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 Earth Sciences.
Undergraduate · Dartmouth College
Dartmouth Earth Sciences: suggested tracks through a unified physical science
Dartmouth students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year, and Earth Sciences, taught by the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, is one of the majors they can choose once enrolled. The department describes a unified physical science and suggested tracks aligned with faculty 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 Earth Sciences
Taken from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences' 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 unified physical science
The department says it combines many fields.
Suggested tracks
Aligned with the faculty's research interests.
Writing is recommended
The department strongly recommends writing courses.
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 Earth and Planetary Sciences: majorearthsciences.dartmouth.edu
- Dartmouth Admissions: Testing Policyadmissions.dartmouth.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences' 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 an Earth and Planetary Science background is unique in combining many fields into a unified physical science and that the major provides a background sufficient for graduate work or employment. The courses in the ORC are those required for graduation, a table outlines suggested tracks through the major aligned with faculty research interests such as Earth surface and environmental processes and climate and cryospheric sciences, and it strongly recommends writing courses; for graduate-bound students it recommends the introductory physics and chemistry series. This guide does not list the required courses.
Is it the right major?
Earth Sciences beside Environmental Studies and Physics
Dartmouth lists these as separate majors, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
Earth Sciences fits if
you want the Earth and planets as physical systems, with field and climate options.
Environmental Studies fits if
you want a problem-oriented environmental major. Avandy's Dartmouth Environmental Studies guide covers it.
Physics fits if
you want physical laws. 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 suggested track would you follow?
The department outlines several.
Are physics and chemistry comfortable foundations?
They are recommended for graduate-bound students.
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 Earth 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 Earth Sciences?
The pages read describe admission to Dartmouth. Students do not need to declare a major until sophomore year.
Are there suggested tracks?
Yes. The department outlines tracks aligned with faculty research interests.
Is writing recommended?
The department strongly recommends writing courses.
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 Earth Sciences
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their physics, chemistry and mathematics, their interest in field and climate science 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.