A major declared by sophomore year
Dartmouth says students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year. The pages read describe no separate admission to Astronomy.
Undergraduate · Dartmouth College
Dartmouth Astronomy: a major of its own beside physics
Dartmouth students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year, and Astronomy, taught under the Department of Physics and Astronomy, is one of the majors they can choose once enrolled. The department explains how astronomy differs from physics and lists learning outcomes that include designing an observing programme. This guide makes no claim of a separate application to the major.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Dartmouth says about Dartmouth Astronomy
Taken from the Department of Physics and Astronomy's Astronomy major page, Dartmouth Admissions' Majors & Minors and Testing Policy pages, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Dartmouth's pages for the 2028-entry details.
A major under Physics and Astronomy
The department says the astronomy major is under the umbrella of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Not a subfield of physics
The department calls astronomy a truly interdisciplinary quest to understand the universe.
Observing is a learning outcome
Students should be able to design and execute an astronomical observing program.
The SAT or ACT, or an international alternative
US high school students submit the SAT or ACT. Students outside the US can meet the requirement in one of five ways, including predicted or final A-level or IB results.
Official sources
- Dartmouth Admissions: Majors & Minorsadmissions.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Department of Physics and Astronomy: Astronomy majorphysics.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Admissions: Testing Policyadmissions.dartmouth.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on the Department of Physics and Astronomy's Astronomy major page, Dartmouth Admissions' Majors & Minors and Testing Policy pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Dartmouth's Organization, Regulations and Courses catalogue, the full requirement worksheet, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The major
What the department says the major is
The department's page says the astronomy major is under the umbrella of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and explains that astronomy is concerned with a particular object, the Universe, and everything in it, where physics aims to uncover the fundamental laws of Nature and apply them. It calls astronomy a truly interdisciplinary quest, drawing on computing, instrument building, chemistry and statistics, and lists learning outcomes such as analysing astronomical data and designing an observing programme. This guide does not list the required courses.
Is it the right major?
Astronomy beside Physics and Earth Sciences
Dartmouth lists these as separate majors, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Astronomy fits if
you want the universe and its objects as the subject, with physics as a tool.
Physics fits if
you want the fundamental laws. Avandy's Dartmouth Physics guide covers it.
Earth Sciences fits if
you want Earth and planets as physical systems. Avandy's Dartmouth Earth Sciences guide covers it.
Admission and testing
A Dartmouth application, an SAT or ACT and A levels or the IB
Dartmouth requires students who attended high school in the United States to submit the SAT or ACT. Students who attended high school outside the United States may fulfil the requirement in one of five ways, which include predicted or final results from British A-Levels or the IB Diploma. The major is not a separate application. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Dartmouth's.
Is the universe, rather than the laws, your subject?
The department separates the two aims.
Are you comfortable with data and statistics?
The learning outcomes include analysing astronomical data.
Which testing route will you use for Dartmouth?
Outside the US, Dartmouth lists five ways, including A-level and IB results.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Dartmouth's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Dartmouth's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Dartmouth has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Dartmouth for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the department's Astronomy page and decide which testing route you will use for Dartmouth.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Dartmouth College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Dartmouth College. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Dartmouth Astronomy?
The pages read describe admission to Dartmouth. Students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year.
Is astronomy a separate major from physics?
Yes. The department's page lists an Astronomy major beside the Physics and Engineering Physics majors.
Is observing part of the major?
The learning outcomes include being able to design and execute an astronomical observing program.
Do A levels and the IB count for testing?
Dartmouth lists predicted or final British A-Level and IB Diploma results among five ways to meet the requirement for students who attended high school outside the United States.
Is the SAT or ACT required?
For students who attended high school in the United States, yes: they must submit either test.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Dartmouth's wording with no entry-year label. Check Dartmouth's pages again when Dartmouth publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Dartmouth Astronomy
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their physics and mathematics, their interest in observation and data and their testing route, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.