yes, strong stats help, but Geisel looks for future physicians who lead with curiosity, compassion, and commitment to community.
The Geisel School of Medicine participates in the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) for its MD program. The school does not participate in AMCAS Early Decision.
While the website lists firm deadlines (e.g., AMCAS submission closes November 1, secondary closes November 15) and does not explicitly call the process “rolling,” it still has interviews from August into March.
So, just to be safe, submit your application as early as possible.
Here’s the application timeline you’ll need to follow:
Your personal statement for Dartmouth Medical School is your narrative. And your experiences are the proof of everything you say.
If you say you care about rural health or health equity, then you should show experiences in community clinics or outreach programs that back that up. If you say you care about mental health, then you should show experiences volunteering at a crisis line, conducting research on depression, or mentoring peers through campus wellness programs.
Secondary essays are your chance to show the admissions committee what your primary application can’t: your fit for the school, your self‑awareness, and how you’ll contribute to their community.
Below are the prompts from the most recent cycle for Dartmouth, followed by how to address each one.
1. Please indicate your plans for the 2025‑2026 academic year. If in school, please list your courses. If working, let us know something about the nature of your job. If your plans or courses change (we only need to be notified about changes in prerequisite courses) subsequently, please inform the Admissions Office by email at Geisel.Admissions@dartmouth.edu.
Advice: Use this prompt to demonstrate that you are actively shaping your upcoming year with purpose, not just “taking courses” or “working a job.” Link your plans clearly to your preparation for medical school. Show how your coursework, job, or other engagement will sharpen skills or perspectives relevant to being a physician. Also show balance (you’re human) and readiness for the next step.
2. Please reflect on your primary application and share something not addressed elsewhere that would be helpful to the Admissions Committee as we review your file.
Advice: Here, you have a valuable blank slate. Use it to reveal something unique, meaningful, or clarifying about you that didn’t fit into other parts of your application. Avoid repeating what’s already in the primary. Instead, choose an angle or story that deepens their understanding of your motivations, character, or journey, especially something that underscores your commitment to medicine.
4. What aspects of the Geisel School of Medicine draw you to apply? Please include the characteristics and strengths you will bring to our program and how you hope to contribute to our community.
Advice: This is the classic “Why Us?” prompt, but Dartmouth’s mission emphasizes inclusive community, innovation, team‑based learning, and leadership in health care. So go beyond generic praise to identify specific elements of Geisel’s curriculum, culture, or mission (for example, their rural health focus, longitudinal coaching, distributed clinical sites) and link them to your own strengths and goals. Show how you’ll add to their community, not just take.
5. Geisel School of Medicine values social justice and diversity in all its forms. Reflect on a situation where you were the “other”.
Advice: This prompt asks for a personal reflection on being “the other.” Maybe mention your identity, perspective, or circumstance. Choose a genuine episode where you felt distinct from the majority, and then focus not just on the feeling of “otherness” but on what it taught you (empathy, awareness, advocacy, growth) and how that experience will make you a better physician and a better member of Geisel’s diverse community. Be concrete and introspective; avoid clichés or broad generalizations.
For Dartmouth’s MD program, applicants must submit letters of recommendation via the AMCAS Letter‑of‑Recommendation Service.
If your undergraduate institution has an established pre‑medical committee (or health‑professions advisory committee), Dartmouth will accept a committee (composite) letter. In that case, you must at least submit that committee evaluation, or a packet containing the committee letter plus supporting individual letters.
If your school does not have a pre‑medical committee, you must submit a minimum of 3 individual letters of recommendation.
Dartmouth recommends submitting up to 5 letters in that no‑committee scenario for stronger representation. That said, the AMCAS rules and Dartmouth’s policy state you may upload up to 10 letters in total, though more letters don’t necessarily improve your file.
For Dartmouth’s MD program, you’ll typically face a traditional one‑on‑one or panel interview, not a full mini‑circuit MMI. According to feedback, applicants usually had one interviewer or two interviewers for about 20‑30 minutes.
Some sources mention panels of 2–3 interviewers in a conversational style. The school’s admissions FAQs and prep guides confirm that the interview day is shorter and more conversational than many large MMI‑based schools.
It’s also usually open‑file, which means interviewers have access to your application rather than being completely blind.
Expect to spend most of the interview focused on you as a person, your fit with Dartmouth’s mission, and how you think about complex healthcare issues. Some questions may include, “Walk us through how your clinical experiences align with Geisel’s rural health mission” and “How would you explain opioid receptor mechanics to a skeptical patient?”
Choosing a medical school is really about finding a place that aligns with who you are now and who you hope to become. Different schools have different strengths, cultures, and environments, and the right fit for one applicant might not be right for another.
So, here’s how to know if Dartmouth Medical School is right for you.
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth is a good fit if…
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth may not be a good fit if…
You’ve done the hard part of putting in the hours, earning the GPA, grinding through the MCAT, and navigating extracurriculars that sometimes felt impossible to juggle. But when it’s time to put all of that into a single application, many premeds freeze. What do you write about?
One of the best ways to figure that out is to see exactly what other people wrote. And not just that, what they wrote that got them accepted.
We put together a free Application Database that gives you direct access to 8 real AMCAS applications, including mine that got me into UCLA. You’ll see how real applicants wrote about challenges, structured their activities, and told their stories in a way that stood out.
Get your free resource here.
