How to Apply to Dartmouth College for a Chemistry Degree: Admission to the College, Not the Major, With Formal Declaration in Sophomore Year; Plan A, Plan B, Biophysical Chemistry and Biological Chemistry Majors; SAT or ACT Required (Four Alternatives for Non-U.S. Schools); Admission and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Dartmouth College is in Hanover, New Hampshire, and runs on an academic calendar of terms (fall, winter, spring and others). Its chemistry degree is offered by the Department of Chemistry and awarded as a Bachelor of Arts. This guide follows the department website and the admissions office, and covers U.S. domestic, international and Chinese applicants, then transfer students. The course catalog (Organization, Regulations and Courses, ORC) should be consulted on the college website; formal course lists and graduation requirements are not in the pages read, so rules here come only from the department’s own website, whose pages show no update date, so check with the college. Medicine, nursing and similar degrees are outside this guide.

1. Chemistry majors and tracks

• Overview: the admissions “physical and life sciences” page says the department combines the personalized instruction of a small college with the expertise of a research university and that students can choose from five course options (including biophysical or biological chemistry and the more and less structured Plan A and Plan B majors, with modified majors also possible), while the department’s own undergraduate overview says “four different major tracks” plus modified majors. The numbers differ, so rely on the department pages.
• Plan A: for those who want broad and thorough training in chemistry; suited to those planning graduate work in chemistry or a closely related science, who should normally add further courses in chemistry, physics and mathematics.
• Plan B: less structured, for students planning chemically related careers (medicine, environmental science, life science, industrial science) or professions such as teaching, law or business.
• Biophysical Chemistry: for students using physical chemistry to understand biological systems; suitable for premedical students and for graduate study in structural biology or spectroscopy of proteins.
• Biological Chemistry: for applications of chemistry to fundamental biological processes; suitable for premedical students and graduate study in biological chemistry and biomedicine.
• Modified Major: similar to Plan B but with a second program involving another department; designed with the undergraduate advisory committee with a strong justification for the courses.
• Rules for all majors: an average GPA of 2.0 across courses counted toward the major, and normally 2.0 or higher individually for prerequisites and major courses presented with the major card; at least eight upper-level courses for the four standard majors; every major course has laboratory instruction. Every major needs a substantial, graded culminating activity, which many chemistry majors satisfy with one term of CHEM 80 or up to two more terms of CHEM 87 (undergraduate investigation). The chemistry minor can be completed with two courses beyond the standard premed requirements.
• Degree name: the admissions page lists chemistry as a Bachelor of Arts; a B.S. is not published.

2. Admission: you apply to the College; the major is elected in sophomore year

• At application: admissions says students apply to the College as a whole and “don’t need to declare a major until sophomore year”; chemistry has no separate admission standard that is published.
• Formal election: the department says formal election occurs in the winter or spring term of the sophomore year, when a detailed plan for the junior and senior years is designed with a member of the Undergraduate Advisory Committee and submitted for approval in DartWorks.
• Limits: beyond the GPA rules above, no enrollment cap or other condition is published on the pages read.
• Starting later: the department says most students interested in chemistry complete general chemistry in their first year, but it is possible to major by taking general chemistry (5 and 6, or 11) and organic chemistry (51 and 52) in the second year.

3. Prerequisites and course planning

• High school courses: the admissions pages read set out no specific high school subject requirements, and neither admissions nor the department says high school chemistry is required; not published.
• Two general chemistry tracks: a two-term sequence, Chem5 (offered fall and winter) and Chem6 (winter and spring), or a one-term standalone course, Chem11 (fall and spring).
• AP / IB / A-Level and placement: students with a 4 or 5 on AP Chemistry, a 6 or 7 on IB Higher Level Chemistry, or an A on A-Level Chemistry receive credit on entrance for Chem5 and are placed into Chem11; they may instead take the Chem6 credit exam, which would give credit for Chem6 and allow them to enroll directly in organic chemistry, Chem51. A-Level students must contact the Registrar and the department because the credit is not awarded automatically. All other students are placed into Chem5 but are encouraged to take the Chemistry Placement Exam on Canvas, whose result places them in Chem5 or Chem11; anyone without Chem5 credit who wants Chem11 must take and pass the exam, and placement into Chem11 is binding.
• Math prerequisite: Math3 is a prerequisite for all general chemistry courses; students wanting to finish general chemistry in the first year who lack Math3 credit should take Math3 in the first-year fall term. Whether AP or IB math earns Math3 credit is not given on the pages read.
• First-year paths listed by the department: without Math3 credit and placed in Chem5: fall Math3, winter Chem5, spring Chem6; with Math3 credit and placed in Chem5: fall Chem5 then winter Chem6, or winter Chem5 then spring Chem6; with Math3 credit and placed in Chem11: Chem11 in fall or spring; without Math3 credit and placed in Chem11: fall Math3, spring Chem11. A self-guided Chem5 preparation course on Canvas can be taken in the four weeks before Chem5.
• Competitions: the admissions and chemistry pages read do not say how chemistry olympiads or similar competitions are viewed in admission.

