School of Dentistry

• When is the best time to apply to dental school?
• Applications are available through the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS) website beginning the first week of June of each year. To apply to the VCU School of Dentistry, applications must be submitted to AADSAS by Jan. 1. However, prospective candidates are greatly encouraged to apply by Sept, 1, as the admissions process is very time intensive. AADSAS processing takes four to eight weeks after your application, transcripts and payment are received.
• If I am reapplying through AADSAS, do I need to submit an entirely new application?
• Yes. Data from the previous application is not carried over to the new application cycle.
• Am I required to complete all courses before applying to dental school?
• No; however, all courses must be completed prior to entering dental school. Generally, VCU expects to see most prerequisites completed with only one or two planned between applying and matriculating, if accepted. Most applicants will begin the application process after they have completed their third year of college; therefore, the first semester grades of senior year will not be available for the initial application. Once the fall semester of senior year has been completed, applicants should complete an academic update through AADSAS. It is the applicant’s responsibility to submit their spring semester final grades directly to our school.
• How many hours of shadowing does VCU require?
• To gain an understanding and strong appreciation for the dental profession, we strongly encourage a total of 100-150 hours of general practice shadowing in addition to any specialty practice shadowing prior to submitting your application. 
• How do I check the status of my application once it has been submitted?

• It is important to note that VCU School of Dentistry DOES NOT update application statuses in ADEA WebAdmit. You can view the status of your application to VCU by logging into the VCU School of Dentistry Applicant Status Portal.

• Does VCU Dentistry have a supplementary application?
• No, VCU School of Dentistry does not require a supplemental application.
• How many letters of evaluation are required and is there a limit to the number of evaluations that can be sent?
• VCU requires one committee letter/packet OR three letters of recommendation, at least two of which must be from life-science professors and one from a dentist practicing in the United States or Canada who knows the candidate’s professional abilities through direct observation through shadowing or volunteer work. AADSAS accepts and processes a maximum of four individual letters of evaluation. VCU accepts additional letters of evaluation from science faculty or people who know the candidate well and can give a testimonial of the applicant’s abilities. VCU has no upper limit imposed on the number of evaluations; however, the number should not be excessive. Letters from people who do not know the candidate personally are discouraged.  Additional letters beyond the four that can be submitted through ADEA AADSAS can be emailed directly from the letter writer to denadmit@vcu.edu.

Note: If the course has a teaching assistant or laboratory instructor who has taught the candidate and has knowledge of the candidate’s abilities in the course, then a letter from that person countersigned by the course director is acceptable.

• What is the average DAT score?
  • The Academic Average of incoming students at VCU School of Dentistry has consistently been 430-440 over the past several years. 
• Can I apply to AADSAS prior to taking the DAT?
  • Yes. VCU will accept applications without DAT scores but will not review those applications until an official DAT score is received. Applications with unofficial DAT scores will not be reviewed. 
• When is the best time to take the DAT?
  • Most students in a traditional four-year undergraduate curriculum take the test in the spring of the year preceding their anticipated date of entry into dental school. Many students decide to take the test soon after completing the biology and chemistry courses that appear on the DAT. This can occur as early as the end of their sophomore year of college but more commonly at the end of their junior year.
• How long are DAT scores valid and how many times can the test be taken?
  • The American Dental Association’s DAT retest policy is not subject to appeal and states that:
    • Candidates must wait 60 days between testing attempts on the DAT, with a maximum of four (4) such administrations permitted during any 12-month period of time.
    • Candidates with three (3) or more attempts on the DAT must apply for permission to test again, providing proof of recent application to dental school with each subsequent application to test.
    • Subsequent to the candidate’s fifth DAT attempt, the candidate may retest only once per 12-month period.
• Does the VCU School of Dentistry accept Canadian students and are the Canadian DAT scores acceptable?
  • Yes, Canadian students are encouraged to apply and VCU does accept the Canadian Dental Aptitude Test. We no longer require the "manual dexterity" test section of the CDAT exam. The CDAT is now sent electronically through the Canadian Dental Association. 

• Do you interview all of your applicants?
• No. From the pool of applicants, competitive candidates are selected to interview by invitation only. An interview is mandatory for acceptance; however, an interview does not guarantee that a candidate will be offered a position in the class.
• What is the interview process like?
• The VCU School of Dentistry interview process begins mid-September and runs through the following February. There is a break for the holidays from the second week of December until the first week in January. Please visit our Interview Day webpage for more information about the logistics of interview day. 
• Can I bring my spouse or relatives to the interview?
• No, unfortunately VCU is unable to accommodate guests during the interview day.
• What is the correct attire for the interview?
• Dental school is a professional environment therefore, candidates should dress accordingly. Men should wear suits or sport coats with ties and women should wear suits or dresses. Attire such as blue jeans, miniskirts, shorts, flip-flops and tennis shoes are not recommended.

• Does the VCU School of Dentistry accept international students?
  • Yes, VCU School of Dentistry accepts international students into both our DDS and IDP program.  The VCU Global Education Office supports students through the visa process.
    
• How many people apply each year to the VCU School of Dentistry?
  • VCU receives approximately 2,200 - 2,500 applications to the Doctor of Dental Surgery program annually. 
• What is your class size and how many students are Virginia residents and non-residents?
  • The maximum class size is 95 students, with 60 seats for Virginia residents and 35 seats for non-residents.
• What are the average overall GPA and average science GPA scores for accepted students?
  • Incoming students have an average overall GPA of 3.7 and average science GPA of 3.6.
• Does the VCU School of Dentistry accept transfer admissions?
  • No, at this time VCU School of Dentistry does not accept transfer students. 
• What about immunizations?
  • VCU is committed to ensuring a safe environment for students and the patients they serve. As such, all new students who will have patient contact as part of their program of study are asked to return the newly revised VCU Health Sciences Student Immunization Requirements form. Students are strongly encouraged to complete immunization requirements prior to the start of classes to prevent future registration holds. Visit the University Student Health Services website for more information.

• How much does it cost to attend the VCU School of Dentistry?
  • Please visit our website to learn more about the cost of attendance for the Doctor of Dental Surgery program. 
• Does VCU accept AP/IB courses?
  • Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses can be credited towards pre-dental requirements as long as the credit appears on an official transcript from an accredited university/college in the U.S. However, courses will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
• What are some useful websites?
  • www.adea.org/GoDental/
  • explorehealthcareers.org/
  • www.dhsd.vcu.edu