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In this guide, we’ll break down how to get into the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth (Geisel), including its acceptance rate, MCAT and GPA expectations, admissions requirements, and what the Geisel admissions committee looks for in successful applicants.
If you’re only looking for the requirements, click here.
Geisel School of Medicine has an acceptance rate of 0.93%. The Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) 2025 FACTS report states that Geisel received 10,330 verified applications in the most recent admissions cycle and only 96 students matriculated.
According to the AAMC’s archived data, Geisel has remained highly competitive in the last four years. Here’s a breakdown of its admissions data from the 2022-2026 admissions cycles.
Geisel’s average acceptance rate from 2022-2023 through 2025-2026 is approximately 1.03%, meaning only about 1 out of every 97 applicants ultimately matriculated.
Geisel kept its class size consistent during this period, enrolling between 92 and 96 matriculants per cycle. Even in Geisel’s most favorable year (2024-2025, with a 1.13% acceptance rate), only about 1 applicant per 100 matriculated, confirming how selective the program remains.
It is extremely difficult to get into the Geisel School of Medicine. In the 2025-2026 admissions cycle, Geisel received 10,330 verified applications, and only 96 students matriculated, meaning Geisel could fill its entire incoming class more than 107 times over with the number of students who applied.
The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth’s median MCAT score is 517.
While Geisel does not publish a minimum MCAT requirement, MSAR data shows that the 2025 entering class scored consistently high across every section of the exam:
| MCAT Section | Median Score |
|---|---|
| Chemical & Physical Foundations | 129 |
| CARS | 128 |
| Biological & Biochemical Foundations | 130 |
| Psychological, Social & Biological Foundations | 130 |
The table below shows the MCAT score range for Geisel accepted applicants and matriculants based on percentile data:
| Percentile | MCAT Score for Accepted Applicants | MCAT Score for Matriculants |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | 511 | 510 |
| 25th Percentile | 514 | 513 |
| Median | 517 | 516 |
| 75th Percentile | 520 | 518 |
| 90th Percentile | 522 | 521 |
A 517 MCAT score places the Geisel admitted applicants around the 94th percentile nationally. Since the national average MCAT score is 506.3, Geisel’s median score sits 10.7 points above the national benchmark, reinforcing the academic strength of its incoming class.
The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth’s median total GPA is 3.90.
While Geisel does not publish a minimum GPA requirement, MSAR data shows that most matriculants earn near-perfect academic records.
The table below shows the total GPA percentile range for the 2025-2026 Geisel admitted applicants and matriculants.
| Percentile | Total GPA of Accepted Applicants | Total GPA of Matriculants |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | 3.68 | 3.60 |
| 25th Percentile | 3.8 | 3.77 |
| Median | 3.9 | 3.87 |
| 75th Percentile | 3.96 | 3.94 |
| 90th Percentile | 3.99 | 3.96 |
According to AAMC 2025-2026 data, the national average GPA for medical school applicants is 3.67. Geisel’s median GPA of 3.90 sits about 6.00% higher than the national average, reinforcing how academically selective the program is.
The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth’s median science GPA is 3.88. This benchmark shows that most accepted students excel in rigorous science coursework.
The table below shows the science GPA percentile range for Geisel admitted applicants and matriculants.
| Percentile | Science GPA of Accepted Applicants | Science GPA of Matriculants |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | 3.6 | 3.57 |
| 25th Percentile | 3.73 | 3.72 |
| Median | 3.88 | 3.84 |
| 75th Percentile | 3.96 | 3.92 |
| 90th Percentile | 4.00 | 3.97 |
To apply to the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, applicants must submit the following:
The table below shows the course prerequisites for Geisel:
The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth conducts virtual interviews. Interviewees will complete two separate 30-minute one-on-one interviews with members of the admissions committee.
Geisel structures its interview day to evaluate both your communication skills and your fit with Geisel’s collaborative learning culture.
The interview season begins in late August and continues through March, with interviews typically held on Thursdays by invitation only.
Geisel School of Medicine's secondary application consists of four required essay prompts, all with a 500-word limit.
Geisel's secondary application is straightforward in structure but asks you to cover a lot of ground. The prompts cover logistics, personal depth, school fit, and diversity, so each essay should serve a distinct purpose with no overlap.
Geisel School of Medicine's 2025-2026 secondary essay prompts are:
"Please indicate your plans for the 2025-2026 academic year. If in school, please list your courses. If working, let us know something about the nature of your job." (500 words)
"Please reflect on your primary application and share something not addressed elsewhere that would be helpful to the Admissions Committee as we review your file." (500 words)
"What aspects of the Geisel School of Medicine draw you to apply? Please include the characteristics and strengths you will bring to our program and how you hope to contribute to our community." (500 words)
"Geisel School of Medicine values social justice and diversity in all its forms. Reflect on a situation where you were the 'other'." (500 words)
Here are three tips to get into the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.
You should develop a cohesive personal narrative that connects your clinical exposure, service work, research interests, and long-term goals into one clear theme. Your application should answer one central question: Why medicine, and why you?
Dr. Jason Gomez, an MD/MBA grad from Stanford University, former Stanford Med admissions officer, and current admissions expert at Inspira Advantage, emphasizes this point in one of our MCAT webinars:
“My greatest advice would be own your story fully and authentically you're not just a GPA you're not just an MCAT score you're not just a list of activities you're a person with a voice a path a why and that's what will make you stand out …” he says.
