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 Chemistry.
Undergraduate · Dartmouth College
Dartmouth Chemistry: four major options and a culminating activity
Dartmouth students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year, and Chemistry is one of the majors they can choose once enrolled. The department describes four major options plus a modified major and a culminating activity that many students meet through undergraduate research. 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 Chemistry
Taken from the Department of Chemistry's 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.
Four major options
Plus a modified major, with flexibility in planning.
Formal election in sophomore year
A detailed plan for the junior and senior years is agreed with an advisory committee member.
A culminating activity
Many majors meet it through undergraduate research.
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 Chemistry: majorchemistry.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Admissions: Testing Policyadmissions.dartmouth.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on the Department of Chemistry's 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 it offers four major options as well as a modified major, with a great deal of flexibility, and that several tracks do not require taking two major-level courses of the same kind. Students formally elect the major in the winter or spring of sophomore year with a plan agreed with a member of the Undergraduate Advisory Committee. All programmes require an average GPA of 2.0 in major courses, and every major completes a substantial graded culminating activity, often undergraduate research. This guide does not list the options.
Is it the right major?
Chemistry beside Physics and Biological Sciences
Dartmouth lists these as separate majors, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Chemistry fits if
you want a flexible chemistry plan with research as a common culmination.
Physics fits if
you want the physical laws behind matter. Avandy's Dartmouth Physics guide covers it.
Biological Sciences fits if
you want life science. Avandy's Dartmouth Biological 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.
Which of the four options would suit you?
The department describes several tracks.
Is undergraduate research appealing?
Many majors meet the culminating requirement through it.
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 Chemistry 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 Chemistry?
The pages read describe admission to Dartmouth. Students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year.
When is the major elected?
In the winter or spring term of the sophomore year.
Is research required?
The department says every major completes a culminating activity, and many do it through research.
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 Chemistry
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their chemistry, mathematics and laboratory interests 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.