Pre-Health Program

Requirements for admission to dental school vary among the different programs. It is critical for the prospective applicant to check the specific requirements for each program he/she intends to apply to. The pre-requisite coursework will take three years to complete. In addition, there may or may not be minimum grade requirements for a pre-requisite course.

Pre-requisites for applying to a typical dental program:

• BIOL 211/211L & BIOL 213/213L (non-BIOL majors will need special permission to enroll in these courses)
• CHEM 121/121L - 122/122L (these courses should be completed as soon as possible)
• CHEM 321/321L - 322/322L
• PHYS 151/151L - 152/152L or PHYS 201/201L - 202/202L – General Physics
• BCHM 414 (for biochemistry majors) or BCHM 410 (for non-majors) – Biochemistry

The following courses are strongly recommended:

• BIOL 301/301L
• BIOL 307
• BIOL 313
• BIOL 314/314L - 315/315L

The following courses are highly recommended:

• BIOL 309
• BIOL 411

In addition to the pre-requisite coursework, applicants are expected to have had some experience in dental settings, and should be able to provide strong letters of recommendation from professors, dentist(s) and others who can attest to the applicant’s character and attributes. Evidence of good manual dexterity is an asset. Research, volunteer work and a demonstration of commitment to an extracurricular activity are also common achievements among successful applicants.

You will have to take the DAT - Dental Admissions Test*

The DAT is the entrance exam for dental school. A student can only be registered for one DAT test date at a time and there is a 3 time maximum. You should register for a DAT test date 60-90 days before they intend to take it. If you wait to take the DAT in the latter half of the summer and do poorly, you may not have time to retake the DAT. Since many schools have rolling admissions, a student who takes the DAT in spring and does well is at an advantage if he or she can complete their application early in the application cycle.

DAT Practice Tests:

• The Princeton Review
• DATgenius

*Your target score should be around 19-20.

Most students apply in the summer between their junior & senior years - one year before you intend to matriculate. The application opens on or around June 1. Verification of submitted applications begins at this time and can take four to six weeks. Deadlines for schools range from October to February, however, many have already filled most of their class by December.

Most dental schools use the centralized application service (CAS) - AADSAS*.

• Read all of the ADEA AADSAS application questions and instructions carefully before you apply. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to your advisor.
• ADEA AADSAS applications will not be processed until all official undergraduate transcripts are received.
• After the ADEA AADSAS application, fee payment and official transcripts are received, it usually takes about four to six weeks to process an application. Check the status of your application regularly to make sure there is nothing holding up the process.
• Check with your designated dental schools to make sure you fulfill all of their individual supplemental application requirements.
• Apply early! We suggest submitting your application during the summer. Do not wait until deadlines approach to submit your application. Each dental school has its own application deadline. ADEA AADSAS does not send your application to a school if your application is received by ADEA AADSAS after the school's deadline.

*AADSAS applications are deleted at the end of every application cycle. Don't create an account unless you intend to apply within that cycle.