He adds, “avoid any cliches like ‘I want to help people’ … and talk about the one rooted in your own lived experiences.”
Instead of treating each activity as a separate “resume bullet,” use your application to show consistency. For example, if you care about rural medicine, health equity, or underserved communities, you should reinforce that through your volunteering, patient-facing experiences, leadership roles, and secondary essays.
Your personal statement should introduce your central motivation, and your activities section should provide evidence that you acted on it over time.
You should prioritize depth, progression, and sustained impact in your extracurricular activities instead of trying to list as many experiences as possible.
One of the most important tips to get into the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth is to show long-term dedication in a few meaningful roles rather than short-term involvement in many unrelated activities. Admissions committees consistently value applicants who commit over time, especially in service, clinical work, research, or leadership.
For example, long-term involvement might look like volunteering at a community health clinic for two years with weekly shifts and eventually training new volunteers or leading a project. Short-term involvement would be joining several different clubs or volunteering programs for only a few months each without taking on meaningful responsibilities or demonstrating growth.
Dr. Bima Hasjim, an Inspira Advantage admissions consultant and former UC Irvine Medical School admissions officer, explains in our webinar on mastering the med school admissions process that many applicants fall into the “quantity trap”:
“An applicant that has all 15 spots filled versus an applicant that only has 10 for example but in those 10 slots they've been involved in those … experiences for three or four years is going to far outweigh the person that has 15 extracurricular activities but very superficial … hours here and there.”
Geisel wants to see consistency, maturity, and genuine investment, not resume stacking. If you show increasing responsibility, leadership, and measurable impact over several years, you prove that you can handle the long-term intensity of medical training.
You should approach the interview as the stage where your personality, communication skills, and character matter more than your MCAT or GPA.
In our webinar on how to prepare for medical school, Chiamaka Okorie, a member of the Geisel admissions committee for three years, explains that strong interpersonal connections can outweigh raw stats:
“I have recommended we don't accept someone with a 525 … I've recommended an acceptance for 507 … it’s all about how they connected with me and what I feel like they're going to add to the institution and to medicine…”
She adds: “Your grades at that point do not matter … if you got to the interview stage, it means that you pass[ed] through your screening for your grades.”
In other words, your interview is where you prove what the admissions committee is looking for beyond numbers. Strong grades and test scores can help you earn an interview invitation, but they do not guarantee acceptance.
Likewise, a slightly lower MCAT or GPA does not automatically disqualify you if you demonstrate maturity, self-awareness, and the ability to contribute meaningfully to Geisel’s learning environment
If you communicate your motivations clearly, show emotional intelligence, and reflect thoughtfully on your experiences, you can outperform applicants with higher stats who come across as rehearsed, disconnected, or self-focused.
If you want expert guidance on getting into medical school, Inspira Advantage can help you strengthen your essays, refine your positioning, and build a competitive medical school application.
Geisel School of Medicine offers the following MD programs:
For the 2026-2027 academic year, Geisel lists annual tuition at $75,110 for all four years of the MD program. Geisel also includes required fees such as student services, health access, clinical access, disability insurance, and other administrative costs.
Geisel estimates the total cost of attendance (including tuition, mandatory fees, and living expenses) at approximately $104,255 to $110,105 per year, depending on the year of the program. The estimate includes housing, food, books and supplies, health insurance, exam-related expenses, travel, and personal costs.
Below is Geisel's tuition and fee breakdown for MD students throughout their four years of med school:
Based on Geisel's estimated annual cost of attendance, the total projected cost for four years of medical school is approximately $428,990. The estimate may vary depending on housing choices, personal spending, and travel costs during clinical training.
Geisel School of Medicine primarily awards financial aid through need-based scholarships and student loans. Geisel encourages students to apply early, since the school typically makes financial aid decisions in the spring, often shortly after admissions decisions are released.
Geisel financial aid packages generally include a required base loan amount of $42,700. If a student’s demonstrated financial need exceeds that amount, Geisel may award a Geisel School of Medicine scholarship to help cover remaining costs. Depending on eligibility and available funding, Geisel may award aid up to the full cost of attendance.
Students may also use federal financial aid options such as Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Grad PLUS Loans when eligible.
Geisel School of Medicine follows the standard AMCAS application cycle, with applications opening in the spring and interviews running from late summer through early spring. Below is Geisel’s full application timeline.
The Geisel School of Medicine may consider transfer students in limited circumstances, but transfer acceptance is rare. Applicants should contact Geisel Admissions directly to confirm eligibility and available space, since most medical schools only accept transfers when openings occur in the incoming class.
Yes, Geisel offers multiple dual-degree options for students pursuing careers in healthcare leadership, research, or public health. These include programs such as the MD/MBA, MD/MPH, and MEng-MD through Dartmouth’s partner schools.
Yes, Geisel School of Medicine grades all Phase 1 courses as Pass/Fail, which means students do not receive traditional letter grades during the preclinical curriculum.
Geisel grades core clerkships in Phase 2 as Honors, Pass, or Fail. Most Phase 3 electives use Honors, High Pass, Pass, or Fail. Class standing is determined by the number of Honors earned across the six core clerkships in Phase 2, and the top quarter of the class is eligible to graduate from Geisel with honors.
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