Average GPA for Dartmouth?

Hey, I'm looking at Dartmouth as a dream school, but I'm not sure if my GPA matches their average. Could anyone tell me what GPA I should aim for to be a competitive applicant there?

At a highly selective institution like Dartmouth, successful applicants typically have very strong academic records. While Dartmouth does not publish an average GPA for admitted students, based on adjacent metrics and year of experience, we can conclude that successful applicants usually have high GPAs. As a reference, a large number of admitted students have unweighted GPAs in the 3.9 to 4.0 range, which basically means they're getting mostly A's in their coursework.

However, Dartmouth, like many selective schools, doesn't solely focus on GPA in admissions. The rigor of your coursework is also considered. Dartmouth wants to see that you're challenging yourself with Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) classes, and excelling in those. They also place an emphasis on the Academic Index—a compilation of your GPA, class rank and test scores—in their initial evaluation of applications.

Remember that colleges understand that GPA scales can vary from one school to another, so they look at your GPA in the context of your high school. They will pay attention to your transcript and the level of difficulty of the courses you took. Furthermore, Dartmouth takes a holistic approach to admissions, meaning they consider other factors beyond academics like test scores, extracurricular activities, essays, recommendation letters, and other elements that showcase your personal qualities and potential contribution to the Dartmouth community.