4. Timeline and materials (first-year applicants)

• Deadlines: the admissions application page prints no year, so check that it applies to fall 2027 entry. Early Decision (ED) is due 1 November with decisions in mid-December; Regular Decision (RD) is due 1 January with decisions in late March or early April and a 1 May reply date. Another passage on the same page (for students who are not QuestBridge finalists) gives the Regular Decision deadline as 2 January, which conflicts with 1 January; follow what the application system shows. ED is binding: if admitted you withdraw other applications and enroll (the page notes extenuating circumstances such as unforeseen financial hardship). The application opens on 1 August and all first-year applicants use the Common App.
• Fee: the first-year application fee is $85 and non-refundable; a waiver is available for unusual financial hardship and requesting one will not disadvantage you.
• Required materials: the Common App, the Dartmouth Writing Supplement, the Secondary School Report (with transcript, school profile and counselor evaluation), two teacher evaluations, and the SAT or ACT (see below). The pages do not say the teachers must teach science; not published. The Peer Recommendation is recommended and an art portfolio is optional; the alumni interview is optional and interviews are not required.
• Writing supplement: the page says all three prompts are required: a response of 100 words or fewer on why Dartmouth is a good fit; one of two prompts in 250 words or fewer; and one of six prompts in 250 words or fewer (the page is marked updated 22 July 2026 and refers to the Class of 2031 application).
• Testing: required: Dartmouth requires standardized testing. Students at U.S. high schools submit the SAT or ACT (multiple sittings are superscored). Students at high schools outside the U.S. can satisfy the requirement in one of five ways: the SAT or ACT; three different AP exams; predicted or final IB Diploma results (1–7 scale, predictions submitted by a school official); predicted or final British A-Level results (at least three encouraged); or final results from an equivalent standardized national exam (examples given: WASSCE, CAPE, French Baccalaureate, CBSE, ICSE, KCSE, “not limited to” these; school-based exams and predicted national scores do not count). The page stresses testing is one factor among many and sets no minimum scores.
• Financial aid: aid application materials are due the same day as the application for ED (1 November) and 1 February for RD; the forms themselves are not itemized on the pages read, so check the aid pages.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Costs (2026-27, US dollars): tuition $71,697; fees $2,426; housing $13,032; food $8,746; books, course materials, supplies and equipment $1,005; miscellaneous $2,040; the page gives a total of $98,946 (first-year students also pay $519 in orientation fees, included in that total). Extra: health insurance ($5,216 in 2026-27; students on need-based aid receive at least half its cost as additional scholarship), a computer (basic package $1,700) and travel (aid awards include at least $250 for travel). The page does not distinguish in-state from out-of-state tuition (a private college). Costs for 2027-28 are not published.
• Aid: admissions says Dartmouth meets 100% of demonstrated need of all admitted aid applicants and that packages never include a required student loan, using scholarships or grants plus student employment. Families with total annual income below $125,000 and typical assets can expect no parent contribution; families earning $125,000–$175,000 can expect scholarship or grants covering full tuition; there is no income cut-off for scholarship consideration.
• Admission stage: Dartmouth is need-blind for all applicants: applications are reviewed on qualifications, not ability to pay.
• Testing: students at U.S. high schools must submit the SAT or ACT; see section 4.

6. International applicants

• How to apply: international students use the same Common App and are evaluated in the same holistic way; admissions says it considers the national curriculum, availability of extracurriculars and access to standardized testing. Letters must be written in or translated into English, and a translator must sign and date the translation.
• English proficiency: if your first language is not English and your curriculum has not been delivered in English for at least two years, submit a TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or Cambridge English score. There is no minimum score; the page says most successful applicants score above 7 on IELTS, above 135 on Duolingo, and above 185 on Cambridge English; for TOEFL exams taken before 21 January 2026 most score above 100, and for exams taken on or after 21 January 2026 most score 5 or above. TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition and IELTS Indicator are accepted; the TOEFL MyBest feature and TOEFL Essentials are not. An InitialView interview is not required, but results can be submitted.
• Grading systems: admissions says it reviews applications within the context of a school’s curriculum and grading system.
• Proof of funds and visa: the pages read do not mention proof of funds; after admission the Office of Visa and Immigration Services guides students through the visa process, with details not given on the pages read.
• Aid: admissions says Dartmouth is need-blind for all applicants including international students and guarantees to meet 100% of demonstrated need of every student regardless of citizenship.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not mention the Gaokao. The testing page’s “equivalent standardized national exam” option lists only WASSCE, CAPE, French Baccalaureate, CBSE, ICSE and KCSE as examples (“not limited to”); whether the Gaokao counts is not published, so contact admissions.
• Testing and transcripts: students from China can submit the SAT or ACT or use the AP, IB or A-Level options (section 4). How Chinese school transcripts and Huikao materials are submitted is not published; the pages say only that recommendations not in English need English translations.
• English scores: see section 6.

