How can I make my Dartmouth supplemental essays stand out?

Dartmouth’s supplements are looking for your voice, your quirks, and how you see the world—their prompts are among the most playful and open-ended, so you have a real opportunity to let your true self show.

For the “celebrate your geekiness” question, admissions officers genuinely want to see what excites you, no matter how offbeat, niche, or even silly it might seem. Writing about something unexpected or quirky can definitely make you stand out, especially if you’re genuinely enthusiastic about it. For example, maybe your geekiness is a rabbit hole into learning about lost languages, or a passion for fixing vintage typewriters, or even a deep obsession with ranking potato chip flavors. The important thing is to show how you engage deeply with something, explain why it matters to you, and tie it back to your curiosity or worldview. If you do pick an academic topic, find an angle that’s truly your own—rather than just saying you love chemistry, talk about your hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe and how that turned baking into a chemistry experiment for you.

Regarding the main supplement, Dartmouth doesn’t have a single “preferred” topic or tone. What matters is telling a story that brings out something real and unique about you. Deep, personal stories can be powerful, but so can a more playful or lighthearted story if it reveals something genuine about your character or growth. For instance, if a lighter experience—like running a goofy scavenger hunt for your friends—led you to develop leadership or resilience, that can be just as meaningful as a more serious challenge. The essays that tend to stand out combine authenticity with a strong narrative voice. If someone can read your essay and say, “only this person could’ve written that,” you’re doing it right.

One tip: let small details and specific anecdotes do the heavy lifting. Instead of summarizing (“I’m passionate about environmental science”), show us a moment ("I spent a Saturday cataloging slime mold in my backyard pond, much to my family’s amusement—and slight horror").

Ask yourself: what would really surprise the admissions committee? What’s a random fact your best friend would tease you about? Leaning into those answers can help your essays feel fresh and unmistakably yours.

Remember, Dartmouth values people who are kind, collaborative, and intellectually engaged—so let your essays reflect your natural curiosity and genuine personality, whether that’s earnest, goofy, or quietly passionate.