Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine Secondary Application Essay Tips and Timeline [2025–2026], Class Profile
The Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, and is the fourth-oldest medical school in the United States. On its website, the school sums up its mission as follows: “We address the world’s health problems through research and discovery, the evaluation and improvement of systems of healthcare, and the education of the best future physicians and scientists.”
Geisel has a small medical school cohort of approximately 96 admitted students per year. This offers students a close-knit community and wonderful mentorship opportunities, particularly in conjunction with the school’s Learning Collaboratives framework. Geisel’s educational philosophy blends rigorous basic science, clinical skills training, healthcare delivery science, research, community service, and global health. Of note, the school’s Center for Global Health Equity offers clinical electives to M4 students as well as internships.
Geisel’s Office of Medical Student Research offers the MD Student Research Scholars Program, summer research projects, events, and symposia. If you are an applicant with several semesters of research experience and a poster presentation and/or publication, the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine could be the perfect place to both start your medical education and continue your love of research!
Table of Contents
Geisel Secondary Essay Tips
All questions have 500-word limits.
Essay #1
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. If your plans or courses change (we only need to be notified about changes in prerequisite courses) subsequently, please inform the Admissions Office by email at Geisel.Admissions@dartmouth.edu.
This essay prompt is very helpful to the adcom, as it offers applicants the opportunity to provide continuing information about their plans during the application cycle. What is important to the adcom? That you have a plan and it is well constructed. For those who are in school, whether you are finishing your undergrad degree or a postbac program, be sure to comprehensively list the classes you will be taking every semester or quarter. Don’t forget to list your labs! If you have graduated and will be working in a healthcare setting, include your title (i.e., medical assistant, scribe, research assistant) and mention a few daily responsibilities. If your plans include continued volunteer, leadership, and/or social justice/advocacy work (which we highly recommend!), be sure to mention that in this essay.
Essay #2
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.
We love this essay prompt! If you wish that you had room to include just one more thing in your primary application, here is your opportunity! This prompt mentions “something not addressed elsewhere”; that something could be a new activity you would like to highlight, a meaningful hobby, a unique skill, an accomplishment you are proud of, an aspect of your background, or a personal anecdote that can be told fully in 500 words. You could approach this prompt differently and use the essay to reflect on one of the following questions: Who was your favorite teacher/professor and why? What patient interaction has moved you deeply and why? What has been your most profound learning moment and why? Answering one of these questions and, eventually, tying your answer back to the field of medicine will give the adcom unique insight into who you are as a person.
Essay #3
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.
This is a multifaceted prompt, and applicants should be sure to address every aspect. Initially, you should do a deep dive into the Geisel School of Medicine and familiarize yourself with elements such as the curriculum, student life, and research opportunities. Next, look at the second part of the essay prompt and think about the following: What are your specific strengths and interests? Are you interested in mentorship? Do you have a background in public health? Are you looking for a dual degree? A strong answer to this prompt will link your work experience to something specifically offered at the Geisel School of Medicine and explain how you plan to bring your skill set to the community to help it grow and flourish.
Essay #4
Geisel School of Medicine values social justice and diversity in all its forms. Reflect on a situation where you were the “other.”
We have all felt like the “other” at one point in our lives. Said another way, we have felt as if we didn’t belong and, perhaps, uncomfortable – such as in a classroom, while traveling, when starting a new job, or after moving. Whether you have had many of these moments in your life or just one, this essay prompt asks you to think about a singular situation when you felt on the outside. Take a quiet moment to reflect. Set the scene for the reader. Where were you? Who, if anybody, was with you? What were the circumstances that made you feel like the “other”? Describe those feelings. As you approach the end of this essay, think about being a physician and how you could help to alleviate some of these uncomfortable feelings in a future patient.
Geisel Application Timeline
| Date/Deadline | Event |
| May 1, 2025 | AMCAS applications open |
| May 28, 2025 | Applications may be filed with AMCAS |
| August 2025 | Interviews begin |
| November 1, 2025 | AMCAS submissions close |
| November 15, 2025 | Final deadline for secondary applications |
| March 2026 | Interviews end |
Source: Geisel School of Medicine website
***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with the Geisel School of Medicine directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***
Geisel Class Profile
Here is a look at some data from the Geisel School of Medicine (data taken from the Geisel website):
Average GPA: 3.77
Average MCAT score: 516
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