8. Costs, scholarships, research and honors

• Costs: see section 5. The department lists many undergraduate awards (for example the Hartshorn Medal), which are prizes rather than entrance scholarships; entrance scholarships are not published.
• Undergraduate research: the department’s research page lists research for credit (CHEM 80 and 87), the honors major and honors thesis, the Freshman Research Opportunity in Chemistry (FROiC), and the Zabriskie Senior Research Fellowship and Zabriskie Summer/Leave Research Fellowship.
• FROiC: first-year students who completed CHEM 11 in the fall with above-average performance, show enthusiasm for research and have a project aligned with their trajectory; about 10 hours a week in a 10-week term; a stipend of $1,600 at the end of each completed term; applications in the fall for research in winter and spring, with an interview with the faculty mentor.
• Honors thesis: apply with the Application for Independent Study form; there is no specific deadline but the department recommends no later than the fall term of senior year. The thesis is written in the spring of senior year (typically 50–150 pages), is due to the three-member committee at least two weeks before the oral defense, and the defense must be completed by the last day of spring final examinations; the full faculty votes on honors or high honors.
• Outcomes: the department pages read print no outcome figures; not published.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts: admissions says students who have matriculated at a college and completed two years or fewer of college coursework (even one term or less) are eligible only for transfer admission; those who already hold a bachelor’s degree are not eligible; college coursework counted toward high school graduation (including an associate’s degree pursued while finishing high school) does not make you a transfer applicant. An international student already enrolled at a university at home may apply as first-year or transfer; applying as a first-year means those credits do not transfer.
• Timeline: transfer is a separate round. The transfer application opens in January (the page says the 2027 transfer application will be available in January 2027); it is due 1 March (with the fee or waiver and aid materials); decisions come in mid-May; the intent-to-enroll deadline is late May; the final spring college transcript is due in May and June, and syllabi are assembled for the Registrar and departments to determine transferable credit. February is the last date for testing.
• Materials: the transfer application with essays; the $90 transfer application fee (paid in the portal after submitting); the final Secondary School Report with transcript; a College Report with transcript (updated in May/June); two evaluations from college instructors; standardized testing (as the page explains); college course syllabi are strongly recommended. Interviews are not available for transfer applicants.
• Credit: after admission the Registrar and academic departments evaluate transferable credit; the detailed rules are not on the pages read.
• Chemistry transfer credit: the department says to apply ahead of time for credit for a chemistry course taken elsewhere: get the transfer credit form from the Registrar, then send the form and a detailed syllabus (including lab information) to a member of the Undergraduate Advisory Committee; forms are due at the beginning of the sixth week of the Dartmouth term immediately preceding the intended transfer term (departments may set earlier deadlines); oral approval does not count.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Apply through the Common App by 1 November (ED) or 1 January (RD); the three-part writing supplement; two teacher evaluations; SAT or ACT required; $85 fee
• AP Chemistry 4 or 5 earns Chem5 credit; formally elect the major in the winter or spring term of sophomore year

International applicants (including China):

• Meet the testing requirement with the SAT/ACT, three AP exams, IB, A-Levels or a national exam; no minimum English score (most successful IELTS scores are above 7); recommendations not in English need signed translations; ask admissions whether the Gaokao counts
• Aid is the same for all applicants: 100% of demonstrated need, with no required student loan

Transfer students:

• Submit the transfer application by 1 March; two college instructor evaluations; get transfer credit approved in advance by the Registrar and the chemistry department

Sources: Dartmouth College, Chemistry: undergraduate overview; Chemistry: getting started; Chemistry: placement exams; Chemistry: major; Chemistry: undergraduate research; Chemistry: honors thesis; Chemistry: first-year research opportunity; Chemistry: transfer credit; Admissions: how to apply and deadlines; Testing policy; English proficiency; International students; Curriculum and grading systems; Recommendation languages; Application fee; Writing supplement; Eligibility; Transfer; Cost of attendance; How aid works; Aid for international students; Majors and minors; Physical and life sciences. The chemistry department pages show no update date, and the admissions application page shows no year, so check that it applies to fall 2027 entry; costs are for 2026-27. See Dartmouth’s website for the latest.