Dartmouth Standardized Testing Requirements: High school students in China may fulfill the requirement with SAT/ACT, 3 AP exams, IB, or A-Level scores.

Dartmouth College has reinstated the standardized testing requirement for undergraduate admissions: starting with applicants for the Class of 2029 (those enrolling in Fall 2025 and graduating in 2029), students applying for Fall 2027 admission must also meet this requirement. The school practices holistic admissions, where standardized test scores are one of the factors considered, but not the primary factor.

Five Ways for Chinese Students to Meet the Standardized Testing Requirement

Students attending high school outside the United States can meet the requirement through one of the following five options:

• SAT or ACT: The school will automatically superscore. You may self-report scores initially, but official scores must be submitted before enrollment.
• Three AP exams: It is recommended to select exams across different disciplines, including at least one in math or science, and one in history, social sciences, or English. You may self-report scores initially, but official scores must be submitted before enrollment.
• IBDP scores: You may submit predicted or final scores on the 1 to 7 scale. Predicted scores must be submitted by the school, and final scores must be submitted through the official system before enrollment.
• A-Level scores: It is recommended to submit at least three. Official certificates for final scores must be submitted before enrollment.
• Final scores from national unified examinations: The exam must be a nationally or regionally unified test; school-based exams are not accepted. Only final official scores are accepted; predicted scores are not. If the scores for the application year are released after February, you must choose one of the other four options.

Our tip: China's Gaokao scores are released in late June each year, which is after February, so they cannot be used to meet this requirement for the current application year. Students attending regular high schools in China generally need to prepare for the SAT/ACT or three AP exams; students in IB or A-Level programs can use predicted scores.

English Proficiency Requirements and Recommendations

If English is not your native language and your high school curriculum was not taught entirely in English for at least two years, you must submit English proficiency test scores. The specific accepted test types and score requirements are subject to official updates.

Source: https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/apply/testing-policy. Policies are subject to the latest official updates.