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 Biological Sciences.
Undergraduate · Dartmouth College
Dartmouth Biological Sciences: two ways in, chemistry and a quantitative course first
Dartmouth students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year, and Biological Sciences is one of the majors they can choose once enrolled. The department describes two entry pathways, a small discovery-based course and a topics-based introduction, and prerequisites in chemistry and a quantitative subject. 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 Biological Sciences
Taken from the Department of Biological Sciences' major and minor 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.
Two entry pathways
BIOL 09, a small hands-on course, or BIOL 11, a topics-based introduction.
Chemistry and a quantitative prerequisite
CHEM 5 or 11 and a quantitative course such as MATH 10.
Areas of concentration
The department lists suggested areas, none rigid.
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 Biological Sciences: major and minorbiology.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Admissions: Testing Policyadmissions.dartmouth.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on the Department of Biological Sciences' major and minor 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 sets out the practical side of the major. BIOL 09 is a small course of about 20 students with a hands-on, discovery-based introduction to the scientific method, while BIOL 11 is a topics-based introduction organised around a topic the instructors choose, and both count towards the major if taken in the first year. The prerequisites are CHEM 5 or CHEM 11 and one quantitative course. This guide does not list the full requirements.
Is it the right major?
Biological Sciences beside Neuroscience and Chemistry
Dartmouth lists these as separate majors, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Biological Sciences fits if
you want the whole of biology with entry routes that suit your preparation.
Neuroscience fits if
you want the brain in particular. Avandy's Dartmouth Neuroscience guide covers it.
Physics fits if
your interest is physical science. Avandy's Dartmouth Physics 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.
Which entry course suits you?
A small discovery course or a topics-based one.
Are chemistry and a quantitative course comfortable first steps?
They are the prerequisites.
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 Biological Sciences 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 Biological Sciences?
The pages read describe admission to Dartmouth. Students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year.
How do students enter the biology curriculum?
Through BIOL 09 or BIOL 11, according to the department.
What prerequisites does it list?
CHEM 5 or CHEM 11 and one quantitative course.
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 Biological Sciences
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their biology, chemistry and mathematics, how they weigh biology against neuroscience 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.