Latin American, Latino, & Caribbean Studies

Undergraduate academic requirements

Completion of secondary school

Postgraduate academic requirements

English proficiency

If English is not your first language and your secondary-school curriculum has not been taught in English for at least two years, Dartmouth requires an English proficiency score. Accepted options include TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test and Cambridge English. Dartmouth does not set a minimum score, although most successful applicants score above 7 on IELTS, 135 on Duolingo or 185 on Cambridge English. For TOEFL, most successful applicants score above 100 under the former scale or 5 or above for tests taken from 21 January 2026.

English proficiency waivers

An English proficiency test may not be required when your curriculum has been delivered in English for at least two years. Dartmouth reviews English-language preparation in the context of your school and educational background, so applicants should check the latest guidance if their circumstances are unusual.

Documents required

• Common Application and Dartmouth writing supplement
• Secondary School Report, including transcript, school profile and counsellor evaluation
• Two teacher evaluations
• Standardised test scores, where required or submitted
• English proficiency score, where required
• Translations into English for recommendations and other documents submitted in another language
• Financial-aid documents, such as the CSS Profile or ISFAA and parental income documentation, if applying for Dartmouth funding

Documents

• Submit the Secondary School Report with your transcript, school profile, and counselor evaluation.
• If your first language is not English and your secondary curriculum was not taught in English for at least two years, submit an accepted English-proficiency test score.

Essays and statements

• Complete Dartmouth’s Writing Supplement in addition to the Common App. It requires three short responses.

Recommendations

• Submit two teacher evaluations, preferably from core academic courses.
• A peer recommendation is strongly encouraged.

Selection

• An alumni interview is optional and offered only when available; not having one does not disadvantage your application.

Tests and examinations

• Standardized testing is required. If you attend(ed) high school outside the United States, meet this requirement with one of the following

  SAT or ACT; three AP exams; predicted or final IBDP results; predicted or final British A-Level results; or final results from an equivalent national standardized exam.