How to Get Into Dalhousie University

Written by Stephanie Pugh and Matthew Tran

A Dalhousie education offers so much more than just a university degree. When you study there, you will be taught by experts who are involved in cutting-edge research and have industry expertise and contacts. Co-ops, internships, entrepreneurial programmes, clinical practicums, research, and other hands-on learning experiences and more are available to you at Dalhousie University! You'll graduate with the knowledge and abilities needed to make your résumé look remarkable.

Are you ready to see where Dalhousie might lead you? Do you want to know how to get into Dalhousie? Continue reading and we’ll tell you how to get there!

General Admission Requirements

Before applying to Dalhousie, you must make sure that you fulfil the basic admission criteria, as well as the program-specific admission requirements for your area of study.

The minimum admission requirements to get into Dalhousie include:

1. Completion of secondary school diploma (Grade 12)
2. A minimum overall average of 70% in five academic Grade 12 courses
3. A final grade of at least 70% in Grade 12 academic English and any other required subjects (based on your program of choice at Dalhousie)
4. If English isn’t your first language, you will need to fulfil Dalhousie’s English language requirements.

• Please note: Many programs at Dalhousie are extremely competitive, and attaining the minimal average does not ensure acceptance! Some programmes may have lower course requirements than 70%, however for early admission to most programmes, 70% or greater is required for mandatory courses.

To see what requirements you will need, specific to your program of choice, you can visit the Dalhousie University website here and sort through the list of programs!

Admissions Process

In most cases, three years of secondary study are necessary to be considered for your admission. If your final year is still in process, first-semester or mid-year results (predicted if relevant) might be checked for your initial evaluation into the school.

To start the application process, you must create an admission login ID and pin on Dal Online; this is Dalhousie’s online portal! You can select your application type and also your desired admission term through this portal. This is also the portal where you can check up on your application status.

Here are some important dates you should know:

• October 15th: Applications are open for admission the following September
• Apply by March 1st: For entrance scholarship consideration!
• April 1st: This is the application deadline for international students.

Please note: some programs at Dalhousie have specific application deadlines. Make sure to double-check these deadlines in terms of your program choice!

To complete your application to undergraduate studies, you'll also need to pay the $70 CAD application fee!

Documents and Supplemental Evaluations

To get into Dalhousie, you will need to submit your official high school transcript. If you send first-semester or mid-year transcripts, you must also submit final results when they are issued. Also, depending on your program, you may be required to submit supplemental forms and documentation.

A successful supplementary evaluation will give you the best chances of getting into Dalhousie University! Supplementary evaluations may include an audition, an interview, a portfolio of your work, a resume, a personal essay, or an online assessment. These evaluations will be used to determine if you are a great fit for your Dalhousie program or not, so it is important that you complete these tasks to the best of your ability for the best consideration.

• To check if your program would require a supplemental evaluation, you can look on this webpage!

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