Why Dartmouth Essay 2026–27: The 100-Word Question

Dartmouth’s writing supplement for the Class of 2031 asks for three responses, all required: a Why Dartmouth answer of 100 words or fewer, one 250-word essay chosen from two prompts, and one 250-word essay chosen from six. At 100 words, the Why Dartmouth answer leaves almost no room for warm-up, which makes it harder than it looks.

The prompts below come from Dartmouth’s Writing Supplement page, checked November 8, 2026. The college essay grader includes every Dartmouth prompt and responds with feedback and questions rather than replacement text.

Question 1: Why Dartmouth, 100 words or fewer

As you seek admission to Dartmouth's Class of 2031, what aspects of the college's academic program, community, and/or campus environment attract your interest? How is Dartmouth a good fit for you?

Two details in the wording matter.

“And/or.” You do not have to cover the academic program, the community, and the campus environment. In 100 words, trying to touch all three usually means saying nothing specific about any of them. Pick the one where you have the most to say.

“How is Dartmouth a good fit for you?” The question asks about fit, not only attraction. After you name what draws you, the reader should see why it suits you in particular, which means some evidence from your own life has to be in the answer.

Spending 100 words

A rough budget that keeps the answer from collapsing into a list:

• About 25 words on you: the interest, habit, or experience behind your choice.
• About 50 words on one aspect of Dartmouth: what it is, and what you would do with it.
• About 25 words on fit: what you would bring, or what you hope to find out.

To get there, cut the things short answers tend to waste words on. Opening hooks, restating the question, “Ever since I was young,” and praise adjectives like “renowned” or “unparalleled” all cost words and tell the reader nothing about you.

For research, start with Dartmouth’s own admissions pages. Its academics section includes pages such as Flexible Study Plan, Custom Majors, Research, and Study Around the World, and its student life section includes Student Groups & Activities, Service, and Sustainability. Treat those as places to look, not phrases to repeat. The detail you choose should connect to something you have already done. When you have a draft, check whether the Dartmouth detail ties back to you.

Question 2: choose one of two, 250 words or fewer

The same Dartmouth page features an episode of its admissions podcast built around one question: “Who do I want the admission officer to meet?” That question is especially useful here, because both options are about who you are.

Option A: let your life speak

There is a Quaker saying: Let your life speak. Describe the environment in which you were raised and the impact it has had on the person you are today.

“Environment” can mean much more than a place. It can be a household, a set of routines, a language spoken at home, a neighborhood, or a community’s expectations. Describe it through specific moments, then spend real space on the second half of the question: the impact on who you are today. Review your Option A draft.

Option B: introduce yourself

"Be yourself," Oscar Wilde advised. "Everyone else is taken." Introduce yourself.

This is the most open prompt in the supplement. The risk is summarizing your application in paragraph form. A better approach is to show one trait, habit, or way of thinking that the rest of your application does not already make obvious. Review your Option B draft.

Question 3: choose one of six, 250 words or fewer

Pick the prompt where you have a specific story or idea, not the one that sounds most impressive.

What excites you?

What excites you?

Three words, so the whole answer is yours to build. Name the thing directly and give enough detail that a reader starts to see why it excites you. Review this response.

Making an impact

Labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta recommended a life of purpose. "We must use our lives to make the world a better place to live, not just to acquire things," she said. "That is what we are put on the earth for." In what ways do you hope to make—or are you already making—an impact? Why? How?

The prompt ends with three short questions. Make sure the response answers “Why?” and “How?”, not just “What?” Impact at a small scale, described honestly, is more convincing than large claims.

What you read

In an Instagram post, best-selling British author Matt Haig cheered the impact of reading. "A good novel is the best invention humans have ever created for imagining other lives," he wrote. How have you experienced such insight from reading? What did you read and how did it alter the way you understand yourself and others?

Name what you read and show the change in your understanding. A plot summary uses up the words without answering the question.

A difficult conversation

The social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees have been the focus of Dame Jane Goodall's research for decades. Her understanding of animal behavior prompted the English primatologist to see a lesson for human communities as well: "Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right." Channel Dame Goodall: Tell us about a moment when you engaged in a difficult conversation or encountered someone with an opinion or perspective that was different from your own. How did you find common ground?

The question asks how you found common ground, so the listening is the center of the answer. Show what you heard, not only what you said.

Your nerdy side

Celebrate your nerdy side.

“Celebrate” invites enthusiasm. Go deep on one interest rather than listing several, and let the reader see how you think when you are absorbed in it.

Difference

"It's not easy being green…" was the frequent refrain of Kermit the Frog. How has difference been a part of your life, and how have you embraced it as part of your identity, outlook, or sense of purpose?

The second half of the question matters as much as the first. After describing the difference, show how you have embraced it and what it has shaped in your identity, outlook, or sense of purpose. Review this response.

Read the three answers together

The supplement works as a set, so read it in one sitting:

• Question 1 should make a specific case for fit with Dartmouth.
• Your Question 2 and Question 3 choices should show different sides of you, not the same story twice.
• None of them should retell your Common App essay.
• Check every limit in the application itself: 100 words for Question 1 and 250 for each essay. Counts can differ between editors, as the Common App word-limit guide explains.

For other supplements, see the Why Columbia and Why UChicago guides, or the Why Us essay examples for fictional samples of the research-to-reflection move. Before using AI tools, read the college AI policy guide and each college’s own current policy.

Official source

• Dartmouth Admissions: Writing Supplement — Class of 2031 prompts and word limits, checked November 8, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Why Dartmouth essay word limit?

Dartmouth asks applicants to respond in 100 words or fewer. The other two essays in the writing supplement have a 250-word limit each.

How many Dartmouth supplemental essays are required?

Three responses, all required: the 100-word Why Dartmouth question, one 250-word essay chosen from two prompts, and one 250-word essay chosen from six prompts.

Do I have to write about academics, community, and campus environment?

No. The question asks about the academic program, community, and/or campus environment, so you can focus on one. At 100 words, one developed reason usually says more than three brief ones.