Gianna Totani ’25
Graduate student, Columbia University
“Three words: best day ever! It was a snowy day in December 2020 when I received my early-decision acceptance. I had to close my eyes before I clicked ‘view decision,’ and when I opened them and saw the first word was ‘Congratulations!’ I started to cry. I seriously could not believe I had gotten in. This was the most exciting day. Little did I know this acceptance would lead to the best four years of my life!”
Jonathan Marvel ’82
Principal, Marvel Architects
“I wanted really badly to go to Dartmouth, applied early decision, but sadly did not meet the cut. You learn more from your failures than your successes. In reapplying, I had much more to show of my work as an art student. When I held the thick envelope without opening, I sat on the floor and cried. I waited around until no one was there. The result was I loved what Dartmouth brought out of me, and I hope all Dartmouth students can find themselves blossoming there.”
Cooper Ballard ’28
Current student
“I was walking through my high school hallway when I found out I had been accepted to Dartmouth. I remember opening the decision letter and feeling so shocked that I genuinely could not speak for several minutes. I had to drive home afterward, and it all felt completely unreal; I kept replaying the moment in my head. When I finally got home, telling my family made the moment feel real for the first time. I was overwhelmed with disbelief, gratitude, and a deep sense of honor to be joining the Dartmouth community.”
Lisa Volpe ’04
Curator, Houston Museum of Fine Arts
“My childhood home had a mail slot. Regular-sized envelopes would slide into the foyer, but larger envelopes remained wedged half in and half outside of the house. I remember pulling into the driveway and looking up toward the porch. A large envelope was visible sticking out of the mail slot. My heart started pounding. I rushed out of the car toward that envelope, and as I got closer, I could see the Dartmouth green lettering. Twenty-five years later, I still have the acceptance letter that was inside.”
Daniel Seog ’29
Current student
“I was alone in the back of my high school auditorium during student-led musical rehearsals. Throughout the day, I had been eagerly checking my QuestBridge application portal to see if I was matched to my first-ranked school, Dartmouth. When the yellow status update box appeared and confetti sprang out detailing that I had been matched to attend the ‘College in the Woods,’ I was ecstatic. It’s hard to describe the amount of relief and anticipation for college I felt. I did recognize that not only did I choose Dartmouth, Dartmouth also chose me.”
Allie Young ’13
Director and founder, Protect the Sacred
“I first learned about my acceptance through a letter from Dartmouth, which was also an invitation to ‘prospie weekend.’ I was attending boarding school and remember first sharing the news with my college counselor, who immediately volunteered to drive me up and drop me off for the weekend. I then shared with my favorite teachers and mentors and then called my mother to share the good news. It was an exciting day on campus, and everyone was beyond proud of me.”
Ariana Thornton ’29
Current student
“I was sitting in the kitchen, sandwiched between two of my closest friends. Feeling like a bundle of nerves, I clicked the new link on my application portal as my friends watched in silent anticipation. When green confetti appeared on the screen, I felt a wave of shock and gratitude wash over me. We all screamed and shook back and forth and hugged each other. Even then, there was a sense that my life would change in magnificent ways I couldn’t yet imagine.”
Doug Arion ’79
Executive director, Mountains of Stars, and emeritus professor of physics, astronomy, and entrepreneurial studies, Carthage College
My application and acceptance to Dartmouth back in 1975 were memorable. First, filling out the 14-page application (using a typewriter!) initiated us into the level and value of Dartmouth. I had interviews with the three schools in which I was most interested, but the Dartmouth interview was by far the most warm and fun. I found out I was accepted when I got the acceptance letter, the way things were communicated back in the day. It was the moment I knew I was going to go to a great school in New Hampshire, setting me on my personal life path.”
Amanda Welch Adams ’28
Current student
On December 15, 2024, at around 4 p.m., I vividly remember receiving an email during the middle of ski practice that my application decision had been released. I could barely contain myself—Dartmouth had been my dream school since I was in fourth grade, when I first stepped onto campus for my mom’s class reunion. With my phone at 2 percent, and my computer barely connecting, I sat alone in my dark car and shakily logged into the application portal. I didn’t make it past the word ‘Congratulations’ before I slammed my computer shut and started screaming. I immediately dialed my mom; I couldn’t even get a word out, to the point that she thought I had been rejected. When I finally blurted out ‘I got in! I got in! I got in!’ in hyperventilated heaves, I think she started screaming, too.
Tracy Lind Welch ’93
Managing director, head of wealth advisory, Clarendon Private (and mother of Amand Welch Adams)
December 17, 1988, was a cold winter day, and I pulled into the driveway at my house after a rehearsal for my high school’s holiday performance that evening. My parents greeted me eagerly at the front door with a nervous look and a very thin, white envelope. A quick glance at the envelope’s return address said Dartmouth College, and my mom’s pained look clearly articulated what we were all nervous about—it was a thin letter. Did this mean deferral or rejection? It wasn’t the chunky manila acceptance package we were hoping for. With my parents huddled around, I tore open the letter in the front hall and received the spectacular news that I had been accepted early decision. The three of us all jumped up and down and screamed with delight. Shortly thereafter, big fluffy flakes of snow started to fall, a befitting close to a day that changed everything.”
Luke Katler ’15
Theater producer, New York City
“I left early from school that day, and my college counselor headed me off in the hallway with a bit of a wink and a smile—I had applied early, so she was particularly invested in my finding out (and getting in). I got home and crowded around the desktop Mac in my bedroom with my dad and brother. We clicked in and immediately started cheering—from what I remember, there was digital confetti to accompany the acceptance. My now stepmom (who had just started dating my dad) showed up quickly with balloons and a handmade ‘Go Big Green’ sign. It was, to this day, one of the most magical moments of my life.”
Siena Bush ’29
Current student
“On March 27, 2025, I learned I had been accepted to Dartmouth while sitting on my living room couch with my parents, sister, and our corgi. The joy in that moment made it clear to me that this was the school where I truly belonged. I remember feeling that everything had finally come together: that all my hard work had paid off and Dartmouth and I had chosen each other. What stands out most is my parents’ reaction: more joy and pride in a single instant than I had ever seen. Even my dog, without knowing what was happening, joined in by jumping and barking with excitement.”
Edward Grew ’66
Earth sciences research professor, University of Maine at Orono
“I don’t remember much about the moment I learned that I had been accepted at Dartmouth. While many in my family went to Harvard and Yale, my parents didn’t think I would do well at a large university in an urban environment. I did love hiking in the mountains. Also, my parents felt that I would be better off at Dartmouth, where strength in mathematics was more in line with what I would need for a career in mineral science.”
Serena Goldstein ’28
Current student
“I remember sitting at the kitchen table on a Friday night. Stressed out, I clicked on the email. I reread it a few times to make sure I was seeing it right. I stared at the ‘Congratulations!’ I had no words. My mom walked into the room and, seeing the huge smile spread across my face, she knew I had gotten in. All I could do was smile so hard it hurt. I started crying tears of joy. My brother started crying tears of joy. I jumped up and down and hugged my mom, and my brother FaceTimed our grandparents. I was officially a Dartmouth student.”
