Jan 23, 2026
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By Justin Neiman, Former Ivy League Admissions Officer
Deferred from Dartmouth Early Decision? This guide covers what a Dartmouth deferral means, how many deferred students Dartmouth typically admits, and how you can improve your chances of gaining admission in Regular Decision. We’ll walk through the available admissions data to help you understand the Dartmouth deferred acceptance rate, key Dartmouth deferral statistics, and how to write a strong Dartmouth LOCI.
If you applied ED to Dartmouth, the admissions committee may issue one of three decisions:
• Accepted under Early Decision
• Deferred to Regular Decision
• Denied
A deferral means Dartmouth found your application competitive but wants to review it again in the broader Regular Decision pool.
For the Class of 2028, Dartmouth reported roughly 31,656 total applicants and about 1,710 admits — an overall acceptance rate of 5.4%.
More specifically, for the class of 2028, candidates admitted under ED numbered 606 out of 3,550 ED applications — an ED admit rate of 17.07%.
5 to 10 percent of candidates deferred from Dartmouth in Early Decision are typically admitted.
A deferral from Dartmouth signals:
• Your application is still under serious consideration
• Dartmouth wants to see updated grades or new accomplishments
• Your file will be read again during Regular Decision
• You remain a viable candidate for admission
A deferral is not a soft rejection — it is a second review.
Submit a Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI)
Your Dartmouth LOCI should:
• Reaffirm your strong interest in Dartmouth
• Clearly state if Dartmouth remains your first choice
• Highlight meaningful updates since you applied
• Share insight into academic or personal growth
Share Significant Updates
Only include updates that materially enhance your file, such as:
• A major academic or extracurricular award
• New test scores (only if meaningfully stronger)
• Research, competitions, or published work
• Expanded leadership roles or community initiatives
• Notable improvements in coursework
You may upload updates directly through Dartmouth’s portal.
Submit Your Midyear Report
Dartmouth places real weight on senior-year grades. Strong first-semester performance can meaningfully improve your Regular Decision chances.
A deferral provides time to reassess and refine your entire application strategy before January deadlines:
Thoughtful revisions now can significantly improve overall outcomes.
A rejection from Dartmouth ED is final for this admissions cycle. Dartmouth does not reconsider denied ED applicants in Regular Decision and does not offer appeals. If Dartmouth remains a long-term goal, you may apply again as a transfer student after completing at least one year of college coursework.
In the short term, the best approach is to pivot toward your Regular Decision applications and continue building a strong narrative.
A deferral is not a rejection—it’s an invitation to stay in the game. Keep excelling academically, remain proactive, and use this as an opportunity to refine your strategy. Remember, many successful students use setbacks as fuel for future success.
I like to share this quote from a past student to just offer some perspective:
“If I hadn’t been deferred in the early round, I wouldn’t have realized how much my application needed improvement. I made changes and ended up getting into all of my top schools during regular decision. It was a blessing in disguise.”
If you’d like support with your LOCI or your Regular Decision applications, feel free to reach out.
Deferred from Dartmouth Early Decision? This guide covers what a Dartmouth deferral means, how many deferred students Dartmouth typically admits, and how you can improve your chances of gaining admission in Regular Decision. We’ll walk through the available admissions data to help you understand the Dartmouth deferred acceptance rate, key Dartmouth deferral statistics, and how to write a strong Dartmouth LOCI.
If you applied ED to Dartmouth, the admissions committee may issue one of three decisions:
• Accepted under Early Decision
• Deferred to Regular Decision
• Denied
A deferral means Dartmouth found your application competitive but wants to review it again in the broader Regular Decision pool.
For the Class of 2028, Dartmouth reported roughly 31,656 total applicants and about 1,710 admits — an overall acceptance rate of 5.4%.
More specifically, for the class of 2028, candidates admitted under ED numbered 606 out of 3,550 ED applications — an ED admit rate of 17.07%.
5 to 10 percent of candidates deferred from Dartmouth in Early Decision are typically admitted.
A deferral from Dartmouth signals:
• Your application is still under serious consideration
• Dartmouth wants to see updated grades or new accomplishments
• Your file will be read again during Regular Decision
• You remain a viable candidate for admission
A deferral is not a soft rejection — it is a second review.
Submit a Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI)
Your Dartmouth LOCI should:
• Reaffirm your strong interest in Dartmouth
• Clearly state if Dartmouth remains your first choice
• Highlight meaningful updates since you applied
• Share insight into academic or personal growth
Share Significant Updates
Only include updates that materially enhance your file, such as:
• A major academic or extracurricular award
• New test scores (only if meaningfully stronger)
• Research, competitions, or published work
• Expanded leadership roles or community initiatives
• Notable improvements in coursework
You may upload updates directly through Dartmouth’s portal.
Submit Your Midyear Report
Dartmouth places real weight on senior-year grades. Strong first-semester performance can meaningfully improve your Regular Decision chances.
A deferral provides time to reassess and refine your entire application strategy before January deadlines:
Thoughtful revisions now can significantly improve overall outcomes.
A rejection from Dartmouth ED is final for this admissions cycle. Dartmouth does not reconsider denied ED applicants in Regular Decision and does not offer appeals. If Dartmouth remains a long-term goal, you may apply again as a transfer student after completing at least one year of college coursework.
In the short term, the best approach is to pivot toward your Regular Decision applications and continue building a strong narrative.
A deferral is not a rejection—it’s an invitation to stay in the game. Keep excelling academically, remain proactive, and use this as an opportunity to refine your strategy. Remember, many successful students use setbacks as fuel for future success.
I like to share this quote from a past student to just offer some perspective:
“If I hadn’t been deferred in the early round, I wouldn’t have realized how much my application needed improvement. I made changes and ended up getting into all of my top schools during regular decision. It was a blessing in disguise.”
If you’d like support with your LOCI or your Regular Decision applications, feel free to reach out.
Former Admissions Officer, Harvard University
Former Assistant Dean, Stanford University
As a College Counselor I help students navigate the college admissions process. My goal is to help students stand out and get accepted to their top-choice schools.
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