Overview

Admission to dental school is a highly competitive process. It is vitally important that students who want to pursue a dental degree thoroughly prepare themselves to be competitive applicants during the pre-dental years.

Pre-dental is not a major, but rather a preparatory process that includes required coursework, extracurricular activities, and a standardized examination called the Dental Admission Test (DAT). It is the goal of UVSC to prepare its students to be exceptional in any profession they choose. Listed below are some characteristics of successful dental school applicants:

1. Academic ability displayed by competitive GPA, DAT scores and letters of recommendation from professors.
2. Clear motivation for choosing dentistry as a career.
3. Dedication to serving the community.
4. Knowledge of the dental profession.
5. Ability to understand personal strengths/weaknesses and learn appropriate lessons through a diversity of experiences.

GPA and DAT scores demonstrate that you have the intellectual capacity to understand the science of dentistry and the prerequisite courses provide the basic foundation you need to succeed in dental school. The activities you participate in are an integral part of the learning process. These activities help you understand who you are and your motivation for pursuing a degree in dentistry.

It is the responsibility of the pre-dental student to know the specific requirements, both academic and nonacademic, and the desirable characteristics that can make one competitive for admission into dental school. The information on this website should be used as a general reference in addition to personal meetings with the pre-health professions advisor, professors, dental school representatives, literature, other websites, etc.