Dartmouth College AI Policy for College Applications
Policy Changed Since September 2025
Permission: L1 → L3 (Brainstorming only)
Disclosure: D0 (unchanged)
Enforcement: E0 → E1 (Unknown policy)
This school updated their AI admissions policy between our September 2025 and February 2026 reviews.
Quick Answer: Can you use AI at Dartmouth College?
It depends on your program:
- •General/Undergraduate: Brainstorming only
- •Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies: Brainstorming only
- •Thayer School of Engineering (PhD/MEM): Brainstorming only
Last verified: 2026-02-17 • Confidence: High
What This Means For Your Application
✓Generally Safe
- Brainstorming essay topics with AI
- Spell-check and basic grammar tools
✗Avoid
- Any AI rewriting or paraphrasing of your sentences
- Using AI-suggested phrasing in your final draft
Policy Evidence
University General Policy
“you can use AI maybe as a thinking partner or a brainstorming tool, but not as the author of your essays”
— Admissions Beat S8E2 Transcript(Updated: 2025-09-15)
“with AI, the way it writes, it just doesn't sound like a teenager. We want them to have that zip”
— Admissions Beat S8E2 Transcript(Updated: 2025-09-15)
“using them to outline, draft, or write your essay compromises the authenticity of your application”
— Admissions Information - Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies(Verified: Feb 2026)
“It's a disservice to yourself if you allow AI to create a person that you're not”
— Admissions Beat S4E5 Transcript(Updated: 2023-10-23)
Program-Specific Policies
Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies
“tools like generative AI may be helpful for researching programs or checking grammar, using them to outline, draft, or write your essay compromises the authenticity”
— View source(Verified: Feb 2026)
Applies to: statement of purpose
Thayer School of Engineering (PhD/MEM)
“using them to outline, draft, or write your essay compromises the authenticity of your application and violates both Dartmouth's admissions policies and the Academic Honor Policy”
— View source(Verified: Feb 2026)
Applies to: statement of purpose
Specific Guidelines
✓ Allowed Uses
- •brainstorming
- •organizing ideas
- •grammar/spell check
- •researching programs
✗ Not Allowed
- •outlining essays
- •drafting essays
- •writing essays
- •AI-authored content in application materials
Policy Summary by Program
| Program | AI Allowed? | Disclosure | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| General/Undergraduate | Brainstorming only | No disclosure required | E1 • Manual review possible |
| Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies | Brainstorming only | No disclosure required | E0 • No enforcement stated |
| Thayer School of Engineering (PhD/MEM) | Brainstorming only | No disclosure required | E0 • No enforcement stated |
Sources Verified
All sources checked (12)
Policy Sources:
Additional Sources Checked:
- https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/glossary-term/essay
- https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/glossary-term/writing-supplement
- https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/apply-dartmouth/admissions-faqs
- https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/admissions-beat-s8e2-transcript
- https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/admissions-beat-s4e5-transcript
- https://graduate.dartmouth.edu/admissions/applying-dartmouth/admissions-information
- https://engineering.dartmouth.edu/graduate-admissions/phd-admissions
- https://tuck.dartmouth.edu/mba/blog/tuck-admissions-insights-application-essays
- https://policies.dartmouth.edu/policy/guidelines-using-generative-artificial-intelligence-genai-coursework
Policy History
| Date | Permission | Disclosure | Enforcement | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-17 (current) | L3 | D0 | E1 | High |
| 2025-09-18 | L1 | D0 | E0 | High |
Additional Context
Undergraduate admissions has no formal written AI policy on its website, but Dean of Admissions Lee Coffin and admissions staff provide clear guidance via the Admissions Beat podcast (S8E2, Sep 2025; S4E5, Oct 2023): AI may be used as a brainstorming or thinking partner, but students must write essays themselves. Admissions readers say they can detect AI-written content by its lack of authentic teenage voice. Graduate programs (Guarini School, Thayer Engineering) have explicit written policies prohibiting AI for outlining, drafting, or writing essays, while permitting grammar checking and program research. Graduate policies reference Academic Honor Policy violations. Reclassified from L1 to L3: the consistent message across all levels is 'use AI to think, not to write.' Enforcement set to E1 based on podcast statements that readers watch for voice consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Dartmouth College allow ChatGPT for essays?
Do I need to disclose AI use to Dartmouth College?
How does Dartmouth College check for AI?
Which Dartmouth College programs have different AI policies?
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